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2. Minor keys are often modes of major keys, the most obvious being the 6th mode (Aeolian). "A natural minor" is the 6th mode of C major. Raise the b7 note of the natural minor scale (G, in Am) by a semitone to get the Harmonic minor scale - allows use of E7 rather than E-7 to give you a more definite push back to the Am chord. Raise the 6th of that scale (keeping the maj7) to even out the intervals between the steps (eg F -> F#) and you get the Melodic minor scale. Often songs in the "minor key" will mix the various scales depending on context (IIRC Greensleeves does this?) so you may find F,F#,G and G# being used at various points within the song.
HTH
Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
I guess you could think of the key as a function of arrangement rather than writing - think of a song that’s been heavily covered and how many of those versions are in the original key - and, therefore, something to be thought about after.
Soprano: Middle C - 2 Es above middle C
Alto: The A below middle c - the C above middle C
Tenor: The C below middle C - the E above middle C
Bass: 2 As below middle C - middle C
Training may extend these ranges, but if you want ordinary people to sing a tune you have to set it in a range that is accessible to the untrained voice.
Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
I'd recommend the book Harmony and Theory by Keith Wyatt, it goes through all of this in a practical way.
My website: Guitar Practice Zone
And Django Reinhardt style band
Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
the style of music makes a difference for me too
1 - the melody: I may write a piece and then may find that I need to change the key later to ensure that it sits within the sweet spot of the singer's voice, especially if it's written for someone else to sing.
This is also true for orchestral composition. The parts must fit within the range of the instruments being used.
2 - playability: some parts [guitar and bass specifically] may depend on using open strings. Or some instruments prefer certain keys [tenor sax, flute, violin for example]
3 - power: especially with my orchestral, movie soundtrack / trailer pieces, I may compose a piece and then later change the key so that the lowest note in a bass line is a C [cos the lowest note on the double bass]. The idea is to get the piece as low as it can be to make it sound as powerful as possible whilst ensuring that it can still function given the ranges of the other instruments in the orchestra. This can be a bit of a puzzle to solve but is always worth the effort.
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
However, I think within the rock/pop genre, playability, is probably the main factor. It's a criticism often levelled at guitarists who like to play in A E and D but I remember a story, I'm not 100% certain but I think it was Lionel Ritchie, someone asked him why all his songs were the same tempo and usually in Ab or Bb he said because he wasn't a very good piano player and the black keys were easier to hit.
the song has a difficult riff in it that's in Dm [cos I tune D-standard]..
the riff needs to be in Dm not only because I need the open D on the 6th string but also because it's where it sounds most powerful..
I sang the guide vocal track which was fine..
the singer really struggled with it because it was a bit on the low side for him and so he couldn't get the best out of his voice down there..
the options I had were..
change the key of the song - the riff became extremely difficult to play and lost its power
change the melody - which didn't work because it began to sound more like a harmony part rather than a principle melody..
the solution - change the key of the verses and chorus's only to Gm, and then write small phrases at the end of the riff in Dm and the end of the chorus in Gm to facilitate the key changes
the outcome - purely by chance, the song actually sounds better than the original that was in Dm throughout..
the key changes provide a lift into the verse from the riff and a decent into something darker and more powerful from the chorus dropping down to the riff.. so there's an added dynamic / dramatic effect that's been introduced by the change
it's interesting that I had a problem to solve, thought it worth trying to compose my way out of trouble, and stumbled upon a better result that never occurred to me when I wrote it first time around
Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
I guess the main point I'm trying to get across is that when I choose a key for a piece or a specific section of a piece..
there is generally a specific reason for it