What key am I in?

Re: What key am I in?

I just found this thread since Dangly brought up that chord again!


The notes of the chord are G# C F B(Cb) which still doesn't give an F minor chord.

I don't understand your logic with what I said in the beginning.
What notes are in a Fminor chord? F, C, Ab(G#) right? a chord can be inverted in any position... which would still equal a Fminor (Fm) plus you have a b5. Fm(add b5) sounds more logical, imo. Who is going to know to leave out a D in a Bdim7 even w/an implied harmony?

Plus the Ab is in the bass, so I think it would be best to call the chord a Fm(add b5)/Ab


At the end of all this, I don't see how a Bdim7 could be correct...what if you have a lead sheet, which as you know does not have anything but the chord symbols and lyrics on a treble clef? You would not know to omit the D from that, it can't be standard for chord notation.
 
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Re: What key am I in?

At the end of all this, I don't see how a Bdim7 could be correct...what if you have a lead sheet, which as you know does not have anything but the chord symbols and lyrics on a treble clef? You would not know to omit the D from that, it can't be standard for chord notation.

But it is. I run into chords on lead sheets all the time that say stuff like C13#11. Man do you know how many notes are in that chord? I'll tell you...there's 7 ..how many strings on a guitar? there's 6...so even at best (if you had the most elastic hands on the planet) you could only actually play 7 notes of that chord, and you have to pick one to omit. does that mean the chord isn't a C13#11? no, it just means you can't or chose not to play them all, doesn't lessen the chord.

It's all about function and what part the chord is playing in the grand scheme of things that really determines what the chord is. It's all about context. I play chords that can be called multiple things all the time. How about G7b9? I play that one regularly, I play a xx6767..which means I don't play a G in the chord at all! but it's still a G7b9..or it could be called a Bdim, or a Ddim, or an Fdim, or a G#dim......chords have multiple names, bottom line. It's all about context and what other musicians would be playing around it.

I don't buy the Fminb5 because that's not how the chord sounds like it functions in that series of chords, it's as plain as that. If you feel it does, then call it that if it makes you feel better about yourself. Personally, that's not what I would call it.
 
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Re: What key am I in?

But it is. I run into chords on lead sheets all the time that say stuff like C13#11. Man do you know how many notes are in that chord? I'll tell you...there's 7 ..how many strings on a guitar? there's 6...so even at best (if you had the most elastic hands on the planet) you could only actually play 7 notes of that chord, and you have to pick one to omit. does that mean the chord isn't a C13#11? no, it just means you can't or chose not to play them all, doesn't lessen the chord.

It's all about function and what part the chord is playing in the grand scheme of things that really determines what the chord is. It's all about context. I play chords that can be called multiple things all the time. How about G7b9? I play that one regularly, I play a xx6767..which means I don't play a G in the chord at all! but it's still a G7b9..or it could be called a Bdim, or a Ddim, or an Fdim, or a G#dim......chords have multiple names, bottom line. It's all about context and what other musicians would be playing around it.

I don't buy the Fminb5 because that's not how the chord sounds like it functions in that series of chords, it's as plain as that. If you feel it does, then call it that if it makes you feel better about yourself. Personally, that's not what I would call it.

I realize you can take notes out, I do that w/keyboard voicings all the time. Like with a D7(#9), I voice a F#, C and F. I thought that the D in a Bdim7, would not be satisfactory though to presume missing.

I also said Fmin(add b5) not Fm(b5), as that wouldn't include the C since the C would be flatted and not included also.

I could be wrong or totally off on this, but it seems like there should be a proper note name that includes all the notes w/o this implied harmony thing. It's confusing because w/what you said you could have a C6, and just play an Am7? Possible, but why not say it, or you could say Am7/C of course... I know there are various ways around things.

I'm not interested in being right, just knowing what the truth is. :)
 
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