by Knowing how to find the key of a song by ear is a huge win for ANY bass player. Once you know the key, you’ll be able to make very educated guesses for notes that are in the song.
Even better though, it means that you can safely avoid notes that aren’t in that key. This means no more fumbling through tons of ‘bad’ notes hoping that you’ll eventually land on a good one.
It also means you can go beyond just playing the roots of a song. If you know the key, then you can use notes from that key to:
- Spice up ‘boring’ or ‘dull’ bass lines
- Create bass fills
- Improvise to your heart’s content
There’s both an art and a science to doing this, but in today’s video, we’ll be focusing on the ‘art’ side of things.
Using the ‘Intuitive Method’ of finding the key doesn’t require any music theory knowledge at all. The only things you’ll need are your ears and your voice.
Check out the lesson here:
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How To GUARANTEE You’ve Picked The Right Key
Think you've found the key to a song, but you're not 100% sure? There's a way to 'test' and guarantee that the key you think you're in is the key you're actually in. In this bonus video, 'The Key Certainty Method', you'll learn:
- The 2 most common mistakes people make when they try to figure out the key (and how to fix them
- The 'magic numbers' that keep you on the right track and in the right key
- How to use the Key Certainty Flowchart to guarantee you've picked the right key - every time
Sign up for the video below and you'll always know exactly what key you're in.
You’ll notice that the Intuitive Method uses a lot of trial and error. This is great because if you don’t nail it the first time – it’s OK! You can keep trying until you’ve found the key of the song.
If you think you’ve found it, but you’re not 100% sure it’s correct, then you can test it using the free bonus lesson: Key Certainty: How To Make Sure You’ve Found The Right Key. In there, you’ll get a process that will help you know with 100% confidence if you’ve found the key.
If you haven’t, chances are you’ve made one of two mistakes that a lot of bass players make when they try to find the key. The Key Certain method ensures you won’t ever make them again.
Along with the video, you’ll also get the flowchart for diagnosing the problems you could be having in finding the key – as well as the Key Cheat Sheet. This is simply all the keys with all their notes listed for you in one convenient PDF.
To get the video with all the bonuses, just fill in the form above and I’ll send it straight to your email address. You can get started right now.
This lesson is the first of 3 videos all about the different methods of figuring out the key of a song. If you’re not comfortable using your voice or you haven’t developed your ear yet, the next 2 methods might be a better fit for you. Keep an eye out for them in the next little while.
Of course if you have any questions, just leave a comment below. I’d be more than happy to help you out however I can.
Cheers,
Its a great service you are providing!
Blair
Glad you think so Blair. Thanks a lot!
Hi Luke..Cornel here..Excellent Lesson.. As you may remember me saying ive been playing bass with bands for some time now..but ive always kept an open .mind, attitude, and approach towards continuos learning. This topic was right up my street, A kind of refresher with a bit extra you could say and i was inspired… I liked the way you constructed those improvised runs off each note as you searched for the right key. Thank you..
You’re welcome Cornel – And I’m glad you could get a bit of inspiration from the lesson. It’s always really satisfying to hear that!
Hi,Luke. Thanks for your video. I’m actually a double bassist, but have always wanted to play jazz as well as classical. This information seems really helpful to build the skills and confidence to have a go.
You’re welcome Anne. You’re absolutely right! Once you build up the skills, the confidence will quickly follow. Thanks for checking out the lesson.
Hey thanks man. I’m gonna start watching your videos now I found them. I’m without a bass right now but I do have 5 guitars. I’m getting another bass soon. After all I only started playing guitar to become a better bass player.
Good to hear Christopher! Let me know how you go when you get another bass.
Hi Luke I sent my email I haven’t seen any video I mean the bounse video
Hey Pascal – check the ‘Spam’ or ‘Junk’ folders in your email. Sometimes the confirmation email gets routed there by mistake, even though you specifically requested it. If you still have trouble finding it, just let me know.
You listen was very helpful.