How to Train Ear to Find Key of Samples?

C

Czarkasm

New member
I've been trying to find the key of songs and samples to add my own instrumentation over them. I have tried methods where I hum or sing the notes I hear and try to match it up with a keyboard note and while I USUALLY can get the proper intervals, it's the wrong notes and I am extremely bad at actually determining whether the notes fit or not.

I have been going on a site that has songs and their labeled key (Popular Songs @ Song Key Finder) just to try to find the key and use that to check how off I was, and i'm wrong 9/10 times. I understand that this is something that is going to take time to develop but are there specific ear training techniques I should be putting into practice, or any other ways of finding keys of songs? I love sampling and but I feel very limited when I can't even lay down a proper bassline.

Thanks
 
Start off by trying to find the key of a video game song, the melodies are much clearer to hear (no other instruments or anything) so it is easier to pinpoint what notes are being played. This sounds strange but when I was learning that helped me drastically. Just youtube some mario songs or pokemon songs.
 
Also, I don't know what your finding the key of it with but its much easier to use a piano or something similar rather than a bass sound.
 
you can find the key but sometimes songs have different tonics...which adds a lot more fun to is this in a blues scale but deciding to not play a certain few notes or is it a pentatonic being disguised with one note flattened.
 
I have an idea that might help you out a little, OP.

Download a program called Key Finder, which you can find with by Googling KeyFinder. It'll be the third one down, "KeyFinder - Ibrahim Sha'ath". You'll have to extract it using WinRar or whatever program you like to use. Go to the folder where you extracted it to and open KeyFinder. Now you'll have to drag and drop the Wave file where it tells you to. The file should be listed on the screen. Right click on the sample you just dropped in. Click on run detailed analysis. A new window with a spectrum field should pop up. If you look towards the bottom left of the screen, it should say Key Estimate. This should usually tell you the correct key of the song/sample you wish to use.

If you get stuck trying to use Key Finder, let me know and I'll try to help you out a little better.
 
Wow this post went over board. Just play Major scales its only 12.....

"Everything is Related" - Bernie Worrell
 
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ChaseTheBeat said:
I have an idea that might help you out a little, OP.

Download a program called Key Finder, which you can find with by Googling KeyFinder. It'll be the third one down, "KeyFinder - Ibrahim Sha'ath". You'll have to extract it using WinRar or whatever program you like to use. Go to the folder where you extracted it to and open KeyFinder. Now you'll have to drag and drop the Wave file where it tells you to. The file should be listed on the screen. Right click on the sample you just dropped in. Click on run detailed analysis. A new window with a spectrum field should pop up. If you look towards the bottom left of the screen, it should say Key Estimate. This should usually tell you the correct key of the song/sample you wish to use.

If you get stuck trying to use Key Finder, let me know and I'll try to help you out a little better.
Click to expand...

This is a good idea, I was considering buying Mixed in Key for this reason but I decided against it because I wanted to learn how to figure it out on my own so I don't need the software but since this one is free i'll def be using it to check. Also if it says the scale is minor do I just assume it's Natural Minor?
 
Try to find the root of your sample by working yourself through the keys, even if you don't hear it hte first time its gonna be within those 12 keys.
Then try to identify the scale the song is played in - a natural minor/major fits most samples. Then just keep making Music and you'll train your ears.

I do a lot of 16-levels basslines so im mostly comfortable with using bass notes but its up to your prefrence.
 
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