Find the Key of a Song from Notes or Chords
The key finder helps you quickly find the key of a song without knowing music theory. Simply click on the notes or chords you can identify in your song, the Key Finder will show you the possible major and minor keys that include those notes.
Change to Chord Mode to select chords instead of individual notes.
Select the notes to find possible major and minor keys.
Possible Keys:
Select notes to see possible keys.
The Notes and Chords in Each Key
| Root Note | Major Key Notes | Major Key Chords | Minor Key Notes | Minor Key Chords |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | A B C# D E F# G# | A, Bm, C#m, D, E, F#m, G#dim | A B C D E F G | Am, Bdim, C, Dm, Em, F, G |
| A# | A# C D D# F G A | A#, Cm, Dm, D#, F, Gm, Adim | A# C# D# F G# A B | A#m, Cdim, C#, D#m, Fm, G#, A# |
| B | B C# D# E F# G# A# | B, C#m, D#m, E, F#, G#m, A#dim | B C# D E F# G A | Bm, C#dim, D, Em, F#m, G, A |
| C | C D E F G A B | C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, Bdim | C D Eb F G Ab Bb | Cm, Ddim, Eb, Fm, Gm, Ab, Bb |
| C# | C# D# F F# G# A# C | C#, D#m, E#m, F#, G#, A#m, Cdim | C# D# E F# G# A B | C#m, D#dim, E, F#m, G#m, A, B |
| D | D E F# G A B C# | D, Em, F#m, G, A, Bm, C#dim | D E F G A Bb C | Dm, Edim, F, Gm, Am, Bb, C |
| D# | D# F G G# A# C D | D#, Fm, Gm, G#, A#, Cm, Ddim | D# F# G# A# B C# D | D#m, Fdim, F#, G#m, A#m, B, C# |
| E | E F# G# A B C# D# | E, F#m, G#m, A, B, C#m, D#dim | E F# G A B C D | Em, F#dim, G, Am, Bm, C, D |
| F | F G A Bb C D E | F, Gm, Am, Bb, C, Dm, Edim | F G Ab Bb C Db Eb | Fm, Gdim, Ab, Bbm, Cm, Db, Eb |
| F# | F# G# A# B C# D# E# | F#, G#m, A#m, B, C#, D#m, E#dim | F# G# A B C# D E | F#m, G#dim, A, Bm, C#m, D, E |
| G | G A B C D E F# | G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em, F#dim | G A Bb C D Eb F | Gm, Adim, Bb, Cm, Dm, Eb, F |
| G# | G# A# C C# D# F G | G#, A#m, Cm, C#, D#, Fm, Gdim | G# A# B C# D# E F# | G#m, A#dim, B, C#m, D#m, E, F# |
About the Key Finder From Chords Tool
The Key Finder helps musicians, audio editors & mixers identify the possible major and minor keys of a song from notes or chords used in the song. By selecting the notes or chords present in the song, the Key Finder dynamically displays the possible keys. It simplifies music theory so you don’t need extensive knowledge of key signatures to find the key of a song. The Key Finder From Chords tool does it for you.
Use Note Mode if you’re identifying notes one by one. Use Chord Mode if you know the chords being played in the song. When changing from Note Mode to Chord Mode all selected notes will be cleared to start fresh for chord selection. When changing from Chord Mode to Note Mode notes from any selected chords will remain highlighted, allowing you to continue identifying the key with individual notes.
What The Key Finder Can Be Used For
- Songwriting: Quickly identify possible keys to expand your melody or harmony ideas.
- Music Analysis: Understand the structure of existing songs by finding the key.
- Tuning Vocals: Essential for audio editors and mixers working with pitch correction or vocal tuning to ensure accuracy and harmony.
How to find the key of a song without knowing music theory
Determining the key of a song is an essential skill for musicians, songwriters, and audio professionals. Whether you’re writing new music, analysing an existing track, or tuning vocals in a mix, knowing the key provides a foundation for creativity.
What Is the Key of a Song?
The key of a song refers to the central pitch around which the music is built, dictating which notes and chords are most commonly used. A song in C Major, for example, primarily uses the notes C, D, E, F, G, A, and B.
Using the Key Finder: Steps to Find the Key of a Song
1. Identify the Notes Used
Listen to the song and pinpoint the notes being played. If you’re working with a melody or chords, write down the notes that are most prominent.
2. Use the Key Finder
Input the notes you’ve identified by clicking on them, and the Key Finder will display possible major and minor keys that match. The Key Finder removes the need for advanced music theory knowledge.
