What determines the key?

[esurfer]

I've read through most all of the lessons on this site and am still confused a bit. Is the name of the scale also the key that it is in? For example, is the Am Pentatonic scale, in the key then Am?
Or, if a song is in the key of G major , what minor Pentatonic scale would be used? Also are modes different than keys. Or are modes played within the context of a key? I aprreciate any clarification, and not just a link to the lessons I've already read. Thanks,

esurfer

[terrafirma]

http://www.cyberfret.com/theory/major-key-signatures/index.htm

that should help!:D

[Coffee]

Hello Esurfer.

Scales an key centers can be confusing. If you're playing a Am pentatonic your key could be either Am or simply C. The Am scale is actually a mode of the C major scale. Confused. Yeah. It's kind of tough. Here's some quick info.

Modes use the same notes as their corresponding major scale. The C major scale starts on the C note root. The modes of the C scale are C ionian, which is the C major scale. D dorian uses all the notes from the C major scale but you start it on the second note of the scale. E Phrygian uses all the notes in the C scale but starts and ends on the third note of the scale. Get the idea? F Lydian starts on the fourth, Mixolydian starts on the fifth,
A Aeolian starts on the sixth (this is the Am scale) and lastly the Locrian mode which starts on the seventh note of the scale.

To find the relative minor scale all you do is count down 3 frets from the major root and you're there. This puts you at the
A Aeolian or A minor scale. So you asked about the relative minor of G major. Count down three frets from a G note and what note have you got? E. Em penta will work awesome as will the E natural minor scale.

Hope this helped.

[cyberfret]

Reading all of the lesson on this site is a good start. Sometimes a second read will help you understand something that you missed the first time. There is a lot involved in determining the key of a song. And the more theory that you know the better. Below are some basic suggestions determining the key of the song, and some possible scales for soloing.



When learning to improvise, and figure out what scales to use, keep these things in mind.

A chord progression will be either major sounding, or minor sounding. There are modes and different kinds of scales, but just break them into 2 different categories at first.

Pentatonic scales are the easiest to deal with at first

Play a major pentatonic scale over a major type progression
Play a minor pentatonic scale over a minor type progression

When trying to figure out whether a progression is major or minor, try to decide which chord is home base. Maybe the first or last chord of the progression, but where you feel sounds like home. If it is a major chord then you have a major type progression, if it is a minor chord then you have a minor type progression.


Last, you can play a minor pentatonic over a major type progression...if the song has a blues feel, or you can superimpose a blues feel over the song. For example the chord progression (G, Em, C, D) is a major type progression, and therefore uses a G major pentatonic scale. You can also use a G minor pentatonic if it sounds right to you (blues feel). If the same set of chord were in a ska tune, the minor pentatonic might sound awful.

Note: you can not use a major pentatonic over a minor progression, It will just sound wrong.

This is an over simplification but should give you some ideas.

You can also use different pentatonic scales for individual chords, Use a minor pentatonic scale for a minor chord and a major pentatonic for a major chord.

example:
Chord progression G Em C D G

Use G major pentatonic over the whole chord progression
Use G minor pentatonic over the whole chord progression....If it has a blues feel to it.
Use E minor pentatonic over the Em chord (the same notes as G major pentatonic)
Use a C major pentatonic over the C chord
Use a D major pentatonic over the D chord

--Shawn