What Key is my chord progression in?

Your progression

Gm-E[sup]b[/sup]-Cm-D

Identify the notes in the chord

Gm ~ G-B[sup]b[/sup]-D
E[sup]b[/sup] ~ E[sup]b[/sup]-G-B[sup]b[/sup]
Cm ~ C-E[sup]b[/sup]-G
D ~ D-F[sup]#[/sup]-A

Take those notes and arrange them end to end

G-B[sup]b[/sup]-D-E[sup]b[/sup]-G-B[sup]b[/sup]-C-E[sup]b[/sup]-G-D-F[sup]#[/sup]-A

Eliminate duplicates

G-B[sup]b[/sup]-D-E[sup]b[/sup]-C-F[sup]#[/sup]-A

Now arrange alphabetically

NotesAB[sup]b[/sup]CDE[sup]b[/sup]F[sup]#[/sup]GA
SizeSTTST[sup][sup]1[/sup]/[sub]2[/sub][/sup]ST

Now rotate until you create a recognisable scale or mode

major ~ TTSTTTS
natural minor ~ TSTTSTTT
harmonic minor ~ TSTTSTT[sup][sup]1[/sup]/[sub]2[/sub][/sup]S
melodic minor ~ TSTTTTTS


G-A-B[sup]b[/sup]-C-D-E[sup]b[/sup]-F[sup]#[/sup]-G ~ TSTTSTT[sup][sup]1[/sup]/[sub]2[/sub][/sup]S

Based on this and a quick harmonic analysis

i-[sup]b[/sup]VI-iv-V

this is in G harmonic minor

your melody would therefore use either

G natural minor

G-A-B[sup]b[/sup]-C-D-E[sup]b[/sup]-F-G

or

G melodic minor

G-A-B[sup]b[/sup]-C-D-E-F[sup]#[/sup]-G - going up
G-A-B[sup]b[/sup]-C-D-E[sup]b[/sup]-F-G - going down.
 
Wow I entered this thread and realized I don't know JacK... LOL
Sorry to interupt, I'l be on my way now back to my 3 key melodies :(
 
Last edited:
61key, Bandcoach is kidding ;)...... he threw in a lot of information that wasn't necessary. Not saying that it's useless information, but it's like asking what time it is and someone explains the theory of relativity instead. Also, I have no idea why he wrote 'your melody would....' as I saw only a chord progression in your topic. Anyways....

Your chord progression is simply in the key of Gm. Simple as that. Chord progressions in popular music are usually in a minor key, a major key, or a modal key.
Best thing to do is to learn to harmonize the minor and major scale. Then you'll already be 20 miles forward.
 
61key, Bandcoach is kidding ;)...... he threw in a lot of information that wasn't necessary. Not saying that it's useless information, but it's like asking what time it is and someone explains the theory of relativity instead. Also, I have no idea why he wrote 'your melody would....' as I saw only a chord progression in your topic. Anyways....

Your chord progression is simply in the key of Gm. Simple as that. Chord progressions in popular music are usually in a minor key, a major key, or a modal key.
Best thing to do is to learn to harmonize the minor and major scale. Then you'll already be 20 miles forward.

1) I was not kidding
2) I was showing the original poster - who is a regular question asker in the theory section, how to work this out for themselves in future
3) the melody answer was a preemptive answer - to help the op and to show others how this all relates
4) when you have posted more than 1000, I might just take you seriously,
5) in the mean-time thank you for the faint-chuckle, pretending to know what I was doing and then trying to explain it to someone who had actually learnt something, making them think they didn't need to know it after all.......
 
