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Play by ear without music

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The Process• Find the key by finding the root note

• Work out the notes in the key using TTs

• Listen to the bass intervals in the song

• Apply the major/minor chord patterns

• Chords outside the key; bass notes & sounds

What is a key

• A collection of notes and chords that go together

• Built around the major scale – Do, Re, Mi

• The root note is the ‘home’ note

How many notes?

Thinking first in major keys

Every key has SEVEN notes

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1

Working out the notes

• All notes found by using the same pattern

• Root T T S (T) T T S

• 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1(8)

• 3 rules….

3 rules

• One of every alphabetical letter

• Never miss out any letters

• Never mix sharps and flats

Intervals

• The distance in sound between two notes

• 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1(8) 2(9) etc

• Note 1 to 3 = 3rd, Note 1 to 5 = 5th etc

Chords in the key

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

maj min min maj maj min (dim)

1/3 5/7

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

maj min min maj maj min (dim)

1/3 5/7

G A B C D E F#

Chords outside the key

They use notes not in the key (chromatic)

1 listen to the bass note interval

2 listen to the sound of the chord

3 chord basic types are maj, min, dim, aug,

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