Determining the Key of A Piece
It is important for you to be able to recognise what key a piece is in, and the way to do this is to identify it from the sharps or flats of the key signature. The key signature, however, does not distinquish between major and relative minor keys; for example, a Signature of F sharp (as in the study above) could indicate either G major or E minor. The two main guidelines for determining whether a piece is in the major or relative minor key are:
- The presence of the 7th note of the minor scale (the leading note). This is the only note of a minor scale (except the "pure" minor) which is not found in its relative major, thus a D# note in the music will strongly suggest the key of E minor rather than G major.
- The name of the finishing note (or chord). A piece very often finishes on its root note and thus an E note at the end would suggest the key of E minor (quite often a piece will also begin on the root note).
Class Sessions
1- Chromatics or Accidentals
2- Left Hand Notation
3- The D Major Scale
4- Modulation
5- Notes on the Third String
6- Fourth String
7- Relative Major and Minor Keys
8- Right Hand Independence Exercises
9- The G Major Scale
10- The B Melodic Minor Scale (Relative to D Major)
11- Triplets
12- SECTION ONE SUMMARY
13- INTRODUCTION
14- The A Melodic Minor Scale
15- SECTION TWO
16- The C Major Scale
17- Musical Form
18- The D Melodic Minor Scale (Relative to F Major)
19- GLOSSARY OF MUSICAL TERMS
20- Scales
21- Rudiments of Music
22- Tuning to the Compact Disc or Cassette
23- SECTION TWO SUMMARY
24- The Rest Stroke
25- The F Major Scale
26- The Free Stroke
27- The A Major Scale
28- Right Hand Thumb p Free Stroke
29- Chords in the Key of A Major
30- The E Melodic Minor Scale (Relative to G Major)
31- Chords in the Key of F Major
32- Determining the Key of A Piece
33- Chords in the Key of G Major
34- Chords in the Key of D Minor
35- Prelude
36- Music Theory
37- Chords in the Key of D Major
38- Electronic Guitar Tuner
39- Chords in the Key of A Minor
40- The Chromatic Scale
41- Chords in the Key of B Minor
42- The Classical Guitar
43- Chords in the Key of C Major
44- Rudiments of Music
45- Fifth String
46- Note Values
47- Left Hand Placement
48- Alternation
49- Hall of the Mountain King
50- Music in Two Parts
51- Open String Exercises
52- Left Hand Thumb
53- Playing the Half - Bar
54- Chord Arpeggios
55- Waltz allegro
56- Classical Guitar Techniques
57- Time Signatures
58- Tuning the Guitar to Itself
59- Notes on Guitar Fretboard
60- The Major Scale
61- Approach to Practice
62- Chords in the Key of E Minor
63- Sixth String
64- Estudio
65- Classical Guitar Techniques
66- Study in G
67- Counting and Saying the Names of the Notes
68- Spanish Study
69- Bouree in E Minor
70- Allegro
71- Notes in the Open Position
72- History of the Guitar
73- Minor Scales
74- Duet in G
75- Study in C
76- Prelude in D
77- Notes on the First String
78- Keys and Key Signatures
79- Allegretto in D
80- Sitting Position
81- Notes on the Second String
82- Duet in A Minor
83- Reading Music
84- Greensleeves
85- Right Hand Notation
86- Duet in D
87- Right Hand Fingernails
88- Right Arm Placement
89- Right Hand Position and Gripping Technique
90- Method of Placement