3. Identify the Song’s Tonal Center
Pay attention to the note or chord that feels like “home” in the song. This is often the key’s tonic (e.g., the C in C Major or the A in A Minor). It’s where the music feels resolved.
Example for Identifying Keys using the Key Finder
If you’ve identify a melody that prominently uses the notes C, E, G, and A. Input these notes into the Key Finder to discover the possible keys: C Major or A Minor.
Listen to the melody’s tonal center. If it feels resolved on C, the key is likely C Major; if it resolves on A, the key is A Minor.
Music Theory Basics
Relative Keys
Relative keys are pairs of major and minor keys that share the same set of notes but have different tonal centers. For example:
- C Major and A Minor both include the notes C, D, E, F, G, A, and B.
- The difference lies in the tonic (or home note): C Major feels resolved on C, while A Minor feels resolved on A. Major keys tend to feel happy or bright while minor keys sound sad or melancholy.
This relationship makes it easy to transition between relative keys in songwriting or arrangements, creating subtle mood changes.
Parallel Keys
Parallel keys share the same tonic note but differ in their scale. For example:
- C Major: C, D, E, F, G, A, B
- C Minor: C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb
The shift from major to minor introduces flats (lowered notes), which gives the music a darker or more somber feel. Understanding parallel keys allows you to create dramatic contrasts within a composition.
Circle of Fifths
The Circle of Fifths is a visual tool that shows the relationships between keys:
- Moving clockwise, each step adds one sharp to the key signature (e.g., C → G → D).
- Moving counterclockwise, each step adds one flat (e.g., C → F → Bb).
- Relative keys (e.g., C Major and A Minor) are adjacent in the circle, while parallel keys are not directly connected.
This tool is invaluable for understanding key changes, composing modulations, and discovering harmonically related keys.
By mastering these music theory basics, you can deepen your understanding of how keys work.
FAQs: Understanding Keys and Scales
What is a Key in Music?
A key in music defines the set of notes and chords that are typically used in the piece and the tonal centre, indicating the root note (or tonic) around which the composition revolves. For example, a song in the key of C major primarily uses notes and chords from the C major scale and revolves around the the note C.
What is a Scale?
A scale is a sequence of notes arranged in ascending or descending order within an octave. Scales provide the foundation for melodies and harmonies in music.
What’s the Difference Between a Key and a Scale?
Key: Refers to the overall framework of a piece of music (e.g., “Key of G major”).
Scale: Refers to the specific set of notes (e.g., G major scale: G, A, B, C, D, E, F#).
The key uses the scale’s notes.
What’s the difference between a major key and a minor key?
Major keys typically sound bright and happy, while minor keys have a darker, more somber feel. Every major key has a relative minor key that shares the same notes (e.g., C Major and A Minor both have no sharps or flats). What makes a piece major or minor is the root note which the piece revolves around.
What is a Chord?
A chord is a group of notes played together, typically built from the notes of a scale. For example, in the key of C major, common chords include C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, and Bdim.
How Do You Build Chords from a Scale?
Choose a Root Note: Start with each note of the scale.
Stack Thirds: Add the note that is a third (2 steps) and a fifth (4 steps) above the root.
For example, in C major scale (C, D, E, F, G, A, B):
Starting with C: C, E, G = C major
Starting with D: D, F, A = D minor
How Do You Know Which Chords Are in a Key?
Chords in a key are built from the notes of its corresponding scale. Each note of the scale serves as the root of a chord, and these chords follow a predictable pattern of major, minor, and diminished chords.
For example, in the key of C major, the scale is:
C, D, E, F, G, A, B
Using these notes, you can form the chords:
C major (C)
D minor (Dm)
E minor (Em)
F major (F)
G major (G)
A minor (Am)
B diminished (Bdim)
What is the Pattern of Chords in a Major Key?
The chords in any major key follow this sequence:
I (Major)
ii (Minor)
iii (Minor)
IV (Major)
V (Major)
vi (Minor)
vii° (Diminished)
What is the Pattern of Chords in a Minor Key?
In a natural minor key, the chords follow this sequence:
i (Minor)
ii° (Diminished)
III (Major)
iv (Minor)
v (Minor)
VI (Major)
VII (Major)
Why is Knowing the Chords in a Key Important?
Understanding which chords belong to a key helps with:
Writing Music: Compose melodies and harmonies that sound cohesive.
Improvisation: Stay in key while creating spontaneous music.
Playing by Ear: Recognise common chord progressions and predict what comes next.