Choosing the key note

[tapper mike]

Those who play with horms play in G. Blues and Rhythm & Blues of the 40's 50's and 60' such as a lot of the Stax Records days were done in G.

I've played with larger jazz bands. Usually they test your mettle by playing songs in a variety of keys other then the original key. It's not that one key in and of itself is easier or harder for a professional musician. It was that they wanted to know if you really knew your stuff. Mixing up key signatures of songs and forcing you to play them in a live situation such as a jazz jam is the way they test what your made of. At least they'd call out the key before they dug in. Some Blues jams they just call out the title and go. They too will switch keys and expect one to catch on quickly.


C is still the most common of Key signatures.
I have band in a box. I have close to 7,000 biab songs mostly jazz.
I sorted by key

C has 2208 songs listed.

[jancivil]

Bb trumpet player sees a C; that horn's 'C', ie., before transposition, results in what is a Bb for a C instrument. So the player is transposing up a tone to be in concert with the C instruments.

So, Key of G is equivalent to 'A' for that horn. It's distant to the way the horn is constructed.

For the Eb saxophonist it's equivalent to 'E' for that horn.

If there is a convention of G major followed somewhere, there will be other reasons for it that 'it's a horn key', which you imply.
Owing to fingering, for starters, a distant key for the horn offers more difficulties than a close key. That's a reality owing to the construction of the horn.

Your idea of professionalism's dictates does not make that vanish. If someone is paying double scale I guess it's cool to be confident about 'any key'. But I have wound up having to cut some losses from impossible horn parts in my life with a more than capable player.

[mojogigolo]

I found these lovely descriptions useful at the start:

Affective Key Characteristics
http://www.wmich.edu/mus-theo/courses/keys.html

this is great - thanks.

[tapper mike]

That's the standard on voice leading with trad jazz especially with Sinatra. Jazz guitarists learn comping very early on. Comp guitar chords are limited to three notes. I-3-7 or 1-7-3 (tenth) just enough to lay down the foundation without getting in anyones way. Easy shaped for quickly working thru fast tempos with lots of chords.

[osiris]

Affective Key Characteristics
http://www.wmich.edu/mus-theo/courses/keys.html


I LOVE these!!!!

[chj]

The key depends on the instruments you will be featuring in a given song.
(I think the "affective key characteristics" is total BS.)

Synths:
For any particular synth sound, there is going to be a range where it sounds great, and ranges where it no longer sounds so good. If your song is synth driven, find the range where the featured synths sound best, the "sweet spot". That's your key.

Real instruments:
Some instruments are tuned to particular keys, they can't be played in other keys. If you're going to feature such an instrument, use a useable key.

Other real instruments can play in any key, but certain keys are better/easier. Guitar can take advantage of open strings, pull offs, etc. in certain keys. Piano will be very easy to play in C Major or A minor (all white keys.)

The "sweet spot" consideration also goes for real instruments. For example, a violin can play in any key. But the warmer, sweeter, lower, ranges may be more suited for a sad song. A tense, suspenseful song may call for the violin's higher squeakier sounds.

Vocalists:
Every vocalist has a particular range. Some will sound great in one range while they can't sing at all in others. Pick the key that best suits your vocalist's range.

In the end the "sweet spot" for your featured instrument(s) is really what it comes down to.

[tapper mike]

When I started out I was a rock player. And noticed that many a song was in EAD or G. Yes one can have much fun working with open notes but the more I played especially with singers and different keys the more that went away. Singers have preferred keys. Get out of their "happy keys" and it becomes a struggle. Being able to transpose on the fly makes one an asset to the singer. Capo's and altered tunings do wonders for being able to work in in a particular range it's not all about transposition as a capo can "sweeten' the tone. The only keys I don't play in anymore are F# and C# Although I always give them the bi weekly work out on the ztar or guitar.

When you are playing professionally 5,6,7 days a week your performance becomes your practice. One thins the general for the specific. That's fine when you are there. It's not fine if you are not there.

I'm always amazed at how people want to be good but avoid practice especially when it comes to scales. As far as I'm aware no one has ever died from practicing scale patterns