How do you take your key?

[dparrott]

I was thinking how so many songs I like are in the key of E Major or have E as a fundamental note.  It just feels like a upbeat happy key to me.  What about you all?  What keys are your favorite songs in, or what keys or notes do you most respond to?

[JayOctavarium]

on a ring

[Zyzzyva17]

Favorite major keys: Ab, C

Favorite minor keys: C#, D

My favorite note across all octaves is D2 (aka the lowest note on a D-tuned guitar).

[Kotowboy]

Funny Music Theory answer :

Favourite Major Keys : E.  D.

Favourite minor keys : C#. B.




Proper answer :

Major : I think it's probably easiest to write songs on an acoustic in the key of G or D.

Minor : Probably Eminor or Aminor.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

I honestly have no fucking clue what key any song is in.

[Kotowboy]

I honestly have no fucking clue what key any song is in.

I'm sorry that's not the right answer ! But thanks for playing , Johnny !

[Orbert]

Songs in sharp keys (that is, keys with sharps, such as A or D) tend to sound brighter and happier.  There's something about an F# that just rings.  And it's not just me.  The default ringtone on our home phone is in the key of F# minor, and the F# gets your attention.  If I open my car door before I pull the keys out of the ignition, there's a beep, and it's an F# because that note will cut through and be heard.  The beep on our microwave is an F# for the same reason.  And of course there's the famous F# sung by our beloved James Labrie.  It's not just that it's a high note, it's not just that he nails it.  Part of it is the note itself.  Something about a high F# just kicks your ass.  A G# has similar properties, just not as pronounced.  A lot of popular songs are in E, however, not just because of the G#, but because it's the key most guitarists start in.  But historically, I'm sure there's a reason why guitars are tuned to E.  It's a good key for a lot of songs, and Em is great for going the other way.  Dropping that G# to a G really changes the tone of everything.

I recently played "Turn, Turn, Turn" by The Byrds, except they wanted to do it in C because the original key of D was too high for the singer.  So that incredible, ringing F# on top was lost.  C major is the first key anyone plays in when they take piano lessons because it's the easiest, but it's also the most boring.  It has no personality.  The song sounded flat -- not out of tune, just boring and lifeless -- in C.

Songs in flat keys (F, Bb, Ab) are mellow, and the more flats, the mellower.  "Claire de Lune" by Debussey is in Db, and is super chill, yet rich and warm sounding.  "La Pathetique" by Beethoven (actually Piano Sonata No. 8, second movement) is in Eb, but by voicing the chords open, it seems to broaden the sound, making it richer.

The wacky thing is that as you travel around the circle of fifths in either direction, the keys eventually meet and cross paths.  "Fantasie-Impromptu" by Chopin is in C# minor and sounds like pure agitation and hyperactivity set to music.  The middle section is in Db major and is the complete opposite, rich and mellow.  But it's the same key.  C# and Db.  And the way he switches from minor to major and back again is brilliant.  Chopin was a genius that way.

Anyway, my favorite key?  It completely depends on the song and what you're trying to say.  Some people say it doesn't matter.  These people are not musicians, and I don't care if they play the guitar or the piano or the tuba.  There's still a difference between a musician and someone who can play an instrument, and if you can't hear the difference between keys and what it does to the temperence of a song, you're missing something.

[PixelDream]

Songs in sharp keys (that is, keys with sharps, such as A or D) tend to sound brighter and happier.  There's something about an F# that just rings.  And it's not just me.  The default ringtone on our home phone is in the key of F# minor, and the F# gets your attention.  If I open my car door before I pull the keys out of the ignition, there's a beep, and it's an F# because that note will cut through and be heard.  The beep on our microwave is an F# for the same reason.  And of course there's the famous F# sung by our beloved James Labrie.  It's not just that it's a high note, it's not just that he nails it.  Part of it is the note itself.  Something about a high F# just kicks your ass.  A G# has similar properties, just not as pronounced.  A lot of popular songs are in E, however, not just because of the G#, but because it's the key most guitarists start in.  But historically, I'm sure there's a reason why guitars are tuned to E.  It's a good key for a lot of songs, and Em is great for going the other way.  Dropping that G# to a G really changes the tone of everything.

I recently played "Turn, Turn, Turn" by The Byrds, except they wanted to do it in C because the original key of D was too high for the singer.  So that incredible, ringing F# on top was lost.  C major is the first key anyone plays in when they take piano lessons because it's the easiest, but it's also the most boring.  It has no personality.  The song sounded flat -- not out of tune, just boring and lifeless -- in C.

Songs in flat keys (F, Bb, Ab) are mellow, and the more flats, the mellower.  "Claire de Lune" by Debussey is in Db, and is super chill, yet rich and warm sounding.  "La Pathetique" by Beethoven (actually Piano Sonata No. 8, second movement) is in Eb, but by voicing the chords open, it seems to broaden the sound, making it richer.

