My new "cheat sheet"

[OrovilleTim]

When I try and figure out a song by ear, I generally first determine the key and work from there. My little way of doing this is using the E form (as a barre chord past the open E) and then work down the neck finding the right sounding first chord (or sometimes I use just the E string and find a single note that matches). From there, I work out the chords based on suitable chords in that key. So is the way of one who has yet to develop note/chord recognition.

Anyway, while I don't know if this is the most optimal method, and there are some opportunities with more creative songs, it is a good starting point (at least for those who are still in their "green and growing" stage of guitar playing.)

Well, to help myself I put together a nifty little sheet (well, I think it's nifty) that allows me to find the chord/key in this method, and then have a list of corresponding chords for that key readily available.

So, for example, I found that the opening chord to a song matches the E form on 10th fret. So, this is a D. I then look and say, most likely it's going to be around D, G, A for a country tune. But, I quickly discover that there are some chords that sound a little off. Through guided experimentation with my sheet I then find that it's D, Am, D, G, A, G, A, and then... hmmm, odd chord not D, G or A... aha... IImaj = E, and so on (anybody recognize Haggard's "That's the way love goes" in D? ;)).

Ok.. enough talking already. If you are interested, you can find my little cheat sheet at the following link:
http://www.provencio.com/GuitarKeyChordHelper.pdf

Use at your own risk, get your parents permission, blah, blah, blah :D If you find any errors I haven't stumbled across, please let me know.

[davesg]

Thanks for the post. I made something similar many years ago that I have used. But the format of yours is easier to read. I sent the link to several friends and have already been thanked for sharing. This is good stuff. :udaman:

[OrovilleTim]

Not a problem! Glad others can get some use from it.

I put a version on it as I have some more things planned for it. Stuff related to key signatures, and maybe another worksheet to help with capo use for different keys (the hymns seems to be Ab, Bb, Eb, etc.) That one might just have to be on a second page though.

I imagine someday I'll get all this committed to memory. But until then, I've got my cheat-sheets ;)

[Old Believer]

Thanks for the cool tool! :cool:

[Jaybo]

That is really cool! I'm going to print it off.

[hotraman]

Hey...... this is really well done!
It will help me with some of our beginning worship leaders!
Thanks for posting!
Steve

[helmet]

A similar thing online for reference...sometimes it is helpful to have multiple references that explain it different ways.

http://jmdl.com/howard/music/keys_scales.html

Also from the same page is Chord construction theory

http://jmdl.com/howard/music/quick_crd_ref.html

These were very helpful to me when I was learning the basics of music theory...(and still am learning :smart: )

[SAguitar]

A good deed well done! :cool:

[DeRigueur]

I just got the latest version of Band in a Box which has a feature called Audio Chord Wizard. You point it at an mp3 file and it generates a chord chart from it. The result still might need some fine tuning, but it's a pretty big time saver.

[SAguitar]

Wow, now that could be a cool time-saver!

[OrovilleTim]

Now if it was "band in a guitar case storage compartment", had a small microphone, and provided instant results, I'd *really* love it. ;)

I actually print this sheet out on hard card-stock shrunk down to a small size and throw it in my guitar cases/gig bags. What ends up happening though is that I'm always having to reprint it as people ask me for one (I've even taken to printing extras each time.)

What I've found over time though is that I am going back to the cheat-sheet less and less as now I'm starting to get some of the more common ones in memory. I'm sure eventually I won't even need the cheat sheet, but when learning guitar, I hear the first 25 years are the hardest :D

[DeRigueur]

What you refer to may not be as hard as you think. If you have an mp3 player that records audio and a laptop, you could get near instant results.

I suppose the usefulness of the program depends on how complex the song is relative to how well your ear is trained.