All Questions
55 questions
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
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
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
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
3
votes
1
answer
159
views
G# major vs Ab major in the Liszt's Les Preludes
In this video at 6:21, the instructor says that
In measure 62 of Liszt Les Preludes (image below), the intonation is difficult if you think of as a "G sharp major."
Instead, it will be ...
- 921
2
votes
3
answers
170
views
Is it mulitple Key change?
Zion. T - Snow
Chord progression:
Am7 - D7sus4 D7 - Gmaj7 - E7sus4 E7
Am7 - D7sus4 D7 - Gmaj7 - E7sus4 E7
Am7 Bm7 - Cmaj7 D7(9) - Gmaj7 - Fmaj9 Fdim7
(Interlude:) Cm9 ...
- 109
6
votes
3
answers
437
views
Is the melodic minor a key as well as a scale?
The title, basically. I always understood that the natural, harmonic and melodic minor scales were 3 different scales deriving from the same "minor" key. I hear people talking about a ...
- 794
25
votes
7
answers
8k
views
Why does G# sound right when my melody is in C major?
I composed the following melody using notes from the C major scale. In the third bar a G# (Ab) seemed a natural choice to complete the loop, but I don’t understand why.
G# is not in C major nor its ...
- 379
5
votes
4
answers
599
views
Does this modulation make sense?
I am wondering how to assess the following modulation from C major to Bb major according to rules of traditional harmony:
I threw the modulation together without thinking about it much, and thought &...
- 1,406
5
votes
3
answers
712
views
Why is there no fourth minor scale with a natural 6 and a flat 7?
These scales are considered the minor scales:
natural: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
harmonic: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7
melodic: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 7 (ascending)
However, this scale:
4th min: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 ...
- 85
2
votes
0
answers
663
views
What is the tonalilty/mode of Sitting on the dock of the bay -Ottis Redding? [closed]
I was wondering what is the tonality of Sitting on the dock of the bay (
) since no diatonic scales fit the chord progression.
Here is the chord progression :
G | B7 | ...
- 121
2
votes
1
answer
91
views
Is it better for the voice to match the music?
I'm 18 and very new to music theory. I was in band and middle school for a year and took Music Appreciation in my senior year of high school.
But one thing I never came to understand was sound keys ...
- 21
0
votes
7
answers
342
views
Which minor scale/mode do you use to harmonize the chords, when improvising in minor key?
When improvising in minor key (let's say classical harmony, non-modal), I guess the minor melodic scales (asc. and desc.) are used to play, well, the melody (hence the name melodic?). Or is the ...
- 471
1
vote
3
answers
3k
views
Why does the relation between E major and Ab major feel especially connected?
I find that whenever I improvise in E major, I naturally move back and forth between E major and Ab major key areas. It's like E major and Ab major feel especially connected in a way that say Bb major ...
- 6,654
5
votes
2
answers
956
views
Esus4 in the key of C. How can I use it?
Recently I've discovered that Esus4 chord can be built by using notes from C major scale (Esus4 notes: E-A-B - no 'sharps' or 'flats'). But I don't know how can I use the chord in the keys of C or Am
...
0
votes
1
answer
59
views
What key is this in? [closed]
I'm new in the forum. I have lots of unasked questions about music theory because I'm a self taught musician with no formal training, so I have a lot of confusion between concepts like, for example, ...
- 1
0
votes
2
answers
148
views
Triad improvisation, Key centers
Below is a paragraph that attempts to explain what happens when non-diatonic tones are introduced into a melody. I'm copying it word for word:
While the key signature does establish the rules we must ...
- 7,860
12
votes
6
answers
3k
views
Melody using a different scale than the bassline - what is it called?
Since I only know some very rudimentary terms in music theory, I don't know what
it's called when one does the following to create a sort-of interesting sound.
Suppose I'm playing the piano, using my ...
- 351
3
votes
2
answers
448
views
What makes Beethoven’s False Picardy Third so convincing?
So, there’s one aspect of Beethoven’s style that I personally, haven’t been able to write convincing examples of. That would be the False Picardy Third. To clarify, this is what I mean by False ...
- 6,654
1
vote
2
answers
643
views
Why is the tonic so important for melodies?
I made a simple melody in FL studio that was in C Major. The melody consisted of two phrases both of which started on D. The only difference between the two is the second phrase ended on C (the tonic ...
- 453
1
vote
3
answers
481
views
Measuring key-relatedness of chords on the circle of fifths
Is there an easy way to visualise scale-degree triads for a given key, based on the circle of fifths? And to also use the circle to 'measure' how distant a given out-of-key chord is to our home key? I ...
- 599
3
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Modulation from D major to D minor, should I go sudden or gradual?
I am composing a Scherzo in the key of D major and I have the first section of my Scherzo already written down. Now I'm into the second section of the Scherzo that precedes the Trio. And in this ...
- 6,654
4
votes
4
answers
10k
views
Why does the circle of fifths have to be symmetric
I have studied music theory ever since I studied piano playing. So I know about things like accidentals and how white key accidentals like Cb or E# make sense.
But one thing I don't know about is ...
- 6,654
9
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Is parallel modulation a thing?
I have heard that going in between 2 parallel keys is just modal interchange and not a modulation because the tonic note is the same. Maybe if the change in key is short and only to add color to a ...
- 6,654
4
votes
1
answer
858
views
Chromatic 7th chords going upwards in Beethoven
This is about how the harmony is working in Rondo a Capriccio by Beethoven. Here is the passage I am talking about:
So starting at measure 291, there is a passage where 7th chords go up chromatically,...
- 6,654
5
votes
3
answers
626
views
Why weren't Ionian / Aeolian / Locrian modes considered Gregorian modes?
