wondering if people write strictly in key

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razmat

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hi all , relatively new to forums , originally joined when buying an effects processor. i been wondering if people write mostly or strictly in key, or what boundries exists when not. i was fingering some stuff around the second fret that is in E minor comming off B and using the G and C amongst others , though when moving up to the 5th fret i liked the fingering feel and sound , but i was hitting the C# and G#/Ab which leans towards E major. is this improper generally? or is there a way to tie these in ? if i start at fifth fret fingering with the C# and G# and then go to a B down at the second fret and go to the C and G down there , does this work at all since B is common to these two keys(with major/minor difference)? it sounds ok to me , though i play pretty fast and heavy sometimes so it can be hard to distinguish some notes rolling by , but the differences can be noticed. i mean if people play in chromatic it seems they are just using all the notes. do i need to change the fingerings in one area to keep all the notes in one key? thanks for any help.
 
do what ever sounds and feels good to you. if it sounds crappy, fix it.

don't worry what other ppl do.
 
I think it's pretty much down to personal choice unless one is taking the classically trained route and adhering to it in a rigid manner. If using a regular, major diatonic scale or a minor scale to construct a melody one might stray and have a sharp or flat accidental note. If the melody has the accidental notes featured in the chords which is highly likely and they are played throughout the piece, it's likely that you are working in a key which is not the one that you began working in. Beyond this you might have intervals in your scale which fit a mode or synthetic scale which to be honest, if the whole thing works to your ear when the melody and chords are together, in a way which meets your requirements it's not worth being concerned with. There are instances when a discordant sound is required along with other tonal variations in respect of how the notes work in a harmonic sense. It's not uncommon to go out of key to emphasize the accord when a passage resolves in a subsequent bar. Chromatic runs are common and by virtue of what they are, one can potentially wander into a whole range of potential keys and scale types by virtue of the intervals played along the way.

regards

Tim
 
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thanks for help on this. it gives me something to think about.
 
slickslack said:
do what ever sounds and feels good to you.
Click to expand...
It's the only way to fly. I don't want to say "there is no right or wrong here" because that seems so simplistic.
But there is no right or wrong ! Write what you write and however it flows is how it does. Sometimes you'll observe "rules" like keys and scales. Sometimes you won't.
 
I don't think the C# or G# leans towards major or minor honestly it leans towards E if thats where you started so too speak but what kind of E is totally up too you. If every other verse starts on say E minor and the lyrics or song doesn't take some emotional turn take it back too E minor but hey that last verse really has some revelation in it's meaning and you want too emphasize it then take it too E major or maybe too C# minor which is the relative minor and thats the kinda stuff that if all the other "little" things are clicking, like perfect change of your, "intent" (or what ever) is there, that change in key is gonna knock it from reflective too down right introspective the beatles are the best at this in my opinion (making words and theory line up like lunar event you never forget). Just don't get too crazy about it write your words or your first part then words and forget about the original part two or three sections in and see if your trying too tell people something that the original harmony doesn't bring through completely. You might not see it at first but thats why song writing is called a process it does take years and you can not fear reevaluation of pervious (very close and heartfelt) beliefs: no fear.
 
I will add the way you use the C# and G# too a B (minor? or major both go too E minor like a bat out of hell and E major like you just took your first steps into color in the Wizard of Oz) is great and the C too G does cement the E minor very firmly but at the same time that cement is kinda like tension in the room no one knows is there (the C# and G# being the tension which is perceived because its out of key) and once you break it by going too a new key; you can contradict all previous thoughts and or take new (very reenforced) perspective on previous thoughts.
 
If you know the rules you are influenced by them. If you don't you're influenced by what you hear, much of which contains elements of the rules.
My writing is influenced by the chords I know (not many) & the chords I "invent" as well as the music I listened to in my taste forming stages.
The fact that I was really keen on atonal music for quite a while - and during a stage when I only played bass so wasn't really working with instant harmony - has distorted my understanding of music.
It is from that rich background that I now make my attempt at songs which end up as very slavishly based on rules or become little excursions into dissonant music.
 
In my opinion songs with key changes, tempo changes, time signature changes and other dynamic elements are the most interesting songs.

There are lots of ways to do it, but the first example I ever noticed was Beatles Penny Lane. The verses are in A but the choruses are in G and then the last chorus in the repeat goes back up to A. The way the chord progression is it naturally wants to encourage the next key a full step up from the last. Sometimes I keep on going with the choruses changing keys until I am full circle back at G. Good vocal practice.

I encourage key changes. Anything to get away from the plethora of 1-4-5 over and over and nothing but.
 
Care does need to be taken with key changes as they're often seen as & almost as often used as cheezy cheats in an attempt to milk a progression of melody. Tin Pan Alley is knee deep in the stuff.
 
There are no wrong notes , only people who dont know how to use them. Im saying that to be funny but its also true. Look at locrian mode. Relative to the major key with the same root note it contains a flattened 2nd 3rd 5th 6th and 7th. Thats every note missing from a 7 note(excluding the octave) major scale. Yet it sounds great when used correctly. Dabble a bit in theory and youll be amazed by what new things you find (its great for break through writers block too).
 
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