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Topic ClosedMusic theory Nerds! What is the best musical key?

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himtroy View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 31 2009 at 14:08
Originally posted by Negoba Negoba wrote:

Well you said music theory nerds so here I go.
 
I like to play out of the phrygian mode of the harmonic minor scale in E, whatever that's called. It allows Am, Dm, E, F all to be legal chords. So it's really A harmonic minor I guess. I really like having that dominant 7 V chord available in minor.
 
Actually a pretty boring choice, but I like it.

Not a boring choice at all I think.  The interesting chord progressions underneath make you capable of taking the lead to places you never could've before.  Soloing sounds so much more effective in that manner than it does vamping over the one endlessly. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 04 2010 at 12:27
I have always enjoyed the key of E minor. When playing all of Andrea Segovia's scales from his book of scales, E minor was the most enjoyable regarding jumping positions. It was easier to develop a clean alternate picking style when using Segovia's E minor scale. I used to play drums when I was a toddler. Ho Ho! The technique I used with the drum stick in my right hand was later applied in a percussive manner with my right handed alternate picking technique on the guitar. Especially using the E minor scale and lifting my right hand completely from the strings however without using the forearm. I developed this way of playing and it proved to be successfully powerful whenever I performed fusion pieces. A strange psychological method to use when you are about to take on a fusion solo, is to imagine you are in a straight jacket. When the time arrives for your improv, you release yourself from the straight jacket and your hands are free with endless possibilities. It was a helpful tip for me when I mastered John McLaughlin solos.   
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 05 2010 at 16:45
I've grown quite fond of both F sharp minor (Gabriel Faure's Pavane is a wonderful example) and F minor over the years. I also tend to shift between C minor and F minor a lot  in my own compositions as F minor is the best key for employing dramatic effect IMO. But anything's good as long as it's minor key Tongue


Edited by Zebedee - January 05 2010 at 17:10

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Bonnek View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 07 2010 at 20:42
The volume key on my laptop.

Eh that was a poor one.
Anyway, never got around memorizing anything about keys, but my preference goes to Arabian scales. Don't know how they correspond to Western keys though.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 08 2010 at 01:10
^Most of those scales you are talking about are phrygian dominant or harmonic minor scales. They're sort of like minor scales, though one note is tweaked so there's a minor third involved instead of a major second where it should be.
 
Translation: It's unexpected and uses a dark sounding couple of notes, and therefore sounds freaking evil!

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 08 2010 at 01:55
Originally posted by darkshade darkshade wrote:

Originally posted by mrcozdude mrcozdude wrote:

I need to play in more flat keys.



E is just Fb

B is just Cb

now playing in more bb or -x- keys more be better! (double flat and double sharp for those who dont know...)


I'm doing a music degree LOL
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keiser willhelm View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 08 2010 at 02:38
Eb Minor, D minor. im a sucker for chopin and his best songs are in E minor  or Eb Minor
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keiser willhelm View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 08 2010 at 02:42
but my mind does a flip flop from piano which ive played since i was 6 and guitar. i think diferent keys sound better on different instruments and are definitely used more/less based on what instrument the piece is written for. 
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mono View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 08 2010 at 02:54
C, G, F and D minor (last one mostly because I play a lot with guitars and bass...)
A, Ab and Eb major.
I don't care too much for scales because scales are already written...
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