The wacky thing is that as you travel around the circle of fifths in either direction, the keys eventually meet and cross paths.  "Fantasie-Impromptu" by Chopin is in C# minor and sounds like pure agitation and hyperactivity set to music.  The middle section is in Db major and is the complete opposite, rich and mellow.  But it's the same key.  C# and Db.  And the way he switches from minor to major and back again is brilliant.  Chopin was a genius that way.

Anyway, my favorite key?  It completely depends on the song and what you're trying to say.  Some people say it doesn't matter.  These people are not musicians, and I don't care if they play the guitar or the piano or the tuba.  There's still a difference between a musician and someone who can play an instrument, and if you can't hear the difference between keys and what it does to the temperence of a song, you're missing something.

That was an excellent read, thanks! Do you have absolute pitch?

I don't necessarily, but because of plating guitar all these years I can more or less sing the note I want on command.

[Zyzzyva17]

While I have you music theory people here, a question about modulations in pop music:

Do you prefer half-step modulations (like G to Ab) or whole step modulations (like G to A)?

[Orbert]

Again, it depends on what you're trying to do.  In pop music, a whole step modulation always sounds to me like a "Barry Manilow" key change.  Barry was notorious for gratuitously going up a whole step towards the end of the song, usually while repeating the chorus.  Bumping it up a step is a sure-fire way to increase tension, but man, he overdid it.

I sing in the church choir, and we're working on a piece which steps up, and I was surprised that it was just a half-step because it "felt" like a whole step, the way he did it.

I prefer actual modulation, where you're in one key, then a chord change or two leads you into the new key.  To me, suddenly just going up a step (or a half step) isn't modulation; it's more like shifting gears without a clutch.  It's jarring, but usually it's meant to be, since it's obviously being done for effect.  Well, effect has been achieved.  To me, the best key changes are true modulations where there's a transition, but that usually takes actual writing talent and musical knowledge, something today's pop writers don't necessarily have.

Do you have absolute pitch?

I have what I call "pretty good pitch".  A lot of times, I can hear a song and pretty much tell what key it's in by the sound.  If I'm at a piano or holding a flute or a saxophone, give me a few bars and I can play along.  But I'm not zeroing in on the key itself or any specific notes, it really is the overall sound and feel of the tune.  I've got a few months of piano lessons and one term of music theory in college, but otherwise am entirely self-taught, so what I've got isn't very disciplined and comes more from feel than from knowledge.  My ears and fingers know what's going on, usually before my brain does and usually better.

[Kotowboy]

While I have you music theory people here, a question about modulations in pop music:

Do you prefer half-step modulations (like G to Ab) or whole step modulations (like G to A)?

I don't like key changes in pop music at all.


However - one I *DO* like is the song "C'mon C'mon C'mon " by Bryan Adams where the final chorus changes pitch by a semitone and it works really well.

[RoeDent]

My favourite key is B minor. The key of Tchaikovsky's epic Manfred Symphony, and from the rock world, Comfortably Numb (chorus is in the relative major, D).

As for key changes, my favourite is Anna Lee. When you think about it, it's a remarkable chord progression. It's not clearly in one key, and it exhibits progressive tonality, in that it starts in C# minor, doesn't touch that again, and ends in G major. The key change takes everything up a minor third (first chord E minor, last B flat major, thus ending a semitone higher than the A major that started the song some 6 minutes previously.)

[Sacul]

I honestly have no fucking clue what key any song is in.

Yeah, the same - I think that, in the end, it doesn't even matter.

[Jaq]

I honestly have no fucking clue what key any song is in.

Yeah, the same - I think that, in the end, it doesn't even matter.

While it matters to musicians, I don't think my enjoyment of music isn't lessened in the least by not knowing what key a song is in.

[Kotowboy]

Same. I did a music degree and I still don't give a crap

[sneakyblueberry]

Everyone knows D Minor is the saddest of all keys

[Orbert]

I honestly have no fucking clue what key any song is in.

Yeah, the same - I think that, in the end, it doesn't even matter.

While it matters to musicians, I don't think my enjoyment of music isn't lessened in the least by not knowing what key a song is in.

But that's not the same thing.  If someone's enjoyment of the music isn't affected by knowing what key it's in, that makes perfect sense.  Most people aren't aware and thus don't care.  That isn't the same as saying that the key doesn't matter.  The key affects how the song sounds, whether you're aware of it or not, thus it matters.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Yeah, I think Sacul was saying that knowing doesn't matter. Which I agree with, as far as me personally.

Though I definitely understand how a musician could really enjoying seeing how a song is put together and all that kind of stuff, it just isn't something I ever even think about.

[King Postwhore]

I think Sacul is wrong in that,  it depends on my mood.  You gravitate to the songs that the mood you are in and the keys have a lot to do with that.

[BlobVanDam]

I honestly have no fucking clue what key any song is in.

Yeah, the same - I think that, in the end, it doesn't even matter.

While it matters to musicians, I don't think my enjoyment of music isn't lessened in the least by not knowing what key a song is in.

But that's not the same thing.  If someone's enjoyment of the music isn't affected by knowing what key it's in, that makes perfect sense.  Most people aren't aware and thus don't care.  That isn't the same as saying that the key doesn't matter.  The key affects how the song sounds, whether you're aware of it or not, thus it matters.

