How can I find the notes of a song if I have the song key and chords? For example, the song “In my Blood” by Shawn Mendes is in the key of F and the chords are F, A♯, Dm; so now how can I find the notes (the melody)?
2 Answers
Assuming that you don't read/write music, a good place to start is with a copy of the lyrics. As you discover the melody notes you can write them under the words. How to discover the melody notes? You know that the song is in the key of F major, so there's a good chance that the melody is based on the F major scale, which contains the notes F,G,A,Bb, (BTW this is the same note as A#) C, D and E.
First, identify all the Fs in the melody. Hopefully you have access to a keyboard or an instrument that will help you identify the note names. Because the song is in the key of F, and the melody seems to want to 'come home' to this note, this should be the easiest note for you to identify. You might find that you have to choose between higher and lower Fs, but chances are there won't be more than three ( a low F, a high F and maybe a high high F).
How do the notes in a melody move? A melody can stay on the same note (F F F F);it can step up (F G A etc); it can step down (F E D C etc); it can skip up (F A C E etc); it can skip down (F D Bb G etc); it can move a skip plus one (F Bb etc) or it can leap ( F up to C, F up to D, F up to E etc). Using this knowledge and the first F you identified, start working on the next note. Ask yourself these questions: Is it the same note? (F) Is it higher than the F? Is it lower than the F? Is it one note higher?(G) Is it one note lower? (E) Is it a skip higher? (A) Is it a skip lower? (D) Is it a skip plus one higher? (Bb) Is it a skip plus one lower? (C) Is it a leap higher (C, D or E) Is it a leap lower? (B, A or G)
The song you mentioned has a simple melody with no 'surprise' notes such as B natural or E flat or A flat, so you really only have to choose between 8 notes and the odds of your success are pretty good.
Pop songs typically use more repeated notes,steps and skips and fewer leaps, so this should improve your chances still further.
The other good news is that there will be repetition in the melody: certain patterns of notes will repeat and you will be able to recognise them like old friends. Don't be surprised if you discover several notes on one word. This is a musical feature called melisma. When this happens just break the word down into syllables.
If you are methodical the answer will emerge. The more you work at it the easier it will become for you to identify the notes in a melody. You will have developed what musicians call 'a good ear'.
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WOW thanks, I read music sheets but I’m never write , I will try to find the melody of the song I mentioned with your suggestions thanks again! Commented Apr 5, 2018 at 14:53
You can do a few things.
- Google the sheet music, which will give you everything
- Try to hear the melody and if you have an instrument nearby play notes that you think are the ones in the song. If what you play sounds right then save it.
The knowledge that it’s in a certain key can be useful in most popular music since that kind of music won’t do crazy things, it will mostly stay in the corresponding scale. So here the key is F, so when the song is in F search for notes that are on the F scale. When the song switches to A# look for notes that are in that scale. It’s just common sense...
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That 'A#' - (Bb in key F) - is still in the F key, so you wouldn't be searching around in the 'key of A#'.– TimCommented Apr 5, 2018 at 6:35
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Not really, the A# major scale has the same notes as F minor scale. But even if it did it doesn’t matter, so two scales happen to coincide, you’re still on good territory for finding your notes ;) Commented Apr 5, 2018 at 6:43
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1It just doesn't ! It has the same sounding notes as F major with one difference - Eb instead of E. Ab major may have the same notes as F minor - approximately.– TimCommented Apr 5, 2018 at 7:47
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exactly. X minor and X plus 3 half-tones major have the same notes Commented Apr 5, 2018 at 7:50
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1Only picked it up, as we pride ourselves on this site as providing accurate information. Incidentally, in key F, there's rarely an A# to be found. It normally gets called Bb.– TimCommented Apr 5, 2018 at 7:53