Key

andrushkiwt

andrushkiwt

Well-known member
Gave this a thought last night and wondered where everyone/anyone else stands on this.

Do you have a favorite key to write in? Do you find yourself gravitating toward one specific key? Minor or major, and why? I find myself working in Dmaj or minor a lot, mostly with dropped D. I find the chord combinations interesting and desperate sounding when you use the open D in different ways. Example, using open D underneath an F power chord on the 8th fret of A. I like having the option of going down low with the D string for thickness, or being able to play higher up the register but use not only one open string (D) but the combo (open D, A, and middle D). With those open strings on the bottom at your disposal, you can instantly make use of the higher strings for a full, 6-string chord, when you'd like. Power chords become more interesting (to my ears) on open D with some alteration of the higher strings...for example, 7-7-9-9 on D-A-D-G. The power chord of 7-7 becomes "suspended" in some way (probably not correct term) and is altered from what would otherwise be 7-7-7 for a normal, drop D power chord.

Anyways, clearly another slow day at work...what's your method/preference? Do you have a go-to key, or maybe just one you're most comfortable in? Does vocal range play a part in your choice? I typically write the vocal melody in my head long before i sing it aloud (which is usually recording time, to be honest). If i had more time to devote to music, i'd surely write, practice outloud, make changes, maybe transpose a step or two in some direction, and practice again before recording...but for now, it's write, record/practice simultaneously.

what about you?
 
andrushkiwt said:
Gave this a thought last night and wondered where everyone/anyone else stands on this.

Do you have a favorite key to write in? Do you find yourself gravitating toward one specific key? Minor or major, and why? I find myself working in Dmaj or minor a lot, mostly with dropped D. I find the chord combinations interesting and desperate sounding when you use the open D in different ways. Example, using open D underneath an F power chord on the 8th fret of A. I like having the option of going down low with the D string for thickness, or being able to play higher up the register but use not only one open string (D) but the combo (open D, A, and middle D). With those open strings on the bottom at your disposal, you can instantly make use of the higher strings for a full, 6-string chord, when you'd like. Power chords become more interesting (to my ears) on open D with some alteration of the higher strings...for example, 7-7-9-9 on D-A-D-G. The power chord of 7-7 becomes "suspended" in some way (probably not correct term) and is altered from what would otherwise be 7-7-7 for a normal, drop D power chord.

Anyways, clearly another slow day at work...what's your method/preference? Do you have a go-to key, or maybe just one you're most comfortable in? Does vocal range play a part in your choice? I typically write the vocal melody in my head long before i sing it aloud (which is usually recording time, to be honest). If i had more time to devote to music, i'd surely write, practice outloud, make changes, maybe transpose a step or two in some direction, and practice again before recording...but for now, it's write, record/practice simultaneously.

what about you?
Click to expand...

I see you're asking about writing with a guitar. Keep in mind that many of us may use a piano or some other instrument to write with. And to that point.......I think I use different keys when using a guitar to write than when I use a piano or keyboard. That's just me though. For instance........a "cowboy" / "country" song I might sit down and write on an acoustic and might sound best (to me) written in G or D. A bluesy "organ" song I might write in Cm or Fm or the like. And there are other factors as to why I might chose a certain key...........such as.......am I going to be singing this song?? And yes.........I have some favorite chord changes / progressions that I really like so those can determine a song key for me too. Anyway.......just pointing out the obvious I guess. How or why a key is chosen has many variables. As always.....just my 2 cents worth.
 
This wasn't restricted to guitar players. The question was, do you have a favorite/go-to key, and why. I gave the example because that is what i write on. I can't speak for another instrument, but anyone else who does is surely free to do so...

Interesting you use genre as a factor. Are the "favorite chord progressions" favored in a specific key for you? And, of course, i'm aware there are variables... i'm wondering what your variables are. thanks for responding
 
My vocal range being sadly limited, I'm stuck with a handful of keys if I want to have any hope of singing it. Depending on how the melody goes, I use C major, F major, G major, and more rarely D major. For minor keys, A, E and B minor. Once I've got a melody in mind, I'll slide it around a bit until I find a key where the highest notes are at or just above the top of my vocal range. It's easier to reach up for the high note, or cheat a little and use Melodyne to bend a high note up to pitch, than it is to scrape the bottom of my range on the low notes.

Guitar tuning doesn't come into it much. I essentially never play a full 6 string chord on electric guitar (rarely on acoustic either). I don't really play many open chords in the first position as I like my guitars and bass to stay out of each other's way. My current guitar style makes heavy use of partial chords which I can play anywhere I want. I like the color and ambiguity of partial chords, that can imply different harmonies depending on what the bass guitar is doing. For example, say I'm playing in C major and a partial chord of xxx555 on guitar. If the bass guitar is playing a C note, the partial chord sounds like C with a 13th stacked on top. If the bass shifts to an F note, the chord now sounds like Fmaj7. If the bass drops down to an A, then it sounds like A minor--not to mention all the possible inversions.

