Scale and Key Question

RonKerlin

Blues Newbie
When Playing using an A7,D7,E7..., it's commonly said that you're playing in the key of "A".
I've heard Griff even mention in one of his courses playing in the key of "C" and using the C Min Pentatonic for example licks. This makes sense to me. But...
I have a teacher that has told me that a Jam Track using A7,D7,E7 is NOT in the key of "A" but in the key of "D", something to do with "A" being the fifth in the "D" Scale.
First is this correct and if so, why doe everyone always say key of "A" when referring to A7,D7,E7?
Just a little confused so any help would be great!
THX
 

MikeS

Student Of The Blues
Staff member
When Playing using an A7,D7,E7..., it's commonly said that you're playing in the key of "A".
I've heard Griff even mention in one of his courses playing in the key of "C" and using the C Min Pentatonic for example licks. This makes sense to me. But...
I have a teacher that has told me that a Jam Track using A7,D7,E7 is NOT in the key of "A" but in the key of "D", something to do with "A" being the fifth in the "D" Scale.
First is this correct and if so, why doe everyone always say key of "A" when referring to A7,D7,E7?
Just a little confused so any help would be great!
THX

What Griff will probably tell you is that he is right about it not really being in the key of A (though I don't think I've heard him say anything about the 5th of D, although A certainly IS the 5th note in the key of D).
We are playing the blues and in Blues we break all the rules, so technically, because we are playing 7ths and a 7th can only be a 5 chord, the A7, D7, E7 progression is NOT the key of A, but rather it's a song that changes key 3 times from A to D to E.
We as blues players don't care about that. It starts in A, you can play the Am pentatonic over every chord, so to make things easy and to be able to communicate the "key" to other players, we say that we are in the key of A.

Clear as mud?
 
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