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What keys do you play in?

#21
praisebass said:
Various keys certainly do have individual characteristics, according to most composers and others. See the following:

http://biteyourownelbow.com/keychar.htm
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The quotes on that link just show that there is no general agreement and that respected authorities can claim contradictory chracteristics for the same key!! :p

If you read the link I provided you will see that this would apply in Just Intonation, but "Equal Temperament" was designed to make all the keys the same and this was the basis of Bach's "Well-Tempered Clavier" and all western music since.

Japanese music uses the system where keys are different - but this sounds very strange to western ears and even most young Japanese people!! ;)
 
#22
PJSShearer said:
"If you call yourself a musician you must be prepared to play in any and every key".

This was told to me by a sax player many years ago and, whilst not being as dogmatic about it as he was (he once offered someone outside whon tried to argue with him on this) - there's a lot to be said for that way of thinking.

I recall getting my Bass re-fretted once 'cos the 3rd fret on the "A" string had worn down rather a lot - the bandleader played piano :-).
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Very familiar. I played in a wedding band led by a keyboard player who could only play in C, so every tune, all night, was transposed into C. (But, hey, he wrote the checks...) :rolleyes:
 
#25
MalcolmAmos said:
So much of what we do is based upon what the vocalists wants. I have often wondered why hymns tend to be in the flat keys.

I have been told it is because congregations sing flat. I'm sure they do, but, is that the reason our hymnals tend to use the flat keys?

Another question. What is behind the decision as to what key a "congregational songs" will be published in?

Your thoughts ....
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Well they have to be pitched so that the whole congregation can sing the melody comfortably. I'm sure there is a book out there somewhere that'll tell you what that range is..
 
#29
Chris K said:
This makes a good opportunity to ask why some people keep recommending to practise scales in all keys. IMHO you''re better off if you know f.e. 8 different scales in 2 keys than the other way around.
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Because it's not always a matter simply of moving your hand up or down a few frets. In the open position and at the high end of the neck, each key requires unique fingerings.
 
#36
Numbers system. Learned it in the studio decades ago. Doesnt matter what key (or root) chord your in. There 7 (or 8 if u count the octave) tones in the major scale. Each one of those tones represents a possible chord in the root.
If we're in the key of "G" then G= the 1 chord, C or the fourth tone of the scale = the 4 chord, D or the fifth tone =5 chord.
u can throw in the 2 minor or the 3 chord, 6 minor etc yourself. so it really doesnt matter as long as u can think scale #s
i play in several bands where that is the main mode of communication. as long as one person who is not singing knows the changes u can cover just about any song thats not clicking along at 150 bpm with 1 change per beat;)
 
#40
Bruce Lindfield said:
The quotes on that link just show that there is no general agreement and that respected authorities can claim contradictory chracteristics for the same key!! :p
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L-A said:
"C major - Gay and warlike"

:p
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Yeah - that's what I was saying - our western system of equal temperament has flattened out (sic) the differences in keys to the point where people can claim any contradictory thing about any key - whereas most people just wouldn't hear that - so many happy songs have been written in supposedly sad keys...:eyebrow:
 

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