These days, I'm writing songs on bass guitar as much or more than six string. That has helped me tear away from favorite chord shapes that I would rely too much on, otherwise. Even if I'm writing on guitar, I'll come up with odd progressions using partial chords and then have to pick up a bass to figure out what is really going on. I do have some favorite shapes and parts of the neck that just sound consistently good to my ears, in the context of the gear I use and the kind of music I tend to write. I like to slide around barred partial chords in the middle part of the next.

For example, starting with that partial chord I mentioned and adding a couple of fingers, x87555 sounds great as Fmaj7 on a clean guitar. Leaving the index finger barred on the fifth fret, a quick shift of the pinky and ring finger and it becomes x55785, a partial G chord with a 9th on top. Slide the bar down two frets and x35453, Cmaj7, or slide it up 5 frets for another Cmaj7 with the 5th in the root at x,10,10,12,12,12, or slide the bar three frets up for another Cmaj7 at 8,10,9,9,8,x, or drop the bar and slide the whole shape down to the open position for another Cmaj7 at x32000, or drop the pinky and it becomes A minor at xx7555, or leave the bar on the fifth fret, shift the pinky and ring finger, and you get Dmin7 with x57565. A lot of the rhythm guitar that you would hear in the songs I'm writing and posting on the clinic these days is based on moves like that. Progressions like that are super easy to transpose since they aren't using a lot of open notes.
 
i really like singing in F because it's closest to my speaking voice, but i rarely write songs in it b/c it's not a great guitar key. i have a bad habit of writing songs as i strum chords and then forgetting to transpose them to a better key, or if i do transpose them, a lot of times they don't sound as good musically, so i'll stick to the key i found the song in. a good example is A. it's one of the hardest keys for me to sing in, but i seem to constantly discover new songs when i play in A. when i transpose them down they just don't sound as good or right.

i like alternate tunings a lot and go to them a lot. i use dropped D a lot. i use one F#-B-E-G#-B-F# a lot, too. on my acoustic i put on heavier strings and dropped the E string all the way down to an A. right now i put on lighter strings and dropped tuned the entire thing 1 step. on electric I also like dropping to C. the strings get just a slight flabbiness to them that can sound really "slack" and cool on some songs.
 
Yeah funny you mention the bass guitar helping understand what's happening underneath... i'm attempting to write/record/mix a metal-core song for a local band and there's some heavy riffs that stray from the 6 string, but when i try to come up with a bass line, i'm finding the chord (root note) has shifted because the initial one isn't working anymore. I've started spending more time on my own bass lines as well... it's becoming much more fun.

I'm surprised you don't have many 6 string chords going on...your music sounds like it would take advantage of a 6 string acoustic at points...ever thought of that? Also, i'm seeing the benefit lately of playing a chord in two different spots for double tracking. Open E on 0-2-2 sounds more full in a combo with x-7-9 than with the same instance played twice. Especially with different amps/cabs/mics on each.
 
Nola said:
i really like singing in F because it's closest to my speaking voice, but i rarely write songs in it b/c it's not a great guitar key. i have a bad habit of writing songs as i strum chords and then forgetting to transpose them to a better key, or if i do transpose them, a lot of times they don't sound as good musically, so i'll stick to the key i found the song in. a good example is A. it's one of the hardest keys for me to sing in, but i seem to constantly discover new songs when i play in A. when i transpose them down they just don't sound as good or right.

i like alternate tunings a lot and go to them a lot. i use dropped D a lot. i use one F#-B-E-G#-B-F# a lot, too. on my acoustic i put on heavier strings and dropped the E string all the way down to an A. right now i put on lighter strings and dropped tuned the entire thing 1 step. on electric I also like dropping to C. the strings get just a slight flabbiness to them that can sound really "slack" and cool on some songs.
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I don't use F much either. I just feel limited, for some weird reason. Even though, mathematically, it doesn't make sense. Bflat either.
 
Most of my stuff is built around a specific melody/theme, So it's pretty incidental depending on what the intervals end up being once I transpose it into my comfy range (if necessary).
 
Let's see, Bm, A, F, E, C, F#m (my last 6 songs), so really, no. I write a line and try to get my voice to work with it. Sometimes I write the song in a different key and realize my voice would be better higher/lower and have to retrack in the new key...
 
Interesting to read how others do it. Since I write on piano, pretty much always C or A minor in order to simplify things. Then I transpose to give myself a better chance of hitting the notes. Sometimes this does mess up my arrangement though...like the bass part sounds great but now I have to either bring it up 7 half steps or down 5 and both ways sound bad.
 
On guitar, I don't mind which key, but I tend to ignore keys with lots of flats (or sharps) in them. My favourite key is either D or G.

