JPF Home Page Forums Musician Gear and Techniques Music Theory and Education Key Bias?

Hey Mike, coming over from the shout box. Thanks for asking my thoughts on this. Since I replied on page one back in Feb, I'll copy and paste that, then add anything I can think of now!:

From my reply:
Could be comfort zone syndrome. (covers being in certain keys, or just liking certain songs and those keys,,,,or for not learning all the a to z's of scales and chords)

Could be tone color addiction. (As to your current asking of my thoughts: Each note and of course chord has their own tone color. So Jim's ear is right. Although he'll play a C, if the keyboard is pitched up or dowm, the tone colar of the chord will be that of the actual chord, not the position of playing a C.

F# for example, is a bright, or eveb harsh note. Used for dramatic effects when I scored a Russian style film. I went form a F# to a C chord, to first knock you over the head, to a thoughtful sounding chord in the C chord. "Lennon;s Imagine in C is the perfect chord for that song, (and probably either easy to play for Lennon, or he instinctively knew that was the chord to start such a song on, and hammer it home all the way. (The reason his subconscious music mind would rock back and forth to the F, another pleasant sounding chord, and returning to the C. That song in another key would get the point across, but not the human conditioning of how sound waves affects our brains.

OK, back to the copied reply:

Could be Vocal reasons, and the habit of starting off in certain keys to which to find a melody, or once having a melody, to go to chords of usual and make it fit,,,,or even change the melody, (which might be a mistake if not as good as the one there, just because of not being able to hit the previous high note, and not wanting to move the key down).

Sometimes, blues riffs, (for piano, as I know better about them), can be honed over the years by staying in one key, as it then becomes so natural to play whatever the heart desires. I started to play Jazz and blues riffs in C, and since can play them in my sleep. If on keys, and the song calls for some heavy duty riffs, I'll pitch the key to have it be as if it's in C. (is that wrong?) (Added words from Mike's asking about pitch: This is one reason my blues doesn't sound like a suffering blues. When I was asked to play some blues parts for a recording by a friend of mine nearby, he said I was paying too cheery for the song. I tried to feel depressed, then play. Didn't matter. So, knowing the real reason, I said if you get another singer to sing it in Eb, I can sound more lke the song's meaning, with then having tones of Gm in there. Gm is a down, moody tone colar chord. (Used in the film I mentioned above in spots Buddy and I needed to be drony sounding. Dm, on the other hand, is a bright minor chord. Good for an honest, positive sound, although a minor, (the Dm).

OK, again, back to the copied reply:
I can adapt for other keys, of course like G, for that kind of playing, but it's not as natural. I'd rather not think when expressing a feeling or mood. (Added: I found out as above that my blues playing won't be real blues if not pitched away from the C). Even going to B or Bb would be a better sounding blues key.

Back to the copied reply:
I have songs of various genres in all keys. It's the tone color that attracts me most for the mood of the song that either comes to me, or I somehow choose to compose. (maybe it's the same thing). But I noticed on the two films scored, I just found a note or chord that seemed to fit the scene's mood,,,or sometimes. even the opposite of the obvious mood. (Contrasts work too, and finding the key for them is,,,,dare I say, key>,, oh man.

Added words from Mike's request: Thanks Mike!
John