how to find the main key without common "tricks"

[crazyfiltertweaker]

I have made a chord progression which I like without starting in a key.

Now I want to extend&finish it with one typical cadence like IV V I.

Can I find the key(s) with a quint circle or what can I do to find the key if my chord progression is without a cadence?

No I dont post it here Because I want to know it in general and not just for this one case.

Thank you!

[She Changed Her Mind]

If you won't find your chord sequence in the following major keys, it's probably a minor or modal scale, but even then you could finish in IV V I major, depending on the key/scale/modus.

I II III IV V VI VII upwards from C (G)
C Dm Em F G Am B-
G Am Bm C D Em F#-
D Em F#m G A Bm C#-
A Bm C#m D E F#m G#-
E F#m G#m A B C#m D#-
B C#m D#m E F# G#m A#-
F# G#m A#m B C# D#m E#-

I II III IV V VI VII downwards from C (F)
C Dm Em F G Am B-
F Gm Am Bb C Dm E-
Bb Cm Dm Eb F Gm A-
Eb Fm Gm Ab Bb Cm D-
Ab Bbm Cm Db Eb Fm G-
Db Ebm Fm Gb Ab Bbm C-
Gb Abm Bbm Cb Db Ebm F-

Note: editor doesn't take double+ spaces.

[MadBrain]

I have made a chord progression which I like without starting in a key.

Now I want to extend&finish it with one typical cadence like IV V I.

Can I find the key(s) with a quint circle or what can I do to find the key if my chord progression is without a cadence?

No I dont post it here Because I want to know it in general and not just for this one case.

Thank you!

In that situation, I just listen to which bass note feels the most like the root note. Ultimately, that's the most valid test.

Some chord progressions are kindof ambivalent, too, and you can steer them towards more than one potential key depending on your tastes and if you want to create a surprise.

Dominant chords like G7, F/G or Bdim7 strongly lead towards the key (C in this case), especially they're the only dominant chord in your progression (or they're the last in a series of dominant chords), so it's a good clue, but you can always make a song that will contradict this (for instance a song in G mixolydian, where your root chord is G7). And some chord progressions have essentially no real dominant chords (Ex: Am, F, C, G).

[someone called simon]

IMO there isn't a definitive answer. There are 12 possible chords (24 I guess coz it could be either major or minor). You could play each of these chords after your sequence and see which sounds right to your ear. Then you can work backwards from there to include the chords leading to the cadence.

You will likely find most of them sound crap, one or two might sound 'right', and some others might sound like surprising possibilities that still could work.

[crazyfiltertweaker]

Hey simon, there are many more than 24 chords... but ok they are alternating and are for dissonance but instead of trying different chords I look which notes are mainly common with my section.

I did it.

Result are chord progressions without cadency feel...

So I need to find the key first to use cadencies which resolve good below the melody.

Yes there are some dissonant notes below the chords but it doesnt matter when there are some nice cadencies.

@mind&brain:

Thanks for your help.

But I have still problems to find the right key especially then when there are somw foreign notes which are there when you use 12 notes free finding melodies....