curious what key is this(mine on guitar)?

[nix808]

I am self taught on guitar,
my only thought as far as the scale I have come to play is that it sits well with open strings. Also it uses the same intervals whichever octave/part of fretboard I am on. So just out of curiosity what key am I in->
a,a#,b,c,d,e,f,g and occasionally throwing a f# in there when I want to do variations on smoke on the water.
I'm pretty sure my key is d, as this is where it sounds best to finish, but would like to ask.
Does this scale stir any musical thoughts? It's really similar to C, now that I have penned it for the first time, I realise.
Thanks people, theory is an area I have much to learn in.

hmm, with this scale there are many 3 note chords- often fad and ace, ead
Cheers hey

edit- I thought I would add the scale I tend to use with pianoroll/ketboard->
c,d#,f,g# (plus some semitone wiggly bits here and there hehe)

[jancivil]

I'd have to hear it, but I think you being pretty sure it's based on D is a good start. That would be dorian with an extra A#. The F# leads me to believe your 'D'.

the next thing you have is going to be spelled C Eb F Ab really as you have almost surely minor thirds rather than augmented seconds. *spelling*.
as in, if you extended that to a seven note row it would tend to look like C D Eb F G ... rather than have consecutive letter names, C D D# etc.
any C to any E = a third, any C to any D = a second; 'augmented second' is less frequent and has a different point to it while minor third is typical and what that really does.

[nix808]

Wanted to thank you Jan,
will go over your post several times more.
It turns out the interval I am using changes the
included notes by being different for low E and A-
I can only play in standard tuning.
Will post up a track with the modified C major (although root(?) is D) here in this thread,
I think I will finish it first.
The A# is definitely in there,
seems more harmonic than F#.
I will post up a chart of the fretboard I have made in this thread too-
in the next couple of days. Saves counting notes for me,
it's just a fretboard with the note marked for each semitone-
will mark it with numbers for tab too sometime.
I'm sorry for not understanding this 'spelling' straight off the bat,
I'll try and comprehend with the concepts mentioned as guide.

[jancivil]

Spelling: every other letter name is a 'third', A B C = 1, 2, 3; consecutive letter names are a 'second', A, B = 1, 2. A to D, regardless of flat or sharp, is some quality of 'fourth'. C to Db is a minor second; C to D is a major second; D# is an augmented second. The deal with an augmented second is, it's raised for a reason. Such as the D# implies leading into E natural. C to Eb is a minor third such as contained in a C minor chord, C Eb G. D# is not right, there.

if you put it on staves, C D D# F G G# A# is going to be kind of f**ked up-looking. I think it is just as letters. C D Eb F G Ab Bb is alphabetical-like.

and on a staff, the Eb Ab and Bb in that can be indicated in a signature, 'key signature' (those three indicate key of Eb major or C minor) and it's yet clearer and cleaner. Chances are that organization of tones you like agrees with that key.

[jancivil]

If D is indeed the center, the key signature would typically be the same as for C major, but the thing is 'D dorian'. Where you have an F#, the 'scale' would be more or less 'D mixolydian'; if the F# is not as frequent as the F, probably the no flats/no sharps key signature would be the go.

so you see that 'what key' isn't going to tell the whole story about your thing there. The conventions have dictated that 'D dorian' isn't a 'key'.