It is said that the Ionian (major), Aeolian (natural minor), and Locrian modes weren't really three of the ancient church (Gregorian) modes. What is the reason?
user53472
3
votes
1
answer
553
views
What is the standard definition of a distant key?
In my knowledge, a distant key is any key that is not enharmonic, parallel, relative, or closely related to the original key. However, some people claim that distant keys are simply keys that are not ...
user53472
2
votes
6
answers
159
views
Why is this not a modulation?
Bars three and four look to me like a modulation to the subdominant with an imperfect cadence in Eb (especially with the Ab auxiliary note in bar three). The answers, however, mark bars three and four ...
- 1,349
4
votes
5
answers
2k
views
If parallel keys aren't closely related, then why are they so easy to get to?
I got this comment on an answer of mine:
"Parallel major/minor keys are not closely related. They are easy to
get to, but not closely related. It's like you might live by a subway
that make it ...
user53472
0
votes
1
answer
196
views
Why do some phrygian dominant pieces end on the iv chord?
I was looking at Itzhak Perlman playing Shalom Aleichem It starts (0:14) in E Phrygian Dominant with the i chord, but ends (4:16) in A minor, the iv chord.
I've seen the same thing happen with Hava ...
user34288
8
votes
5
answers
5k
views
Do the notes in a scale have to be played in order?
Beginner here, it seems like a scale just defines a particular set of notes that don't have to be played in any order to me. But if you look at A minor pentatonic scale you have A, C, D, E, G, yet ...
- 1,125
4
votes
5
answers
3k
views
Why does VII have dominant function in natural minor
I have noticed with my own compositions that I can take something like B♭ major and use it to prepare for a C minor entrance, even if C minor is in fact the tonic. Also I have noticed that I can use G ...
- 6,654
2
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Did Bach ever use melodic minor keys in chorales?
For example, E Melodic Minor would have C#, allowing for a ii7-V-I cadence.
- 25
4
votes
4
answers
1k
views
What key is a piece in if an augmented chord is used as a dominant?
I personally think that augmented chords can be just as consonant as major if used in a certain way. For example, in the first octave of a piano, if I play an augmented chord, yes it will want to ...
- 6,654
12
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Chopin Polonaise in Ab major, op 53 change in key
In Chopin's polonaise in A-flat major, op.53, in the second section the key changes from A flat to E major. What type of change is this? Is it from the flattening of the sixth (F-flat major), or was ...
- 145
5
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Why isn't there a closely related key to C minor that has D as tonic?
For minor keys, there are no closely related keys built on the second scale degree. Why? Is it because the chord built from the second scale degree is diminished?
- 55
1
vote
2
answers
153
views
Harmony Question
Cmaj7 to Abmaj7 to Gmaj7.
The G seems like a resolution, it feels like the tonal center changes to G when you do such movement. The Abmaj7 almost begs for it.
What is the explanation? For example G7 ...
- 105
0
votes
1
answer
354
views
Is this a harmonic riff?
Here's the riff.
For me a harmonic riff sounds harmonic. Without any thinking about the theory I can hear it most of the times. But in this case I'm not sure. Especially G 1 sounds a little bit off.
...
- 103
1
vote
3
answers
2k
views
How to use modes in popular music?
Can a pop song be written using a specific mode for the vocal melody, and another for the chord progression, when both of the modes share the same key signature? (Please note that I am not referring ...
- 115
1
vote
3
answers
680
views
Is it considered borrowing chords when you're using chord notes that are not in the song's parallel key or mode?
Is it not considered "chord borrowing" in the sense that you're not using notes in your chord that derive strictly from the parallel key/mode of the song and you are simply changing the key of the ...
- 201
1
vote
2
answers
1k
views
Key of a Song in Modes
If I'm playing a song in Dorian D would I say that the song is in the key of C?
Or is the song in the key of D, cause that my true tonic?
I guess the question can be boiled down to, is the tonic the ...
- 361
0
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Key/Chord recognition using a computer
I'm a physics student with a great interest in music. I'm researching (as a kind of hobby) in topics which include math applied to music, acoustics, etc. In the last days I've realized that having a ...
- 103
8
votes
7
answers
13k
views
Will a song written in a key only use chords in that key?
When you figure out a key that a song is written in. Will the entire song use the chords in that key? With maybe an accidental?? I've tried several different methods.
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26
votes
8
answers
21k
views
Is F Lydian mode in the "key" of C Major?
In most cases (if not all), a piece of music without sharps or flats in the key signature, would be considered in the key of C major or A minor. This question assumes the context of Western Music ...
- 27.5k
0
votes
1
answer
19k
views
Why do certain keys sound good together? [duplicate]
I am a DJ and the software I dj with just introduced key analyzation (Serato DJ). So now I have the key to every song in my library. Someone invented a way for DJ's to mix music in key without having ...
- 659
7
votes
4
answers
4k
views
What Happens To The Melody When Played In A Different Key
What happens to notation (e.g. a melody line) when a tune is played in a different key than the one it was written in? Do the notes alter in any way or do they always stay the same as originally ...
- 71
5
votes
1
answer
3k
views
How are keys in the circle of fifths related?
I know this seems like a basic question, and in the traditional sense, I actually know how they are related. Though, while reading a book titled 'Harmony for Computer Musicians', I've come across a ...
- 629
17
votes
3
answers
4k
views
Why does the chord progression Dmaj -> Emaj -> Bmaj sound good?
I looked up the chord progressions for all major and minor scale keys, but this combination doesn't match any of them.
Why does it work well?
- 273
14
votes
9
answers
19k
views
Is Emajor the dominant chord in the key of A minor?
I read somewhere that Emajor is the dominant (V) chord in A minor. Is this correct? If so, why is it not Eminor, since the A minor scale has no sharps or flats in it?
- 2,269