Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

PhatLittleGirlfriend t1_jda54f9 wrote

Seen these first handful of comments and ain't a lot of ELI5ing here yet, so here goes.

Here is a random number pattern example: There is no real difference between me saying 1-3-5-6 and me saying 2-4-6-7 (both start with a number, jump two, jump two, and then jump one)

The gaps between both sequences are the same. I'm counting the same sequence of gaps, regardless of whatever number I start with. That's what keys are.

Also, yes chords are groups of "numbers" we'll call them still, but now we are saying all at once instead of in a sequence. If "1-3-5" sounds good played at once, then "2-4-6" will too. The distances between the numbers are what's important, not the numbers themselves.

Imagine starting the count at 1 is A, starting at 2 is B etc etc.

15

crepuscular-tree t1_jdbajyq wrote

This is a great answer!

To take it a bit further, “Do” is a single note as you said. “Do Re Mi Fa So La Si Do” refers to the difference between the notes (eg jump two, jump two, jump one). And that pattern of differences is called a key.

You can start anywhere you want though and decide that note is “Do”. If you start on C and play that pattern, you are in the key of C. If you start on a D and play the same pattern, you are in the key of D.

1