How To Find The Key Of A Song On Guitar By Ear - Guitar Lesson

Tabs and sheet music are great, but there's nothing quite like being able to play the guitar by ear. In this video, I'll show you how to use the major scale and a little bit of music theory to find the key of any song by ear! This is an excellent ear training exercise, and also the perfect first step to being able to figure out songs on the guitar by ear. If you have any questions, be sure to leave them in the comments below!

#playguitarbyear #guitarlesson #musictheory #guitar #guitarist
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-- Referenced Videos --
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📖 Video Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:30 - The major scale
3:22 - Applying the major scale (step 1)
4:31 - Example 1
5:48 - Naming the scale (step 2)
6:31 - Major key or minor key (step 3)
9:17 - Example 2
10:30 - Songs in other keys
11:11 - Advanced version of this method
11:50 - Example 3
12:17 - Next steps (watch these videos next!)
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🎸 Guitar Gear Links:

📹 Video Gear Links:

🔗 My Links:

[andrewclarkeguitar]

Hey guys, it was pointed out to me that in the original upload there was a small mistake in the scale diagram. I've fixed it, and this is the reupload. Thanks again for pointing it out! Let me know if you have any questions :)

[sundownsigns]

I have played this scale for sixty one years. First taught to me by my old German accordion/guitar teacher. I have made use of the scale, but never for the purpose of finding the key of a song. Thanks.

[kees]

Thank you!
God Bless from a 63 old from the Netherlands🎸🎵

[hanwu]

what a great teacher! other people that are teaching on youtuber are either too advanced and technical or with way less illustration! You are teaching in a way that even me being a total beginner can understand and follow thru the help of these diagrams. Thanks a lot Andrew!

[Ben-Ken]

Great lesson. I have been doing this for some time. As a beginner, it may seem tedious. Eventually, you will be able to play just the first two notes along the G string (sometimes just one note) until you get to the right scale.
Edit: He mentions this later in the video.

[patrickganess]

Thank you very much appreciated need more demo like this

[glenmyrold]

I'm just starting to learn theory (after way too many years wasted with tabs only 🙄), and this is a great way to get my ear training going. Thank you!

[davidbennettarts]

This is a brilliant video! You've demystified something that I always thought was witchcraft, I can't wait to get this technique down. I must admit i was very close with the first example just by listening, I thought it was in the key of D, and i could really tell that the second example was not major, so I'm pretty happy with that much so far!! Each time you nailed down the key it was like magic 🤯

[IC_Hot]

Amazing video, this video taught me so much 😁

[walterkemp]

Another great lesson. Very interesting and informative. 👍

[victormatheus]

Great lesson! Straight to the point and very informative, thank you so much.

[ChrisBjorsart]

I do this while listening to music all the time now.

[idlestrawr]

honestly this is really helpful, Andrew! wish more people could discover your channel because honestly you deserve more subscribers. thank you for this btw, couldn't have explained it better!

[addisonhamlet]

So informative and easy to digest! I find it hard to play without knowing exactly what i’m doing and why and this helped break it down so much. I just found your channel and you have my follow! Thank you, Andrew!

[RoadToFame]

For any of you wondering 2nd song used in this video is called Trophy Wife.

[AndyFelbab]

Any musician can do this. Just keep practicing guys and gals

[PierFrancesco]

as always, a short, immediate, and instructive video. Thank you for these contents, they are excellent nuggets of theory and practice.
p.s: can you write the titles of the songs used for the examples?

[HonestlyHolistic]

This is so impressive to me that I can't wait to practice it even more

[IvesMarcelin]

Good morning from la France in the south, // she got a nice sound

[clenosebastian]

Hey Andrew, thanks for the method. This is really working for most of the songs when played along. What if we're in a group and someone suddenly sings, and how to identify the scale then? Also how to choose chords for male and female singers? (Low pitch and high pitch)