JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Songwriter Message Forum What keys do you prefer to write in?

There is something about G minor/B flat Major that I love. I don't know what it is. Some people will tell you that it doesn't matter which key you compose in because they can be transcribed/modulated to other keys to fit the vocalist's range. As a composer, however, I have to disagree. Each key has its own mood. D Major has a happier sound than other major keys; G minor is more pensive than other minor keys. I don't know how to explain it otherwise, but when I sit down to compose, I pick the key that best fits the feeling I want to communicate.

Of course, when I finished writing, I often transpose the music up or down to make it easier to read. I try not to have more then two ledger lines between the staffs. Any more than that and a pianist spends more time counting half steps than playing them.

I use Finale Printmusic 2006 for all of my composing and there are some keys I would love to try, but the software won't support (G Sharp Major and F flat Major/minor, for example). Then again, keys like F Flat, C Flat, E Sharp and B Sharp really don't make a lot of sense to me anyway. I understand them from a theoretical standpoint, but from a technique standpoint, they are totally superfluous.

I feel the same way about double sharps and double flats, but that's probably outside the scope of this thread.

Am I curious, however, whether any of you have composed in other modes besides Ionian (major keys) and Aeolian (relative minor keys). The Dorian mode is used often in Celtic/Irish music and there have been a few examples here. I dunno... Are any of you interested in theory enough to care about stuff like that?