Composing in Db key?

[Hink]

I would avoid Db myself - far too problematic. Too many flats makes for sad music. C# on the other hand - excellent. More sharps: happier music. Even a couple of double sharps in there. Try out BDouble# - you get some triple sharps in there too: you'll just swell with joy.
:)DSP

Sadly, we are no longer allowed to compose in C#, unless we have a license from M$

Oh I see, sharp mind you got there....

[emdot_ambient]

Forgive me, I never studied music theory (and trying to read this thread make me glad of it) . . . but how can you play keys on a guitar when it doesn't have keys but strings?

Yes, I'm just being a fucktard.

[mandolarian]

That's cause 'keys' were invented by keyboardists, so they got to name it.
Guitars were invented later, because the banjo never caught on in the great concert halls of Europe.

[emdot_ambient]

That's cause 'keys' were invented by keyboardists, so they got to name it.
Guitars were invented later, because the banjo never caught on in the great concert halls of Europe.

Oh, goodie. Then all the guitarists complaining about certain keys being hard for them are just a bunch of whinning babies just like I always thought

We got here first, we run duh show!

[Hink]

Forgive me, I never studied music theory (and trying to read this thread make me glad of it) . . . but how can you play keys on a guitar when it doesn't have keys but strings?

Yes, I'm just being a fucktard.

there's actually a tuning called hawaiian slack key, it is often used slack needle playing. They hang a needle from their neck and let it 'dance' on the strings as they play...it's a beautiful sounding style, though I have never tried it.



I'm just being too...but it iis a cool style

[emdot_ambient]

hawaiian slack key
[url=forhttp://www.alohaplentyhawaii.com/sk012100.htm]slack needle playing[/url]

Damned Church of the Subgenius freakoids, always after their slack!

[Barf]

Every instrument has it own 'favourite vs horrible keys' I think. Saxophones, trombones etc hate keys like E and A while they are the easiest keys for guitar and bass. E and A keys are almost 'unfingerable' for hornplayers so I'm told.

[davor]

Forgive me, I never studied music theory (and trying to read this thread make me glad of it) . . . but how can you play keys on a guitar when it doesn't have keys but strings?

Yes, I'm just being a fucktard.

Key = A tonal system consisting of seven tones in fixed relationship to a tonic, having a characteristic key signature and being the structural foundation of the bulk of Western music; tonality

[duncanparsons]

I love the idea of 'Just Intonation'. Is there an 'UnJust Intonation' that goes around shoplifting and scaring kids? I guess various metel bands probably use it..

I did once see Percy Jones playing a bass with just intonation. I was an odd beast, 6 string with the frets in different places for each key. To modulate required retuning, but the sound was everso sweet.

I like the hermode tuning thing that Zeta+ has, where it senses the key you are in, and alters the relative piches to suit the piece. I'm thinking of implementing it when I actually get around to finishing my synth.. we'll see!

DSP

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[bluedad]

I was under the impression that equal-tempered tuning gives equal intervals across the keyboard. So a shift from Db to C is not such a big deal, in theory.

A long time ago, however, alternative tunings were more common. In these the intervals are not equal across the keyboard, meaning that a key-shift would do more than just changing the overall pitch. Different keys were even named because of the different sounds, eg. 'the romantic key'.

this is the best answer addressing the original posters question.
When I was a beginning pianist, of course C was my favorite key. Now many years later, I'm not that much better, but I enjoy playing in Ab and Eb.

[deleted]

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[duncanparsons]

this is the best answer addressing the original posters question.
When I was a beginning pianist, of course C was my favorite key. Now many years later, I'm not that much better, but I enjoy playing in Ab and Eb.

Oddly, Cm blues is great for me, as is Fm. I love playing those delorian scales - the fingers just speed over the keys and you're in a different time.. curiously Marty McFly had to go at 88mph, and 88 keys is fairly standard for a keyboard.. go figure (your bass lines)



DSP

[kaze]

Guitar gets even more complicated when it comes to alt tunings. see pic http://users.rcn.com/dante.interport/justguitar.html

It is hard to tell from the photo but this fellow has removed his frets, puttied and sanded that fret board and placed partial frets on the board (different frets for each string). The colour scheme indicates consonance (through prime limits or sommink).

The are many systems of tuning. I think most hosts have a micro-tuning midi plugin offering things such as Pythagorean, Just, Mean etc. These are relatively familiar 12 divisions in the octave. Others have 16, 21 divisions and so on.

Equal temperament (ET) is what we hear in everyday western music. It is extremely practical as all keys are equal (though, as I mentioned, I get A fatigue ) We make some comprimises with ET. The fifth is extremely close (within 2 cents) to the "real" fifth but the major third doesn't quite sound right. see this for more http://www.bazantar.com/grid.html

BTW. I didn't know anything about this tuning voodoo until I moved to China. Traditional Chinese instruments are tuned based upon a 12 divisions in an octave system similiar to that of Pythagoras. Typically pentatonic scales are used as these are best sounding intervals available (I think).

[duncanparsons]

the bass I saw Percy Jones playing looked similar, only not coloured.

wrt to Chinese tuning, if you dig a bit deeper into the gamelan thing around asia, you'll find that each gamelan uses it's own tuning. There are some tunings which are 'famous', and no one would dare copy, whilst other smaller troupes might find themselves with similar tunings. It makes each group unique, and means that two gamelan orchestras playing the same piece can sound completely different.

Having been in bands where the different members can't agree on what is 'in tune', to find it happening in an organised fashion can be somewhat comforting..!

DSP