What key do you make your songs in?

jsenkbeil · Post by **jsenkbeil** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 4:13 pm

I finally have some time to sit down and really work on Live this weekend, and I would like to try and make a song, or at least get started. I mainly listen to electronic music, so I will probably make something with a house beat. I am wondering what key would be good to make house music in. I think I read somewhere that a majority of house music is created in minor keys. But how do you know what key to start a song in? Does anyone have any helpful tips for a beginner making his first song?

Thanks

Angstrom · Post by **Angstrom** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 4:53 pm

my advice is to make a song which you can imagine in your head rather than start from a pre-ordained key, with no idea.

Just imagine a tune, then try and recreate it in the software. Most people don't set out saying "I am so going to write something in Cmin7 today! " Much better to take an idea on a tune/melody and start plinky plonking it into the machine until it sounds similar to the thing they were thinking of. That's certainly how I do it anyway.

you may end up with something wildly different that what you first thought of - but if it sounds OK, keep it.

It's a hell of a lot easier to work on a tune in your mind - swapping instruments is easy and getting the riff edited right is pretty quick too.

Meef Chaloin · Post by **Meef Chaloin** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 5:13 pm

Cmaj always an easy one

CatfishRivers · Post by **CatfishRivers** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 5:20 pm

In the key of D. Snider of course!

maomao · Post by **maomao** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 4:30 pm

Here's an excellent summary of how to write a song:

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=MYfBTXiurDs

abletonian · Post by **abletonian** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 7:47 pm

M of course!

DarkMatter · Post by **DarkMatter** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 8:33 pm

To think of it in a different way that is kind of like asking a painter what color he paints in. There is really no answer for that question. Different keys will convey different things. Just play what sounds right for you and run with it.

4.33 · Post by **4.33** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 9:15 pm

maomao wrote:Here's an excellent summary of how to write a song:

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=MYfBTXiurDs

BUGAGAGA

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 9:50 pm

4.33 wrote:
maomao wrote:Here's an excellent summary of how to write a song:

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=MYfBTXiurDs

BUGAGAGA

at 1:09 does that "number 9" sound familiar to anyone else? Revolution #9 by the Beatles??

anyway, best TV show into EVER.

corygilbert · Post by **corygilbert** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 6:42 am

try searching this forum for the poster EvilEvil
he's the best to ask about questions of this type of complexity.

Jaberwookie · Post by **Jaberwookie** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 3:14 pm

I often choose which key to write in based where I want my bass frequencies - ie my kick and bass sounds. Different bass patches and kicks sound good at different frequencies (ie. in different keys). For example I have one favourite bass sound that sounds wicked on notes D1-A1, but rubbish everywhere else. I tune my kicks very carefully to match my basslines (so they share the same fundamental frequency).

So a lot of the time, the key is determined by where the bass feels/sounds right.

But then I don´t make house music.