What is your favorite key to write in?

Discuss music production with Ableton Live.
Forge.
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Re: What is your favorite key to write in?

Post by Forge. » Thu May 10, 2012 8:15 am

crumhorn wrote:
Forge. wrote:
evilevilerevilest wrote:I love the most to write in the white keys the most. They are perfect for fast music productions, and you don't hit the wrong (black) keys by accidentally. Either way you win with the whtei keys!
evil! welcome back!

my comedy answer is: Key west.
Key Largo is more musical.
oh sorry, I thought "write" as in Hemingway. He lived in Key west.

crumhorn
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Re: What is your favorite key to write in?

Post by crumhorn » Thu May 10, 2012 9:08 am

Forge. wrote:
oh sorry, I thought "write" as in Hemingway. He lived in Key west.
Thanks for that, I'll add it to my mine of useless information :)
"The banjo is the perfect instrument for the antisocial."

(Allow me to plug my guitar scale visualiser thingy - www.fretlearner.com)

Khazul
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Re: What is your favorite key to write in?

Post by Khazul » Thu May 10, 2012 1:54 pm

I sometimes transpose the most important parts until they sound best with the sounds used.
There is no generally good key - there might be a key that is best for the important elements of a track and the sounds used, o works best for a vocalist' range etc.
Nothing to see here - move along!

kitekrazy
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Re: What is your favorite key to write in?

Post by kitekrazy » Fri May 11, 2012 4:53 am

Eb Major - because no one else picked it.

JAMM
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Re: What is your favorite key to write in?

Post by JAMM » Fri May 11, 2012 5:46 pm

don,t know which key i.m writing...also don,t think it,s important.
i compose, write or program whats sounds okay.

simmerdown
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Re: What is your favorite key to write in?

Post by simmerdown » Fri May 11, 2012 6:50 pm

...like asking "What color do you like to Paint with?'.....meh, what day is it

now, modes, thats a whole nother Q

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Re: What is your favorite key to write in?

Post by synnack » Sat May 12, 2012 4:59 pm

No doubt when I saw the subject line i knew there would be tons of haters.

I tend to write in C Minor a lot. It's mostly white keys with only a few black. Easy to play in and sounds great.

This is because i don't do vocals much anymore. To others people's point if there are vocals the key should be more about what the singers range is.
Last edited by synnack on Sat May 12, 2012 11:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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simmerdown
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Re: What is your favorite key to write in?

Post by simmerdown » Sat May 12, 2012 6:01 pm

yeh hate, if hate = why would you limit yourself in such a way?

fear of black keys?..is...worthy of hatred

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Re: What is your favorite key to write in?

Post by synnack » Sat May 12, 2012 6:05 pm

The OP didn't ask what is the best key (limiting), it was what is your favorite.
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luddy
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Re: What is your favorite key to write in?

Post by luddy » Sat May 12, 2012 6:09 pm

I like darker keys: G#m, C#m, for major keys, B. But I usually have to transpose what I write for a singer anyhow, so it ends up not really having any meaning...

-Luddy

Piplodocus
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Re: What is your favorite key to write in?

Post by Piplodocus » Sat May 12, 2012 9:51 pm

Bebopbob wrote:Well the reason I ask is I'm making this big mashup and I'm transposing every clip to a particular key. So then I can just mash away and not have to worry about making clips match.

I was thinking either C, D, or G
I'd work out what most are already in, and then which will involve the least transposing/pitch shifting.

simmerdown
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Re: What is your favorite key to write in?

Post by simmerdown » Sat May 12, 2012 10:53 pm

does a whole set have to be in the same root note, or just in the same key? all in the same note sounds yawnsville, same key should be pretty easy....

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Re: What is your favorite key to write in?

Post by synnack » Sat May 12, 2012 11:35 pm

simmerdown wrote:does a whole set have to be in the same root note, or just in the same key? all in the same note sounds yawnsville, same key should be pretty easy....
Agreed. Same with tempo though. How many people do you think write at 120bpm because that's the default in their software? heh.

As far as "fear of the black keys" goes. The white ones are just easier to hammer percussive rhythms for me. I don't use arpeggiators, i play them. Sounds like a fun idea though to see how many songs I can write that don't use any white keys. I like those sorts of limitation challenges.

Of course on my ambient modular synth stuff I would have no clue what "key" anything is. It's more about tones than notes.
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bosonHavoc
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Re: What is your favorite key to write in?

Post by bosonHavoc » Sun May 13, 2012 3:21 am

Dm Am are my all around fav
on bass i love to play A double harmonic major
my favorite key to jam on the piano in is Fm
Fm on piano seems intimidating but its super fun and
very ergonomic.
funk guitar i love G

Machinesworking
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Re: What is your favorite key to write in?

Post by Machinesworking » Sun May 13, 2012 4:09 am

kitekrazy wrote:Eb Major - because no one else picked it.
:lol: Actually I gravitate naturally towards D#! a variant though.
have songs in many keys, A, E, C, B, G etc. Scale wise, not always a straight minor or major.

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