Key of a song?

[Alteezza]

That's what I was saying also with TOOOOOO many words ( sorry about that). Just play man. The key of a song can change many times before the end of the song. Just lay down the melody that haunts you in your most boring hours when your brain begs you to keep on ticking hither and dither. You will know if you step outside the bounderies of the so called music theory golden rule. And if you don't like it, kick yourself in the ass and get back on track. And if you decide to be creative......well....go with it bro. That extra note may be the sudden hit of a wall that throws you into an unexpected bridge, or the note may slide you into a calming passover that helps take the pressure off a more serious subject that was your verse/chorus. There are no rules really, unless you want to impress someone here at homerecording and your friends, and then you can say" listen to me, I am a accomplished musician, I can follow the rules and make music pleasing to the ear. Wow and hurray for me." Or you can say forget all that. I'm going to play whatever I hear and feel like playing and if any one has a problem with that....they can be researching in their "Playing Guitar for Dummies" book while your working on your next song. And now I lay my fingers to rest,
Harris

 

[barthoque]

Okay, barthoque, I'm starting to see your point.

Thank God!!! I thought it was just me...

 

[Rokket]

The 'key' of a song is the chord that that song begins with.

If you're playing "Me and Bobby McGee' and your band members all started playing G chord, that's the 'key' you are playing in. The 'key' of a song is just a clue to the rest of the players to play the song in the same position, if the lead guitarist starts the song with a run in the G position, then the rhythm guitarist had better be playing a G chord and the bassist had better be playing a run in G position or everything will sound like chit.

Tony.

I wrote a song that starts out in D, but there is not C# in it, chords are G, Em, C, back to D. The main melody is D, G. It's in the key of G, even though D is the dominant chord. And look at Jazz, which a common chord prgression is 2 5 1. The second is the starting point. But I will agree that the first chord is usually the key, there are lots of exceptions..... That's why you need to learn some theory, right?