[LoveMeOrLeaveMe]

Hi,

I hope I'll be able to explain myself in English ... well, I wanted to know if there's a table/system/list or whatever of all existing chords that gives you the corrisponding chords in another key in case you like to play the song deeper or higher.

I'll give you an example:
If I wanna play "Let it be" (Beatles) I could play it with the original chords: C G a F C G F etc. or play it in another key (somewhat higher): G D Em C G D C etc.
I write you this example because I found both versions. The problem is that I don't have any idea about the theory of keys, but I guess that there's some kind of system, and I'd really like to use it because most of the songs I want to play (and sing) are too high or too low for me.

If you know of the existance of such a list (that tells you which chord corrisponds to which in another key), please tell me where I find it.
Or - if you can - explain me the system so that I can create such a table myself!

Thanks for your help, guys!

[dadfad]

Using a three-chord progression as a basis (being the most common of progressions probably) the chords Tonic (Key); IV and V positions for common key-changes would be:

A-D-E
B-E-F#
C-F-G
D-G-A
E-A-B
F-Bb-C
G-C-D

For example if your tune was A-D-E and you wanted it a bit higher you could use C-F-G, etc, etc.

And welcome to GTU.

[LoveMeOrLeaveMe]

Thanks, this is already helpful =)

I'm trying on "California" (Phantom Planet). The song is quite simple, only 3 chords. So, if I got you right instead of F - Bb - Dm I could play A - D - ???

Dm would be Fm then, right?

[LoveMeOrLeaveMe]

IT WORKS, IT WORKS!

Sounds great.
Thanks so much!!!

[theprik]

http://logue.net/xp/ heres a site that does it for you

[djhemp42]

The way it works:

Songs have keys. The standard way to figure out what key you are in is to see what chord the piece centers around. For example, in Let It Be you have the chords C G a F C G F. Not only does the C chord appear twice, but G and F help to tonacize it (that is, direct the ear to the key). So this transcription is in C. Now, all chords can be related in some way to the key they appear in. This particular example is easy, as all chords exist in the key. When analyzing music, chords are reduced to Roman Numerals, like so.

C G a F C G F = I V vi IV I V IV

Now, let's switch it to some different keys.

G : I V vi IV I V IV = G D e C G D C

F : I V vi IV I V IV = F C d Bb F C Bb

Eb: I V vi IV I V IV = Eb Bb c Ab Eb Bb Ab


And so and so and so forth. With most basic rock songs, the formula will stay simple. But just because I'm spending thousands of dollars to learn about it, here's how it works in another situation.

Let's say that the a minor chord was an A Major. An A Major chord does not function normally in the key of C. An easy way to ID it is as a secondary dominant. Obsoive.

I V V/iii IV I V IV

So it is the Fifth chord of the key of the Third note, in this case, an E. You don't need to know this to transpose, but it might help you figure out the key.

That's all I wanted to say for now.

[dadfad]

Related to what DJh has posted, what is often called Nashville Notation is a method where chord and notation sheets do not use a particular key for the notation. All the notation is done numerically so that the same sheet can be used to play in any key. I think that's the best way to conceptualize a tune.

[mrbreeze]

That was very helpful djhemp....

printing it out as i type this.

Thanks.