The “What Key Am I In” Game 1

This is the first episode of a series of posts that I’ll do from time to time called “What Key Am I In?”

Basically, I give you chords and you tell me the major key they’re from.

Here’s a list to help you out:

The first degree of a scale is associated with the major seventh chord.

The second degree of a scale is associated with the minor seventh chord.

The third degree of a scale is associated with the minor seventh chord.

The fourth degree of a scale is associated with the major seventh chord.

The fifth degree of a scale is associated with the dominant seventh chord.

The sixth degree of a scale is associated with the minor seventh chord.

The seventh degree of a scale is associated with the half-diminished seventh chord.

Recap:

The 1st and 4th degrees are major seventh chords.

The 2nd, 3rd, and 6th degrees are minor seventh chords.

The 5th degree is a dominant seventh chord.

The 7th degree is a half-diminished seventh chord.

So what key am I in?

• I have an “A minor 7” chord.
• I have an “E minor 7” chord.
• I have a “G major 7” chord.

(scroll down for answer but don’t peak until you think you’ve got one!)

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Answer: G major

Explanation: Since minor seventh chords are found on the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th tones, I used the process of elimination to rule out keys that didn’t have “A” or “E” as their 2nd, 3rd, or 6th tone.

This left me with the key of C major and G major.

C major has an E minor7 as its 3rd chord and an A minor7 as its 6th chord.

G major has an E minor7 as its 6th chord and an A minor7 as its 2nd chord.

The chord that gives it away is the “G major7 chord.”

C major doesn’t have a G major7 chord… only a G dominant7 chord.

So it was this one little nuance that gave it away.

G major takes this round of “What Key Am I In!”

Until next time,
JG

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Jermaine Griggs

Founder at HearandPlay.com

Hi, I'm Jermaine Griggs, founder of this site. We teach people how to express themselves through the language of music. Just as you talk and listen freely, music can be enjoyed and played in the same way... if you know the rules of the "language!" I started this site at 17 years old in August 2000 and more than a decade later, we've helped literally millions of musicians along the way. Enjoy!

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Tagged as: key centers, key signature, major keys, what key am i, what key am i in