Can some explain how the key of a song is worked out?

[anonymous-user]

I've never understood what or how the key of song is determined. I know it means *something* but never understood the explanations I've read.

I understand chords, inversions, root notes, major, minor, flat, sharp, 5th, 7th etc but song keys continue to ellude me.

For example, if a track uses the chord sequence Cm, Bflat, Gsharp, what key would that be in?

Can someone please explain in terms that an idiot would understand? Thanks in advance.

[anonymous-user]

dojo said:

You get Ab and Bb and Cm In the key of Eb(Cm)

How do you work out that Eb is the key?

[anonymous-user]

That's a great help, thank you. I don't play guitar so any talk of frets and tabs means nothing.

[anonymous-user]

...and this is why I've never understood it. I can't read music and have managed to survive so far by using the old adage 'If it sounds right, it is right'.

[anonymous-user]

thebraketester said:

Skip to end of song... listen to last chord.... identify the root and thats what key its in (I know there are exceptions and its not always, but usually esp. in popular music)

I was really hoping there was a simple way of working it out.