if your main melody fo your song is in C, for instance... you would say the song is in the KEY of C. Personally, I am quite enamored of Pentatonic Minor, so... when my piece says "Trackitytrack in C minor", I meant to say "in C pentatonic minor".

that just means I am using the scale of C pent minor to pick notes from.

My KEY is C minor...

if I have enough melodies and instruments coming in and out that it stays sort of mildly interesting? The song is in C minor, and there are no chord changes.

If suddenly I want the track to suddenly "lift up" for some focus? I will look first at the 4 and the 5 chords.

Meaning? I started in C... thats the "1", or ROOT. Commonly called the "key" of the song.

when i jump up in "level", I might cut and paste my melody(s) up to F or G. (this is called transposition...)

if c=1, then f=4 and g=5. (skip the d and e? they are 2 and 3)


the 145 (aka, "3 chord song", also called I IV..V format...) chord progression means you typically start in C (assuming thats your root key...). As your needs dictate, you can jump (transpose...) to the F or G for a lift or focus.

this is a bastardized format left over from the classical period (or maybe it was the baroque, I forget...lol) which made extnsive use of the 1541 format in I believe sonata form.

early in "pop" music, they settled on 145 as sort of a "standard" pop progression. In theory, it makes it easier on the composer... he has a idea where he is going to "go"... and it makes it easier on the listener too, as he has some idea what to expect.

I used to think "3 chord song" was a cut on a song, that it was too basic... NOT SO. many VERY complex pieces of music use this famous chord progression.

the root sounds, well... its the foundation. going to the 4 and back, gives a lift or interlude. later on, jumping to the 5 can sound "triumphant" and bring a lot of "focus" to a part.

NOTE: when using anything other than pentatonic or pentatonic minor, it is often necessary when transposing a melody to ADJUST a few notes that suddenly sound "lame". Common wisdom has that you adjust them up in pitch a semitone at a time, until it sounds good again. SOmetimes, even in pentatonics this is necessary too.

I would suggest first making shorter tracks, about a minute or two at most... practicing making it sound interesting with no chord changes. Sitting in the root key through out. Then start expdrimenting with 145 chord changes, then lastly others once you have mastered the basics.

Unless you have a very practiced ear, most people cant just HEAR a song, and instantly know the root chord, and what chrd prog might be being used.

Thats what sheet music and tabs are for, LMAO


always trust your ears. If things suddenly startd to sound "sour", go back and adjust it until it fits to your ear. Whn you hit "a wall", the piece is "done" (for now...)