Questions tagged [key]
For questions about key signatures, scales, modes and similar topics. Most questions should also be tagged with "theory".
513 questions
3
votes
6
answers
177
views
Is there a best or most natural key for a guitar in standard tuning?
Many musical instruments have a preferred key. Even the piano, which like the guitar can be played in any key, may be easier to play in some key signatures because of the physical layout and size ...
- 445
5
votes
2
answers
376
views
Can I keep my thumb on the B♭ Briccialdi key?
A couple of elementary flute books lead me to believe that the standard fingering for the note B♭ on the flute is:
Note
Thumb
Left Hand
Right Hand
Little Finger
B♭(i)
B♮
1 – –
1 – –
D♯
It follows ...
- 14.9k
5
votes
6
answers
773
views
Reasons why certain key changes work better than others
When a song has a key change, often towards the end, it goes up, rather than down. There is probably a reason for this.
Not asking about modulations, but actual key changes (tonicization), as in the ...
- 198k
0
votes
4
answers
152
views
Why can a song contain chords that are not exactly in its key? [closed]
Studying music theory on my own, I try to practice song analysis.
The song "Girl You'll Be a Woman" by Neil Diamond has the following chords:
Gm C F and D#
Now, the feel of the song and ...
0
votes
1
answer
75
views
The right harmonica to use [duplicate]
I play heavy guitar.drop c and am looking to mix it up with harmonica parts.
I'm just wondering what would be the best key for harmonica to use.
- 1
1
vote
2
answers
236
views
How can I identify the key of a piece I'm composing?
When I want to start a new composition, I never know how to determine the key, so I often end up with something that looks like this: No key signature, and lots of accidentals. How do I choose a key?
...
0
votes
2
answers
148
views
Isn’t the root progression or chord progression of a song meant to anchor in a foundation for rest of the instruments to experiment over?
What I mean is, isn’t the idea of creating and using a root progression or chord progression for it to be the foundation for a composition. With pop music (rap, r&b, latin, pop rock, country) the ...
- 29
2
votes
1
answer
78
views
Would writing my main vocal part (lyrics) to a drone help me stay in key, and without limiting pitch variation?
By drone typically I mean one note, though from my understanding a drone could be one note, two notes, a chord or even 6 notes usually played on string instruments such as the tanpura or guitar. I’m ...
- 29
0
votes
1
answer
107
views
why does this descending whole-tone chord progression work?
i've been writing this piece and there is this section that sounds very nice to me but it goes against most of what I've been taught. here is the passage:
(sorry for the poor notation- I was in a ...
- 331
5
votes
5
answers
1k
views
Notes not in key
I've noticed that my song has a whole bunch of notes that aren't all together in any key but I don't know, as it sounds good to me. I can't hear any flats or anything. Is there a reason it would sound ...
- 151
4
votes
4
answers
313
views
Is there a way to describe this type of non-functional music?
As far as I could tell, this instrumental piece has the static chord vamp Bbmaj9-Am7 that never deviates in any section (let me know if I'm wrong). The main focus that the composer has chosen here is ...
- 41
1
vote
4
answers
162
views
Modes Scales and Keys
Is it correct to refer to modes as keys, or are they simply modes? If they're not keys, how come C Ionian is referred to as the major key, and its relative minor key, Am, (Aeolian), referred to as the ...
- 198k
1
vote
2
answers
100
views
Sort of key change effect, can technically explain the effect?
So I'm playing a melody ( synth with a daw ) in D minor key but actually this very simple melody ( mostly made interesting by delay effects on it ) does not touch any note of the key to "prove&...
- 621
0
votes
4
answers
176
views
Key vs Mode, why are there two different definitions?
When I search for the definition of key and mode, I see two arguments:
When we talk about key, we only talk about major and minor. Letter name plus major and letter name plus minor are the only keys ...
- 63
1
vote
3
answers
140
views
Is it possible to write a song “pitch first” or “key first”?
I believe there are 3 possible main elements to a song (not minding dynamics, articulation etc):
The Type of Sounds + their order & The Amount of Sounds (Vowels, Consonants & Syllables & ...
- 347
0
votes
1
answer
127
views
3:1 (or 1:3) interval, does it exist ? How to perform it from a C?
Given that a composed sound is composed of a fundamental frequency and its harmonics (multiples of the fundamental), we could easily image that a pitch (with a fundamenal frequency f) is played and ...
- 123
11
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Why is the key typically the first and/or last note (or chord) of a song?
