Reply #5: Key is

[ZoCrowes]

the tonic, or root, of the song. It's basically the note that all the other notes in the song have to relate to. A song that is in the key of G has the tonic, or root, of G and usually a dominant or V (for G it's D) and a sub dominant, or IV (for G it is C.) I, V, IV is pretty the basis for rock n roll. Basically it is where that falls in the major of minor scale of the tonic

For example the C Major scale is

I ii iii IV V vi vii

C Dm Em F G Am Bm

And the first five chords in that are Like A Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan. If you wanted to bass in the same key as that song most bassist will just follow the chord progression and play the root of the chord. For example if I played a Dm chord you would play a D. A lot of bassist though will play small riffs based around the root note and the chord currently being played.

Like in Rain by the Beatles when the chord is G Mcarntey will play this riff

G------12----------------------
D----------10--12---10--12-----------
A-10----------------------------
E----------------------------

While the guitar is playing a G chord McCartney is playing G, G, C, D, C, D on his bass

I hope this was not too confusing. This pretty much skims the surface of music theory and chord construction. I understand most of it but I am pretty much a selftaught musician so there might be some inconsistancies in here but that is pretty much how I understand it