On piano, I am more comfortable with flats. My favourite key is either C or F.
 
I do have preferred keys, but it depends on what instrument I'm using to write the song.

I've got one drop-tuned instrument. When writing on/for that, I tend to prefer D (maj or min) so that I can strum the open chord a lot.
On standard guitar, I tend to lean towards Gmaj and Emin.
Half the time tho, I write songs in my head to start with (or at least the first verse and chorus). Then I trend towards whatever key I happen to sing the scratch take in.
 
I don't have any preferred key to write in. My songs come from walking and working, so however I'm singing or humming that tune at that time will usually determine the key when it comes to picking up an instrument.

I don't have a problem with any key. Bb is probably my most common used though.

:thumbs up:
 
I think most of the songs I write could be sang in C through G. I end up singing in E and G a lot. When I start singing in A it feels a little high for me. My vocal range is E2 to G4 to A4, but I don't tend to sing much in the lower register. Although I can sing a little higher with falsetto, but I haven't ever worked that into too many songs.

Something that was popular in the 90s was tuning the guitars down a half step. Like if you listen to Nirvana Nevermind, a couple Green Day albums and Weezer they all tuned down a half step. Tuning down a half step is a real common thing for bands that are playing live because it's less stress on the singer since all the melody lines are one note lower to match the guitar. My friend who plays in a touring band said his tuning was drop D and down a half step. So Drop C#. I personally don't like Drop D or any of the death metal tunings like Bb for my songs. An alternate tuning somewhat defines the song before any music has been written.

I think a competent singer should be able to sing in most keys. Unfortunately, if someone has a Baritone voice with a limited range they are limited in terms of notes in their range. Men can certainly improve their range, but it's probably best done with a voice coach. Listening to someone strain their vocals is almost as painful as straining them yourself.
 
mwavemarty said:
I think most of the songs I write could be sang in C through G. I end up singing in E and G a lot. When I start singing in A it feels a little high for me. My vocal range is E2 to G4 to A4, but I don't tend to sing much in the lower register. Although I can sing a little higher with falsetto, but I haven't ever worked that into too many songs.

Something that was popular in the 90s was tuning the guitars down a half step. Like if you listen to Nirvana Nevermind, a couple Green Day albums and Weezer they all tuned down a half step. Tuning down a half step is a real common thing for bands that are playing live because it's less stress on the singer since all the melody lines are one note lower to match the guitar. My friend who plays in a touring band said his tuning was drop D and down a half step. So Drop C#. I personally don't like Drop D or any of the death metal tunings like Bb for my songs. An alternate tuning somewhat defines the song before any music has been written.

I think a competent singer should be able to sing in most keys. Unfortunately, if someone has a Baritone voice with a limited range they are limited in terms of notes in their range. Men can certainly improve their range, but it's probably best done with a voice coach. Listening to someone strain their vocals is almost as painful as straining them yourself.
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I always tune a half step down, forgot to mention that. It's definitely default for me. And you're right, I picked that up in the 90's (when i started playing) from those exact bands and albums. So when I drop down, it would be C#, like you said. Standard tuning doesn't work well for me.

I can't recall 80's or earlier using half step drops...maybe someone can weigh in on that? I think nowadays the popular music is back (has been) to standard tuning.
 
One of the bands I was in in the 80s did it as a matter of course for the reason listed: It made it easier for the vocalist (me) to hit the notes. On a good day, I could hit anything you threw at me, but that 1/2 step really helped when you weren't 100%.
 
BroKen_H said:
One of the bands I was in in the 80s did it as a matter of course for the reason listed: It made it easier for the vocalist (me) to hit the notes. On a good day, I could hit anything you threw at me, but that 1/2 step really helped when you weren't 100%.
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I did a quick google search and found that Hendrix and GnR were predominantly half step tuners, so there's some before the 90's explosion. Also, I never use a capo... I guess I don't write capo music (?) so it never really appealed to me. Just a fun fact.
 
Capo is the easiest way to change the key on a guitar if you like using open strings. If you don't use open strings, then Capo isn't needed. For acoustic, having open strings ringing out is what IMO gives the instrument so much character. Plus you can keep the same chord pattern as a standard tuning.
 
Playing with a capo is kind of new to me (only started playing guitar about 8 years ago). This morning I was trying to figure out the easy way to do the chord progression I was working with E-B-F#-C#m and G#m (not necessarily in that order) from the piano, and tried it open tuning on the guitar...didn't work. Went to the 2nd fret and it left too many bar chords. Tried 7th fret, but that didn't sound good. Then I realized that E and B would be C and G on the 4th...and it was a lot easier! I even figured how to switch back and forth from G to G7 for the inversion. :) Probably not anything spectacular to you guitar players, but a couple milestones for me.
 
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