Musical Key Detection

Musical key detection is the task of automatically determining the key (tonal center) and scale mode of a musical composition from its audio. Introduced formally by Gómez (2006), it is essential for music analysis, transposition, harmonic understanding, and music theory education. The key defines the tonal center around which a piece gravitates; identifying it enables deeper structural understanding. Key detection is closely related to chord recognition but operates at a higher level of abstraction.