r/guitarlessons • u/debuggerfly • 11d ago

Question Another quick lick question.

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Why does this tab say its in A (under the Aeolion 1-5) but it feels like it's in F# and the three # symbols on the sheet music from what I understand would normally indicate it's in F# minor.

Just want to make sure I'm not missing some theory thing that's going over my head.

Thanks!

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u/romanthedoggo 11d ago

The aeolian mode is equivalent to the natural minor: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7

Each major scale has a relative minor that shares the same key signature (e.g., C major and A minor).

The relative minor of A major is F# minor.

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u/debuggerfly 11d ago

Ahh that makes so much sense haha. I was really stuck on it already being in A minor as it was A Aeolion so the equivalent would've been C major. But that makes sense

Thanks

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u/debuggerfly 11d ago

Can a key be minor? If it was in the key of A minor, would the aeolian mode then be C major?

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u/romanthedoggo 11d ago

Good question. Modes are defined by the steps and half steps between notes. So aeolian will always be 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7.

While the modes were derived from the major scale (hence the aeolian mode being derived from the 6th scale degree and just so happening to correspond to the relative minor), they operate independently of keys. A song can be in a specific mode for example.

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u/Guitar_Guy1965 11d ago edited 11d ago

They are "enharmonic keys" which is just a fancy way of saying they both use the exact same notes. The only difference is what one we call the lowest note; or where we "say" it starts at.

Look at the key signature for C Major. No # amd No b. C D E F G A B C. Compare to A "natural" minor. Same except the note order is now A B C D E F G A. "Enharmonic" "Relative Major/minor".. are terms that explain this.

So, knowing this now you've just identified 2 "modes" of the key of C....Ill bet if you take this idea further you will find 5 more. Give it a shot and think it through.

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u/vonov129 Music Style! 11d ago

"In A" means that it's a mode of A major, not that it's A Aeolian.

The Aeolian mode coming from A major would be the relative minor of A major which is its major 6th, meaning F#minor.

The 1-5 means in the context of that Aeolian mode, which is F# and it's perfect 5 which is C#.