Determining sample key?

T

ThinkforYourself

New member
So, how does everyone usually figure out the key of a sample? Do you just listen to it and figure it out by ear? Do you just start tooling around on your keyboard until you hear some harmony between the notes you are playing and the notes in the song? What is the best way to determine the key of a sample you want to use in your opinion? Or do you just ignore the key and pitch the sample to your liking? Not asking for how-to's, by the way, I know those exist on here already, just trying to see what everyone generally does...
 
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worry less about finding what key it is and figure out how to make something that sounds good to it. use your ears.
 
Finding the sample key is usefull for adding extra instruments and bassline. I just mess around till I find it, usually takes me a couple minutes.
 
I just go up and down in my pianoroll till i hear the right key thats the same as the sample.
Not a lazy man's job though. To me its the hardest part in beatmaking to find the right notes to recreate the bassline/melody etc. I think a lot of producers dont even do this cause its so hard.
 
mark1234 said:
I just go up and down in my pianoroll till i hear the right key thats the same as the sample.
Not a lazy man's job though. To me its the hardest part in beatmaking to find the right notes to recreate the bassline/melody etc. I think a lot of producers dont even do this cause its so hard.
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or maybe a lot of producers are tone deaf. its not hard to find a sample key once your ears are used to music and know what fits
 
If you find it hard to find the key by ear there's a software that analyzes melodies from waveforms it's called Celemony Melodyne.
 
^^What he said. I have a good ear for pitch, so I just use the fine tune knob on FL to do my basslines. Some people already have a ear like that, but once you start listening to alot of music you get used to it.
 
Once you get the hang of it, it's REALLY easy.

I do it by ear, or if it's a trickier sample, I gradually play one tone from e.g. C4 to C5 in piano roll until I hit the jackpot.

Then, if I want to play a more intricate bassline instead of "just" following the root notes, I figure out the scale of the sample by programming various one-bar bassline patterns until I hit one where every tone sounds in-tune with the sample. I'll then compare this particular scale (read: combination of tones) with the scale list on looknohands.com's 'chord house'.

I remember the first year of beat-making though, it was really tough to lay down an in-tune bassline. Learn a technique, stick to it, and you will eventually get the hang of it.
 
i find it by ear , i just start to play notes on my midi until i hit the right one , if you can't find it by ear than you don't have an ear for music
 
can't autotune force a sample into your key? i haven't tried it but in theory it should. well at least neptune in Reason should
 
i usually grab a piano or guitar and fool around until it sound good, just find the root note and go with what sound nice.
 
If I REALLY want to go in depth I usually just search online for the key OR search for someone that's covered the track acoustically. Either they'll post the key or watch their hands, what chords they play and figure it out.
 
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