Learning how to know the basic notes of a song or musical arrangement is a very valuable skill. Knowing the basics allows you to transpose and adapt the song to your voice. You can also experiment with making the song sound different (the ability to produce catchy covers). To find the basic notes of a song or piece of music, you'll need to understand some basic concepts in music theory. The piano is the simplest instrument that can be used as an example to explain and understand these concepts.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Getting acquainted with Musical Terms
Step 1. Understand the step and half steps in music
Half steps and one step are called “intervals,” or the distance between two notes. Intervals are the building blocks of a musical "scale".
- A “scale” is a group of notes arranged in ascending order. The scale spans an “octave,” or eight notes (from the Latin “octavus” or “eighth”). For example, the major scale of the C major chord is C D E F G A B C. The most basic notes of a scale are called the “tonic” notes.
- If you think of the scale as a ladder, each half step is one step above the previous one. So, the distance between B and C is half a step because there are no other "rungs" between them. (In the piano, the notes B and C are white keys next to each other with no black keys between them). The distance between C and D, on the other hand, is one step, because there is an extra "rung" between the two notes on the scale (i.e. the black key on the piano, which represents a C-firm or D-mole note).
- On the C major scale, the only half steps are between notes B and C and between E and F. The other intervals are one step because the C major scale does not include sharp (#) or mole (♭) notes.
Step 2. Understand the major scale
The major scale always has the same pattern of all steps (1) and half (½): 1 – 1 – - 1 – 1 – 1 –. So, the C major scale is C D E F G A B C.
You can create other major scales by changing the starting note - called the "tonic note" - and following the interval pattern
Step 3. Understand the minor scale
The minor scale is more complicated than the major scale and has several patterns. The most common pattern for the minor scale is the “Natural” minor scale.
- The Natural minor scale has the following one-and-a-half-step pattern: 1 -1 – - 1 – 1- -1 – 1.
- You can "transpose" this scale pattern (i.e. rewrite it to a different pitch) by starting at a different note and counting the "rungs" of your scale.
Step 4. Understand Terst and Quint
Terst and Quint are very common types of intervals in music. They can be very useful in determining what basic note is being played. Minor intervals are half a step apart from major intervals, which makes the sound different.
- Terst is formed by the first note in the base note and the third note in the base note. The third major note is two full steps from the base note, while the minor scale is three and a half steps away from the base note.
- The quint is formed by the first note in the base note and the fifth note in the base note. A "perfect" quint has seven and a half steps from the base note.
- If you've heard the song “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen, you've no doubt heard the musical interval, in this line: “It goes like this the fourth, the fifth, the minor fall, the major lift, the baffled king composing 'Hallelujah'.” (It goes something like this, fourth, fifth, minor down, major up, the confused King chants 'Hallelujah'.) In a lot of pop music (usually written at the base of C Major), the most noticeable chord development is the movement of the note “fourth” to “fifth,” which creates a “happy” sound movement. In the song "Hallelujah" the words "minor fall" are accompanied by a minor chord, and the word "major lift" is accompanied by a major chord.
Step 5. Understand the major chord
A basic chord contains three notes, called a “trinada”, arranged in tersts (see Step 4). These chords are usually based on a scale, such as C Major. Major chords have two full steps between the first and third notes in the triad. A major chord contains a major terst and a perfect quint. The first note of a chord is called the "base" of the chord.
For example, to create a chord based on the C Major scale, you could start at C, as the “tonic,” and then use that as the “base” of your chord. Then move up the terst of that scale (4 steps up) to E, then up to the quint on that scale (3 half steps up to G). Thus, the C triad chord is C – E – G
Step 6. Understand the minor chord
The quality of most chords is determined by the terst, or middle note in the triad. Minor chords have three and a half steps between the first and third notes in the triad, as opposed to major chords which have four and a half steps (or two full steps). Minor chords contain a minor terst and a perfect quint.
For example, if you place your finger on one note above the “root note” of a C major chord, you will play this chord: D – F – A. This chord is a D Minor chord because of the interval between the first and second notes on the chord. (D and F) are three and a half steps
Step 7. Understand Chord Diminished and Augmentation
These chords are not as common as major or minor chords, but they are sometimes used to create special effects. Because this chord changes in the usual trinity, it creates a melancholic, magical, or sinister feel in music.
- Diminished chords have a minor terst and a diminis quint (half-step lowered quint). For example, a reduced C chord would look like this: C - E♭ - G♭.
- Augmented chords contain a major terst and an augmented quint (half-step raised quint). For example, an augmented C Chord would look like this: C - E - G#.
Part 2 of 3: Reading Music to Find the Basic Tone
Step 1. Find the base note marker
If you're printing sheet music, you can find a musical note by looking at the “keyboard.” This is a set of tiny markers between the note (it can be treble or bass) and the time marker (a number that looks like a fraction).
- You'll see the # symbol (for sharp notes) or (for mole notes)
- If there is no # or written then the song is in C major or A minor.
