Piano Forum

Piano Board => Student's Corner => Topic started by: blarvis on December 27, 2013, 10:49:23 PM

Title: What key are these notes in?
Post by: blarvis on December 27, 2013, 10:49:23 PM
I can't seem to find these notes in any key signatures.  D E F C#

What key is this?

What am I doing wrong? 


Thank you
New piano boy
Title: Re: What key are these notes in?
Post by: gregh on December 27, 2013, 11:24:29 PM
I can't seem to find these notes in any key signatures.  D E F C#

What key is this?

What am I doing wrong? 


Thank you
New piano boy


Is that supposed to be a C#, or a G#? If C#, it could be harmonic minor D. But sometimes non-scale notes are included, so, without more context, it's hard to say.
Title: Re: What key are these notes in?
Post by: blarvis on December 29, 2013, 05:55:19 PM
Is that supposed to be a C#, or a G#? If C#, it could be harmonic minor D. But sometimes non-scale notes are included, so, without more context, it's hard to say.


The melody is 4 quarter notes; D then E then F then C#.  The melody doesnt have to be these notes but it does have to be the ratio of these notes because this is the melody I want for the song.  I just can't find any key that fits it.
Title: Re: What key are these notes in?
Post by: nystul on December 30, 2013, 12:01:58 AM
The melody is 4 quarter notes; D then E then F then C#.  The melody doesnt have to be these notes but it does have to be the ratio of these notes because this is the melody I want for the song.  I just can't find any key that fits it.

It's D minor.  The C# is an accidental, but it is the "leading tone" in D minor.

Key signatures are always written with sharps or flats occurring in the same order.  F# comes before C#, so you can never have a key signature with C# but not F#.
Title: Re: What key are these notes in?
Post by: onwan on December 30, 2013, 12:14:17 AM
It is probably in d minor (harmonic).
T=d minor (D,F, A)
S=g minor (G, Bb, D)
D=A major/minor (A, C/C#, E)
Title: Re: What key are these notes in?
Post by: blarvis on December 30, 2013, 01:10:13 AM
It's D minor.  The C# is an accidental, but it is the "leading tone" in D minor.

Key signatures are always written with sharps or flats occurring in the same order.  F# comes before C#, so you can never have a key signature with C# but not F#.

Thanks so much.  Trying to learn all this stuff about key signatures.

So, are there any rules as to when and how much you can use accidentals?  I would imagine if you used too many than it would destroy the original key you were in in the first place.


Title: Re: What key are these notes in?
Post by: gregh on December 30, 2013, 12:10:34 PM
Thanks so much.  Trying to learn all this stuff about key signatures.

So, are there any rules as to when and how much you can use accidentals?  I would imagine if you used too many than it would destroy the original key you were in in the first place.


In the key signature they always come in the same order, like blarvis said. So, for instance, natural A minor has the same key signature as C major, and harmonic A minor has a G sharp. But you would put that sharp on the notes, not in the key signature. That's just the way it's done.

If you're just doing funny things with your chords or chromatics you could have any number of accidentals that aren't directly related to the key you're in. Use as many as you need.