I don't think Jaq is saying the key doesn't matter, only that it doesn't matter for the listener to know what key it's in. You don't enjoy the song any more or less by knowing what key it's in, but it can help with understanding the "why".

I really like songs in F/F# on guitar (F# in standard, F in half step), because I just like the style of riffing it lends itself to, with that minor 7 on the open E. Tasty.

D often sounds really flat and uninteresting to me, other times it works and sounds nice and heavy. One of my least liked keys for rock/metal subgenres overall though. Eb also often bugs me, because my ear wants to hear it natural, and it can sound a little lacking in energy. I don't know if it's because of the slightly looser strings, or the tone of it, or whether I'm just weird. Maybe all of the above.

And I find D minor is the saddest key.

[Kotowboy]

I'm not sure why the first half of Green Day's American Idiot album is either in F minor or G# Major.

( American idiot, Jesus of Suburbia, Holiday, Boulevard of Broken Dreams )

It's a really guitar unfriendly key. I realise they're mostly playing powerchords but I wonder why they chose to write in that key...

[Jaq]

Blob hit the nail right on the head for what I was trying to say. Saying "the key matters to musicians" also included composers. Of course it matters in composition and performance. It just doesn't matter to me personally to know what the key of the song is to enjoy it.

[?]

Favorite minor keys: D, D#

Favorite major keys: E, B

[Zyzzyva17]

Favorite minor keys: D, D#

I prefer Eb minor.

 

[Kotowboy]

Favorite minor keys: D, D#

I prefer Eb minor.

 

Haha. That's a whole 'nother discussion ! My tutor and I went back and forth on this so much

[Metro]

I've always been fond of Bb/A# Minor, C Minor, and the almighty E Minor

[Sycsa]

Songs in sharp keys (that is, keys with sharps, such as A or D) tend to sound brighter and happier.  There's something about an F# that just rings.  And it's not just me.  The default ringtone on our home phone is in the key of F# minor, and the F# gets your attention.  If I open my car door before I pull the keys out of the ignition, there's a beep, and it's an F# because that note will cut through and be heard.  The beep on our microwave is an F# for the same reason.  And of course there's the famous F# sung by our beloved James Labrie.  It's not just that it's a high note, it's not just that he nails it.  Part of it is the note itself.  Something about a high F# just kicks your ass.  A G# has similar properties, just not as pronounced.  A lot of popular songs are in E, however, not just because of the G#, but because it's the key most guitarists start in.  But historically, I'm sure there's a reason why guitars are tuned to E.  It's a good key for a lot of songs, and Em is great for going the other way.  Dropping that G# to a G really changes the tone of everything.

I recently played "Turn, Turn, Turn" by The Byrds, except they wanted to do it in C because the original key of D was too high for the singer.  So that incredible, ringing F# on top was lost.  C major is the first key anyone plays in when they take piano lessons because it's the easiest, but it's also the most boring.  It has no personality.  The song sounded flat -- not out of tune, just boring and lifeless -- in C.

Songs in flat keys (F, Bb, Ab) are mellow, and the more flats, the mellower.  "Claire de Lune" by Debussey is in Db, and is super chill, yet rich and warm sounding.  "La Pathetique" by Beethoven (actually Piano Sonata No. 8, second movement) is in Eb, but by voicing the chords open, it seems to broaden the sound, making it richer.

The wacky thing is that as you travel around the circle of fifths in either direction, the keys eventually meet and cross paths.  "Fantasie-Impromptu" by Chopin is in C# minor and sounds like pure agitation and hyperactivity set to music.  The middle section is in Db major and is the complete opposite, rich and mellow.  But it's the same key.  C# and Db.  And the way he switches from minor to major and back again is brilliant.  Chopin was a genius that way.

Anyway, my favorite key?  It completely depends on the song and what you're trying to say.  Some people say it doesn't matter.  These people are not musicians, and I don't care if they play the guitar or the piano or the tuba.  There's still a difference between a musician and someone who can play an instrument, and if you can't hear the difference between keys and what it does to the temperence of a song, you're missing something.

OMFG!

[Orbert]

[RoeDent]

I honestly have no fucking clue what key any song is in.

Yeah, the same - I think that, in the end, it doesn't even matter.

It matters immensely! A song's mood can completely change depending on what key it's played in. Even if it's transposed (like what Neal Morse tends to do in live concerts, something I find utterly annoying). Each key has its own personality.

[Kotowboy]

A song like Mama Said by Metallica -which is in D minor - very rare for them - would not have the same character if it was in Bog Standard Eminor.

[Zyzzyva17]

I'm also a big fan of transposing Stairway to Heaven into different keys and noticing how the mood changes.

[hefdaddy42]

If I'm just listening to a song, I don't care what key it's in.

If I'm performing a song, on drums, I don't care what key it's in.

If I'm performing a song, on guitar or bass, I prefer things like G, D, A, or C, and I don't like performing in flat keys.