Step 2. Read moles
For basic tone markers using moles, the marker is next to the sharp end (second from right) indicating when read from left to right.
- When a song has moles marked at B♭, E♭, and A♭, then E♭ is near the end of the mole marker. That way, the music is in the basic E mole.
- If there is only one mole, the song starts in D minor or F major.
Step 3. Read kres
For the basic marker using a sharp, the base marker is on the note one and a half steps from the last sharp marker.
When a song has a sharp marked in F# and C#, the next note that goes up from C# is D. So, the music starts with a D base note
Step 4. Look at the chord diagram
If you play guitar, you will probably use chord charts when learning new music. Many songs start and end with chords that match the base note marker. If a musical composition ends in a D chord, it's probably on a D chord.
The three basic chords in the C Major series are C Major (C – E – G), F Major (F - A - C), and G Major (G - B - D). These three chords are often the basis of many pop songs
Step 5. Learn Scale
Knowing a little bit of the common scale in the type of music you play will help you figure out what chords to play in the song. The notes in the chord will be on a scale.
- For example, an F Major chord is F - A - C, and all of these notations are on the C major scale, so an F Major chord is in C.
- The A Major chord (A - C# - E) is not a C key because the C major scale does not have a sharp note.
Step 6. Make a smart guess
Most popular music often uses one or a few common basic notes because they are the easiest to play on the guitar or piano, which are usually used as accompaniments.
- The basic C note is usually the most common for pop songs
- Look at the music of the following notes that make up the C major scale: C - D - E - F - G - A - B – C. Do the notes in the music match the notes on the scale? If it matches then the basic note of the song is C.|
Step 7. Pay attention to accidental
Keep in mind that music often has an accidental, where a note is marked with a or # suddenly, even though the base note does not indicate that the note will always have a or #.
Accidental does not change the basic tone of the whole song
Part 3 of 3: Finding the Basic Tone By Ear
Step 1. Find the tonic note
The tonika, or first note on the scale, will sound right wherever it is in the song. Using the piano, or your voice, play one note at a time until you find a note that "feels" with the song.
Step 2. Test the tonic tone
By playing other notes of the triad, you will be able to hear if the chords played match or not with the song. Play the quints of notes you consider tonic. The quint should also sound like a lot of the song, as it is the second most stable note on a scale.
Play a note one and a half steps below the tonic, known as the septim (seventh). You have to feel the tension in the context of the song, as if this note is interesting to combine with the tonic
Step 3. Determine if the music is in a major or minor chord
Play the third major over the tonic. If this note fits into the whole song then it's probably on a major scale. If not, try playing the terst minor (3♭) and see if it fits better.
- Practice listening to the differences between the major and minor triads by playing the following chords: C – E – G is the major with C as the tonic. Now change E to E♭. C - E♭- G. Hear the difference in overall taste and tone.
- You can tell whether the root of a song is major or minor by feeling the song, because in many western songs, the minor chord is usually sad or sad.
Step 4. Try some chords
The most common chords on a scale must appear in the pattern of a song. One scale that is often played is the G major scale. Still following the major scale pattern: G - A - B - C - D - E - F# - G. The chords are G Major, A minor, B minor, C Major, D Major, E minor, and F# Diminished.
- Songs in the G Major chord will have chords that match the following notes.
- For example, Green Day's song “(Good Riddance) Time of Your Life” starts with a G Major chord (G – B – D), followed by a C Major (C – E – G) chord. These chords are on the G Major scale, so the song is in a G Major chord.
Step 5. Sing along with the song
Pay attention to songs that you can easily sing, and compare songs that you feel uncomfortable with being too high or low. Pay attention to the basic notes that are easy for you to sing and those that are difficult for you to sing.
With time you will realize the basic tones that are easy for you to reach and those that are difficult for you to reach. This will help you make smart guesses about the notes before you even start playing the instrument
Step 6. Practice your new skills
Make a list of your favorite songs for yourself to sing, or use the radio to try to determine the basic notes of your favorite songs. You can start to notice certain patterns. Songs that are on the same basic note will sound similar to you.
- Save lists of songs you've learned, categorize them by basic note.
- Listen to several songs with the same key in succession to practice getting a feel for the key.
- Also listen to songs with contrasting notes to see the difference.
Step 7. Check your findings
An understanding of basic music theory is essential if you want to write your own songs and adapt other songs to your own style. However, sometimes you just need to quickly check the base notes. There are many phone apps and websites that can help you find the basic note of a song.
- Searching the internet for the song's title and keynote will give you a quick answer.
- When you first learn to find the basic notes by ear, it's a good idea to re-check the notes you've found.
Tips
- Listen to a song that you already know the root of, and try playing chords that match the song. The more you practice and clear your "ears," the easier it will be to find the basic notes of a song.
- There's a lot of confusing music theory lingo in this article, but once you've practiced scales and chords on actual instruments, it should all become clear.
