Keys are for doors!

jdogric12 · Post by **jdogric12** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 4:49 pm

My travels today took me to Largo, FL where I rehearsed with The Seens. I'm playing strictly lead guitar (for the first time in my life) so I had to take the new old '99 360/12v64. Worked out three songs real well. "My Mood Swings" by Elvis Costello, "Flirting with Time" from Petty's new dizzle, and "Standby" by Grandaddy. All while I did some laundry. It's great to have friends with washing machines.

Okay, I'm rambling. Here's a challenge: What key (or mode!) is "My Mood Swings" in? I have some ideas but haven't made up my mind yet.

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 5:04 pm

Okay, let's see what we've got here (Love this song BTW!):

Verse: Fm (i) - C (V) - Bb (IV) - Ab7 (III)

Chorus: Bb - Ab - Bb - Bb - Ab - Cm

The key is F minor. The C (V) chord in the verse gives it a harmonic minor tonality, but the IV chord, being major, raises the 6th - giving us F Dorian?

That took me much longer than it should have.

jdogric12 · Post by **jdogric12** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 5:59 pm

You missed the best chord of all, John. You are close, but close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, and slow dancing!

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 6:14 pm

J, please enlighten me - those are the only chords I hear!

BTW, i'm listening to the version from the Lebowski soundtrack, hopefully there's not a different one around.

telebob · Post by **telebob** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 12:35 am

Damn! I'm at work and don't have a guitar with me. I'm thinking Eb though, especially where the chorus is concerned.

I don't know the song so my only reference is the chords above.

jdogric12 · Post by **jdogric12** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 2:22 am

John, after listening again, I see you are right. For some reason I was hearing a Gb chord after the Ab7, but I was incorrect. I will have to tell the guys at next rehearsal!

Since we're definitely in F of some sort, I would have to call this one F Phrygian-Dorian, because we have a Gb and a D natural. But the whole point of this is: Pop music is all about breaking conventions and stepping outside of a comfort zone. So the very fact that we have a hard time describing it means it's doing its job. To try and come up with ways to 'study' it, while interesting, can be quite pedantic and anti-climactic.

prog_rockin_metal_man · Mon Sep 18, 2006 6:16 am

"Matt, it sounds like you've got some serious stuff going on."

you don't know the half of it Jason haha...I wrote a 20min+ concept piece not too long ago that goes through many key and meter changes (go prog rock! woo!)...but it's wierd because I've only been composing for two years(been playing bass for three) and I don't know a whole lot of theory.

and no I was not aware that Genesis used that progression alot. I don't really listen to Genesis but I will definitely have to check them out.