Is there a strategical reason when composing for the key to commonly be the first and/or last note (or chord) of a song?
- 347
6
votes
4
answers
633
views
Chord progressions without the tonic chord: same key or different?
If you don't start your chord progression with the tonic chord, how do you retain the tonality / tonal center/ feel of a key?
Or does the lack of the tonic chord cause the key to be a different one?
...
- 155
12
votes
3
answers
1k
views
D major with no C tone
I just played the melody of the famous German Epiphany song "Stern über Bethlehem" and thought it was g major. When I googled the melody, I saw it written in d major. I was confused but then ...
- 263
10
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Why is the scale of Hotel California B-min but not F#-phrygian?
I was listening Hotel California by Eagles and decided that F# is the key/tonic for this song. Thus it has to be F#-Phrygian scale. But over the internet I see that it is B-minor. It means it has same ...
- 211
3
votes
3
answers
91
views
Do added-tone chords change depending on the key?
I'm so confused. I have three questions.
1. Is the added tone (or note) counted from the tonic of a key or the root note of the chord?
2. Since, with the same scale degree, a note changes depending on ...
2
votes
0
answers
62
views
Why is it the C Major scale that is played without accidentals, instead of A [duplicate]
Why is it C's Major scale that comes without accidentals instead of A?
The C Major scale is played C D E F G A B C
The C chromatic scale is played C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B C
Why was it decided ...
- 21
4
votes
2
answers
378
views
Bach St. Matthew Passion section 33 key shift
In Bach's St. Matthew's Passion section 33, at measure 104, both the first and second chorus pause together all at once, and there is a key shift. But I don't know to what key the music is shifting to....
- 41
6
votes
5
answers
362
views
Is a minor key based on the natural minor scale or all 3 minor scales?
I am finding very different answers from various sources online regarding this topic.
Some say that the minor key is based on the natural minor scale, but harmonic and melodic minor can be used too.
...
- 127
1
vote
4
answers
290
views
How should I comprehend Modal Mixture?
I’m studying the concept of modal mixture and there’s one thing that I immediately got curious about.
Supposedly, the majority of POP music (rock, hip hop, r&b, country, etc) is a mixture of Major ...
- 1,018
1
vote
2
answers
117
views
Why do the chords of one song work with the melody of the other perfectly
Specifically, these 2 songs:
Redbone:
(Chords are B, C#, D#m in original key)
Snooze:
(Chords are G#m7, A#m7, Bmaj7 transposed + 6 ...
- 11
2
votes
1
answer
229
views
What are the main concepts that aid singing in key?
In my previous question I asked about how many notes are needed to establish what key you are in. That kind of dodges around the purpose of me asking so here’s a more direct question.
With an ...
- 1,018
3
votes
3
answers
315
views
How many notes does it take to state the key? To Have "Tonality"?
I'm referring to "tonal dominant function" as this gentleman is talking about in this video.
How many notes in a "melody" do you need to state the ...
- 1,018
5
votes
8
answers
4k
views
Perfect Pitch: Are tones recognizable by themselves or only in comparison with another tone?
Are the frequencies C4 = 260 Hz and A4 = 440 Hz actually noticeably different to someone with “perfect pitch”? I ask myself, what did they learn differently growing up to notice the difference in ...
- 1,018
2
votes
5
answers
803
views
Purpose of ascending and descending scales?
I understand that ascending scales go from a lower pitch class up to the next pitch class with the same letter name. For example, C to C'. For descending scales it is the reverse.
What I don't get is ...
- 127
3
votes
2
answers
197
views
How to approach changing keys when singing from sheet music?
For the purpose of ear training and to practice reading sheet music, I am trying to sight sing from the book "Melodia - A compréhensive course in sight singing"
https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/...
- 121
0
votes
2
answers
120
views
I’m looking for information/references on how we developed the Major Mode (Scale/Key) [closed]
As the title says, I’m looking for some information on the history of how the Major Mode (Scale,Key) was developed/designed. I already know a little bit, that is, I am not completely new to the topic, ...
- 1,018
6
votes
4
answers
728
views
Why does this melody tend to be in the key of F Major rather than in the key of C Major
When composing, I generally start with C Major to be simple, but very often, I can hear that in the melody another key is suggested.
Here is such an example :
The melody starts by leaping to the VI ...
- 123
9
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Changing a melody from major to minor key, twice
I thought of an interesting idea but I have very little music theory knowledge so I don't know how to look up additional information about it.
The idea is the following:
Say I have a melody in A major ...
