# Favourite Key



## Bellerophon (May 15, 2020)

The stats section of the Most highly recommend list indicates that D minor is the most common key signature in the list. Does anyone have any suggestions as to why that might be?


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## GucciManeIsTheNewWebern (Jul 29, 2020)

Since I don't have perfect pitch, it's more or less the same to me. Certain keys have certain connotations surrounding them (i.e "the dark brooding key of C minor" or "the sunny exuberance of D Major") and composers obviously pick keys for a reason with these feelings in mind they want to convey (ignoring practical considerations as well). To me though, those brooding and happy pieces could be written in Bminor and Ebmajor, respectively, and would most likely sound the same to me. It's the content of the music that gives me the feeling more than the key itself. I'm not so sure I could pick up on that half step difference unless the whole piece was literally transposed that way.


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## Aurelian (Sep 9, 2011)

C# Major rules! :lol:

Seriously, I like A Major. Mozart used this key well. 

Among minor keys, G Minor is powerful.

But, I can't answer the original question.


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## premont (May 7, 2015)

Composers choices of keys for instrumental music are somewhat dependent upon the instruments they want to write for. Eg D-major for traverse flute and E-flat major for French horn and B-flat major for clarinet. 

Generally d-minor is well suited for keyboard instruments.


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## GucciManeIsTheNewWebern (Jul 29, 2020)

premont said:


> Composers choices of keys for instrumental music are somewhat dependent upon the instruments they want to write for. Eg D-major for traverse flute and E-flat major for French horn and B-flat major for clarinet.
> 
> Generally d-minor is well suited for keyboard instruments.


Haha I was actually talking about this with a friend of mine and was trying to find a violin concerto in Abmaj or Dbmaj. Needless to say, I didn't find one :lol:


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## consuono (Mar 27, 2020)

C major. Clean and pure.


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## Fabulin (Jun 10, 2019)

C minor for me. Ludwig knew the good stuff :angel:


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## consuono (Mar 27, 2020)

GucciManeIsTheNewWebern said:


> Since I don't have perfect pitch...


I don't either (at least I don't think so) and I wonder how many who say they do actually do have it. I thought it was supposed to be kind of rare, but in instrumental discussion groups I've seen it seems every other person is going on about their perfect pitch.


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

According to Nigel Tufnel in Spinal Tap, d-minor is the saddest key, it makes people weep instantly (just for fun) :devil:


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

I think the perfect pitch is a relative kind of thing. Since I've played guitar for 40 years, I know how different keys/chords sound and can from there find out (maybe) whatever key it is. I have a harder time with other instruments.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Key does matter a lot in orchestral sound. It has to do with the resonance of the open, unused strings, the overtones in the winds etc. Some people are just more receptive to different keys than others. I orchestrated a march a few years ago. The original, for wind band, was in E-flat. And I left it there. It sounded ok, but there was a problem: the double bass doesn't go that low. So presto chango in Finale and it was fin E and what a difference! So much brighter. The trade-off of course was in the horns. In the original key they only had 2 flats, but by that simple half step change, now they have five sharps. But it was worth it.

As a player, I couldn't care less what key something is in. As a listener it really doesn't make a difference either. When playing piano though, it sounds ridiculous, but some of the more "difficult" keys just fit the hands better. So B, C sharp, F sharp really are easier than simpler keys.


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## Olias (Nov 18, 2010)

G Major - It's just so HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY!!!!!


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

GucciManeIsTheNewWebern said:


> Since I don't have perfect pitch, it's more or less the same to me. Certain keys have certain connotations surrounding them (i.e "the dark brooding key of C minor" or "the sunny exuberance of D Major") and composers obviously pick keys for a reason with these feelings in mind they want to convey (ignoring practical considerations as well). To me though, those brooding and happy pieces could be written in Bminor and Ebmajor, respectively, and would most likely sound the same to me. It's the content of the music that gives me the feeling more than the key itself. I'm not so sure I could pick up on that half step difference unless the whole piece was literally transposed that way.


They sound pretty much the same in equal temperament.


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## Bruckner Anton (Mar 10, 2016)

For me, no preference for keys, only for works.


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## consuono (Mar 27, 2020)

hammeredklavier said:


> They sound pretty much the same in equal temperament.


Yeah, I think that's true. That's one of the advantages of a decent digital piano, especially in conjunction with synthesizer software: you can play around with various tuning systems with the push of a button. There is a difference when you use a well temperament setup, maybe along with setting it at a=430 for example. That's not very easy to do with a real keyboard, obviously.


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## progmatist (Apr 3, 2021)

I find myself listening to more and more atonal music. The whole idea of being constrained by keys files out the window.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Ah, D minor (aka the 'sad' chord as I tell the kids at school when I play it on the guitar). Interesting that it's so popular in classical music. It's not anywhere near as popular in pop songs but is used more widely in rock (Floyd, Maiden, Dire Straits, lots of Tool songs, etc) .


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## Portamento (Dec 8, 2016)

progmatist said:


> I find myself listening to more and more atonal music. The whole idea of being constrained by keys files out the window.


Yeah, my favorite key is probably "no key" as well.


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## Pat Fairlea (Dec 9, 2015)

mbhaub said:


> Key does matter a lot in orchestral sound. It has to do with the resonance of the open, unused strings, the overtones in the winds etc. Some people are just more receptive to different keys than others. I orchestrated a march a few years ago. The original, for wind band, was in E-flat. And I left it there. It sounded ok, but there was a problem: the double bass doesn't go that low. So presto chango in Finale and it was fin E and what a difference! So much brighter. The trade-off of course was in the horns. In the original key they only had 2 flats, but by that simple half step change, now they have five sharps. But it was worth it.
> 
> As a player, I couldn't care less what key something is in. As a listener it really doesn't make a difference either. When playing piano though, it sounds ridiculous, but some of the more "difficult" keys just fit the hands better. So B, C sharp, F sharp really are easier than simpler keys.


Yes! Came on here to promote F#, B and C#. Anatomically rational, even if the key sigs are a handful of accidentals


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## Clinicalyabrasiv (Apr 21, 2021)

B-Flat Major; it's such a hauntingly beautiful chord


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