Last edited:
Your progression

Gm-E[SUP]b[/SUP]-Cm-D

Identify the notes in the chord

Gm ~ G-B[SUP]b[/SUP]-D
E[SUP]b[/SUP] ~ E[SUP]b[/SUP]-G-B[SUP]b[/SUP]
Cm ~ C-E[SUP]b[/SUP]-G
D ~ D-F[SUP]#[/SUP]-A

Take those notes and arrange them end to end

G-B[SUP]b[/SUP]-D-E[SUP]b[/SUP]-G-B[SUP]b[/SUP]-C-E[SUP]b[/SUP]-G-D-F[SUP]#[/SUP]-A

Eliminate duplicates

G-B[SUP]b[/SUP]-D-E[SUP]b[/SUP]-C-F[SUP]#[/SUP]-A

Now arrange alphabetically

NotesAB[SUP]b[/SUP]CDE[SUP]b[/SUP]F[SUP]#[/SUP]GA
SizeSTTST[SUP][SUP]1[/SUP]/[SUB]2[/SUB][/SUP]ST

Now rotate until you create a recognisable scale or mode

major ~ TTSTTTS
natural minor ~ TSTTSTTT
harmonic minor ~ TSTTSTT[SUP][SUP]1[/SUP]/[SUB]2[/SUB][/SUP]S
melodic minor ~ TSTTTTTS


G-A-B[SUP]b[/SUP]-C-D-E[SUP]b[/SUP]-F[SUP]#[/SUP]-G ~ TSTTSTT[SUP][SUP]1[/SUP]/[SUB]2[/SUB][/SUP]S

Based on this and a quick harmonic analysis

i-[SUP]b[/SUP]VI-iv-V

this is in G harmonic minor

your melody would therefore use either

G natural minor

G-A-B[SUP]b[/SUP]-C-D-E[SUP]b[/SUP]-F-G

or

G melodic minor

G-A-B[SUP]b[/SUP]-C-D-E-F[SUP]#[/SUP]-G - going up
G-A-B[SUP]b[/SUP]-C-D-E[SUP]b[/SUP]-F-G - going down.
Wow... Had no idea it was that complicated!
 
As in it is not really complicated:

It is just a set of steps to get a scale isolated and

then moving through the possibilities to find a known scale form

It looks complicated because of the knowledge that in most cases should be assumed rather than explicitly included.

As I point out, I could have just analysed the progression in terms of how each chord related to each other.

However, that would be leaping from point A to C without stopping at point B (what notes are in play to make a scale and key from)

It would also be assuming that my first chord was chord i in the key - not always a bright idea as experience has taught me.......
 
If:
G-A-B[SUP]b[/SUP]-C-D-E[SUP]b[/SUP]-F[SUP]#[/SUP]-G ~ TSTTSTT[SUP][SUP]1[/SUP]/[SUB]2[/SUB][/SUP]S

Based on this and a quick harmonic analysis

i-[SUP]b[/SUP]VI-iv-V

this is in G harmonic minor

Why would my melody use either:

G natural minor

G-A-B[SUP]b[/SUP]-C-D-E[SUP]b[/SUP]-F-G

or

G melodic minor

G-A-B[SUP]b[/SUP]-C-D-E-F[SUP]#[/SUP]-G - going up
G-A-B[SUP]b[/SUP]-C-D-E[SUP]b[/SUP]-F-G - going down.

when my progression is in harmonic minor??? wouldn't my melody just be played in harmonic minor?

---------- Post added at 03:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:16 PM ----------

Wow I entered this thread and realized I don't know JacK... LOL
Sorry to interupt, I'l be on my way now back to my 3 key melodies :(

3 key melodies? but your name is 61keys, na Ièm just playing, you should just learn some basic music theory it will make the difference
 
It is called the harmonic minor because it is normally only used to make harmonies (chords) with.....

The use of the harmonic minor (and it's various modes) as a melodic source is found in klezmer and maqqams (look them up), but is rare in other areas...

Most melodic material in the minor is based on either the natural minor or the melodic minor or one of the other two minor modes,

Dorian minor: TSTTTST ~ C-D-E[sup]b[/sup]-F-G-A-B[sup]b[/sup]-C
Phrygian minor: STTTSTT ~ C-D[sup]b[/sup]-E[sup]b[/sup]-F-G-A[sup]b[/sup]-B[sup]b[/sup]-C

When using these other minor modes, we are also likely to change our underlying harmony, as the harmonic minor would no longer fit the melodic material
 
Back
Top