what key?

[marc-antoine]

mychords progression uses: Am C F(7) G E D
in what key am I?
thanks

also, what's an extension and a tension in achord, and how to use them?

[ssiowi]

Hi Marco:

Where in south France are you?

I took a look at your progression and I see you as playing in the Am scale. Readers, please check my work.

You get to Am with a 1-2-b3-4-5-#5-b7 construction of the scale. So that goes to A-B-C-D-E-F-G.

As for the extentions, you are using 'em man. The F(7) does that job. Get tension using 6ths for example. You'll get it.

I'm still learning this theory stuff man so let's hope that a solid theory citizen reading this thread will jump in to educate the two of us.

Happy wishes for a safe 2k2 from Portland, OR USA,

David

[marc-antoine]

I live at 50 km of St TRopez...

i wish you a happy year 2002 and thank you for your reply (scuse my english!)

I though too that it was an Am key, but i figured that if they were the notes of an Am scale, the chords were'nt in the Am key...
Because in an Am key, the D and the E chords should be minor (Dm and Em). So i think my chord progression belongs to an another mode or something that i can't figure out.

Or maybe i'm wrong, so somebody would teach me the good way... :D

[ssiowi]

Hi Marco:

Roger that on the reply and hey, check the program "Super Guitar Chord Finder". It will help you much in this matter. I love using it and have enjoyed this program since two versions ago. The fellow who developed it lives north of you and does a fine job with the product.

My wife Betty and I spend Christmas '99 in Paris. We love your country and the kindness of the people. Keep making great music.

All the best from the Pacific Northwest of America.

[cyberfret]

The chords that you have listed are not from any one key. That does not mean that you can't write a song that does not fit into any one key. Sometimes you can get some interesting sounds by doing just that. Sometimes just a list of chords is not enough to tell the key. Depending on the way that this is played, you might have part in one key, and part in another.

Here is a lesson on major keys that you could check out.
http://www.cyberfret.com/theory/major-key-harmony/index.php

Here is a lesson on the basics of modes.
http://www.cyberfret.com/theory/modes/101/index.htm

As for tensions, the basics are this. To add a little more color to a chord, you can add a note that is a whole step (2 frets) above any chord tone, if that note is in the scale that is being used. There is more to it, but it does takes a good foundation in theory to fully understand. But that basic idea will give you a start.

So if you are in a the key of C major, and you have a C chord....you could add a D note (a whole step above C), or an A (a whole step above G). But F# which is a whole step above E will not sound great in the key of C. But if you had that same C chord in the key of G, it could sound good....the key of G major has an F# note.

--Shawn

[shadows eye]

ure not in A. if u were u wouldn't be playing F major and C major as these are sharped in the key of A. I could be wrong but i think ure just in the key of Cmajor.
all ure chords fit with the diatonic chordpattern that relates to every major key:-
tonic - major
supertonic - minor
mediant - minor
sub-dominant - major
dominant - major
submediant - minor
leading note - diminished

as for adding tensin you couldtry playing the altered chords,especially of the F dominant 7.

[dark_iscariot]

hey shadows eye, how do you figure this Am C F(7) G E D
fits the diatonic pattern when there is only one minor chord?
If it would be in the key of Cmaj the E would have to be Em and the D Dm.