GUESS WHAT KEY YOUR BAND IS PLAYING IN

From New York's Hudson Valley Music here's an article from the Musicians handbook.

To save having to figure out the key of a song by watching what the bass or guitar player is doing, there are some methods used especially by larger bands for letting the band in on the key of the song.

Obviously, it's best to know before you start!...but if you're sitting in with a band and unfamilar songs or jamming, it could be helpful for another member to give you a quick signal.

Here's some hand signals you might find useful to know to communicate the key of a song between band members.

2 ways are....."to make the letter of the key of the song with your hand. For example, 'A' would look like the peace sign pointing down. 'E' is your middle three fingers extended horizontally out. 'C' is made with your thumb and index finger. 'F' is your index and middle finger extended horizontally. '

The second hand signal method is to hold fingers out for the amount of sharps or flats in the key. The trick with this is, contrary to logic, sharp keys are shown with fingers pointing down, and flats keys are fingers pointing up. For example, 2 fingers pointing up means the key of Bb,which as Bb and Eb in the key signature. One finger pointing down is the key of 'G', which has one sharp, F#."

It's from an article called,

B.S.ing Techniques to Get Through a Gig

by Mike Mindel

Which you can read in full if you click here

PS There are some more tips on techniques to looking like you really know what you're doing/playing even when you don't, so have a read the original article to learn some other tricks.

[Resource http://www.hvmusic.com/article/mindel/handbk4.shtml]

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