- 193
0
votes
1
answer
130
views
How do I release a piano note sooner when going to the next set of keys? For example, when I play a quarter note I do not release that note quickly [duplicate]
how do I release a piano key quicker and still stay in rhythm? When I play a quarter note followed by a half note, I do not release the quarter note quickly and that causes a delay in playing the next ...
- 33
-3
votes
5
answers
331
views
What is between a Major Key and a Minor Key? (keys with a neutral third)
I know the 2 main types of keys are major and minor, but is there a 3rd type of key? (Diminished keys would be extra-minor keys; so, that is not what I am searching for.)
I’m looking for keys with a ...
- 61
1
vote
1
answer
100
views
What is it called when a chord progression in a specific key uses root/tonic notes that are in-key, but other members of the chord are not?
What is it called when a chord progression in a specific key uses root/tonic notes that are in-key, but other members of the chord are not?
For example, say I am in the key of C major and I pay C Maj, ...
- 201
1
vote
1
answer
55
views
Is there any generic motivation for building scales which are supersets of the desired key(s)?
In conventional music, the octave is divided into the twelve frequency Chromatic Scale, but then only subsets of those twelve frequencies form the key used at any given time. I understand why the ...
- 177
0
votes
2
answers
160
views
How can I lift my fingers off each piano key faster and still keep the same tempo when playing songs?
I recently noticed that when I press the piano keys, I do not lift my fingers fast enough off the keys. This causes a "dragging sound". However, I seem to keep the music tempo going. This ...
- 33
2
votes
3
answers
374
views
How should this passage be analyzed?
From a previous exam. Possible answers were D maj, G maj, d min or a min.
I think it’s a minor: if D or G then the F needs to be sharp and if it’s d the B would need to be flat. I think the c# is ...
- 671
0
votes
1
answer
146
views
Is there a way to learn to appreciate music in major key?
I am unable to appreciate music in major key and it seems to be something I was born with. In early childhood I already had a preference for some nursery rhymes while disliking others. Only when I ...
user93201
13
votes
5
answers
3k
views
What indicates this passage as B flat minor and not D flat major?
From an exercise to identify the key of this passage, I thought it was D flat major, given the first note, but the answer is B flat minor. What in the passage indicates it as B flat minor?
- 671
2
votes
3
answers
162
views
In which cadence can parents reasonably expect multiple key signatures to be introduced in piano instruction?
If a child starts to play the piano at six (at or about the beginning of Grade 1) with a teacher, reading sheet music from the first lesson, at what point can one reasonably expect the pupil/teacher ...
- 163
4
votes
2
answers
816
views
How do I identify the key of a tuba?
I'm trying to identify the key of a tuba in the below picture. I suspect it's either a Bb or a Eb but cannot confirm. I tried to measure and it was approx. just over 16ft (although that may be ...
- 143
4
votes
3
answers
1k
views
how does the key signature work (not reading it)
If I find the key signature contains, let's say, E flat, does that only mean only E's are E flat or every note on the staff of the key signature are flats? I've looked up multiple things but I am not ...
- 41
0
votes
3
answers
120
views
Finding the key of a song that begins in other key
Most classical musics begin in a key that matches its inital key signature, but some songs doesn't.
For example, Schubert's impromptu no. 4, op. 90 begins in A-flat minor, but its key is A-flat major, ...
- 135
4
votes
3
answers
835
views
Could minor-third be used to judge major or minor key?
As my background is engineering, I often notice the occurrence of repeated things. I am learning to play pop songs by ear. It seems if a pop song has more minor-third intervals at or around the ...
- 319
5
votes
3
answers
532
views
Usage of sharpened subdominant in minor key: what is the diatonic function?
The piece Für Elise uses a D♯ in the key of A minor in the first bar, which is the sharpened subdominant. (I'm focusing on the first part, up to halfway through bar 23 in this score.) D♯ and G♯ are ...
- 559
4
votes
3
answers
254
views
How do I correctly identify whether a song is in minor or major? (Take "My Old School" as an example)
My Old School:
This song is very confusing. Is it in E minor or G major? 4:31 ends in a G major chord, but 4:50 ends in an E minor chord. How do I identify which key ...
- 249
3
votes
3
answers
2k
views
What is the musical term for a song that uses a higher key for its last chorus?
While listening to a playlist of music from the 1980s / 1990s / early 2000s, I noticed that many of the songs have a pattern where the last chorus is sung in a much higher key than the previous ...
- 141