Week 1 - Why Do We Put So Much Emphasis on Keys?

This is not Ancient Greece where musicians know exactly which notes to play for which life occasions.

This is not the Baroque era in Austria where all musicians were taught the exact same rules that were as strict as civilian laws. 

Nor is this the early 20th century deep south where musicians grew up hearing and playing what their communities played, strumming and picking along to songs and riffs embedded in their blood since childhood.

This is the modern day where everything is available to us on the internet. All styles of music are represented and accessible in an instant. Fusions of genres, cultures, and methodologies are vast, and anything can be played on any instrument. 

We're no longer limited to a single way of playing and learning music. We can chose how we think about, express, and embody music and there is no longer a right or wrong way to do so.

However there is a common thread amongst all cultures and all time periods, and that’s The System of Major Scales and Keys.

Whether we are playing major scales or harmonic minor scales –staying in one key or moving through ten of them– we are all still using the same 12 notes organized by keys and either adhering to them or breaking away from them. 

So that means that if you know how keys and major scales work, you have a solid start as to how ALL Western music is constructed. 

Being exposed to a wellspring of musical approaches, it becomes evident that music is an art with infinite possibilities, and that’s why it’s so important as a student to see through the forest of information and learn to discern between what is useful and what is superfluous. 

There are so many dogmas in the land of learning music and music theory. The reality is, any of it may be useful while any of it may be completely distracting. It all depends on you, your power to navigate your way toward your unique goals, and your discernment amidst the chaos.

Becoming fluent in the System of Major Scales and Keys offers a strong and simple musical foundation for players of all backgrounds, styles and interests to navigate that vast forest.

Think of it like we are building an internal compass that will allow you to move forward with clear direction. This foundation allows a player to confidently and quickly absorb relevant information. It is what makes all the methodologies and viewpoints bearable and easy to identify for yourself as either complete gold or a waste of time.

The approach is simple: it begins with practicing major scales –inside and out, forward, backward, and twisting any direction– because the major scale is our reference point to all music. 

With this reference point, we have a place to start: a way to embody music in its most fundamental state. We can then decide what’s relevant and useful and what is not. 

So for now, consider that by not only learning but actually studying and beginning to rely on the system of major scales and keys, you are establishing a springboard toward the infinite possibilities of music with a ship that you’re empowered to steer in whatever direction you want. 

To help you develop your navigating power, consider answering a few questions about The System of Major Scales and Keys.

Go ahead and test your knowledge. If you feel confident on the subject, it’s always important to continually polish your skills. And if you are still trying to understand what this is all about, this is a great opportunity to learn something extremely beneficial.

How bad do you want fretboard fluency? Show us by giving your best effort and completing the challenge!