Key Sig Question - Minor or Major?

Guitar and Music Theory

Last Post by slejhamer 17 years ago

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slejhamer

(@slejhamer)

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Topic starter 14/06/2007 1:46 pm

If the key signature of a song has a single sharp, but Em is the primary chord, do you say it's in the key of G, or in the key of Em?

In this specific case, the chorus progression is Em - C - D - Em, and the verse progression is Am - Em - C - D- Em

Thanks.

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NoteBoat

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14/06/2007 2:32 pm

It's in E minor.

Key signatures tell you the accidentals, not the key; the melody tells you what the tonic is. The same key signature could just as easily be used for a piece in F# Dorian, etc.

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