R&B........minor or major key?

S

skeez

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Is most R&B song made in a minor key? How can you tell the difference between major or minor key that a song is in? I'm wondering because relative keys use the same chords like Aminor and Cmajor. Is it based on the chord progression? I'm starting to learn theory, and I'm starting with the major scale first. Would it make a difference if I started with the minor scale and chords? I'm really focused on making R&b music.
 
a lot of rnb is in minor keys, but a minor key could be major as well, if you follow up on relative keys (i.e C major scale has the A minor scale within it) you'll notice, bridges are often done using that concept.
 
nah im gonna object with u soopa

its really 50/50.

a lot of rnb songs that are fast paced are major (upbeat songs)

for the rnb/soul/slow jams kind they're usually minor thuogh.

it really depends on what You want to create.

do you want to go for the dance rnb type of songs? try major keys.

do you want to go for a sad slow type of rnb beat? try minor.
 
Good advice fellas. If I learn the major scale and keys. Then it shouldn't be too difficult to learn the minor scale and keys? I know the scales are different, but not that different. Am I looking at this in the right way?
 
It's more about feeling than anything technical. The only thing technical is the major or minor third. Major is happy/bright while minor is sad/dark. That's a generalization so it's really up to you to decide what emotions or quality you want to give or bring out in your music. Just experiment and create, you will answer more of your questions that way.
 
skeez said:
Good advice fellas. If I learn the major scale and keys. Then it shouldn't be too difficult to learn the minor scale and keys? I know the scales are different, but not that different. Am I looking at this in the right way?
Click to expand...

That's one way of looking at it. If you learn all the major scales it should be much easier to learn the minor scales afterwards. It seems that you already know that minor scales are relative to major scales (if we're talking about the relative minor obviously). So once you learn D Maj. let's say, you've pretty much already learned it's relative minor as well (B min.)

As everyone has said before though, R&B is 50/50 when it comes to minor/major. If you want a slow jam, then you'd most likely play it in a minor key... if you want an upbeat (or generally happy) type beat, then you'd most likely use a major scale.

Hope that helps.
 
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