Contest: Feb ”Gossip”

[doctorbob]

My minimal piece is here, for reference ...

https://soundcloud.com/doctorbob/minimalistic

Came in the bottom half of that OSC ... about right given the really good submissions.

dB

[folderol]

I've used black notes only as a very effective way to play folk style improvs against a drone - it's virtually impossible to play a bad note!
http://www.musically.me.uk/music/Celts.ogg

[doctorbob]

You're right ... but then a drone can be just one note, with loads of harmonics etc added to the sound. As you say, hard to play a "wrong" note

dB

[Babylon420]

What it is good with playing Only Black or White keys, you can see where to play opposite to specific scale you must know where to play. You can improvise on Black or White keys without knowing anything.

I guess with only white keys, most songs will be written in D major or A minor, maybe it would be interesting to write a song without using any major or minor triads?

[Largos]

The idea of only white or only black keys is the idea of a specific scale. Now, there are more interesting scales than only W/B keys. The following can all be played with a normal piano. I say let's use one of these.

https://www.pianoscales.org/exotic.html

If the idea for white only keys was to be a specific scale, then that would be silly as you can play every mode using white keys. The only thing being restricted is you are forcing a specific root note to be played with each mode. What would make more sense is for only one mode to be used. This would be good for players of all instruments being a set number of intervals.

[Hellfog]

Theme is up, Only Black key first song, second must be White keys

[harvon]

Black keys, black man, civil rights movement, way back - I have an idea what

[ElVincente]

So is it only piano sound ? No synth ?

Playing guitar without hitting A,B,C,D,E,F or G would not work either ?

[Hellfog]

So is it only piano sound ? No synth ?

No you can use any instrument you want in the keyboard family.

Playing guitar without hitting A,B,C,D,E,F or G would not work either ?

I don't know anything about music theory, so I have no clue.

[ElVincente]

No you can use any instrument you want in the keyboard family.

Thanks for clarifying, so it meens no linnstrument nor launchpad since they are more pads than keys right?

[Hellfog]

No you can use any instrument you want in the keyboard family.

Thanks for clarifying, so it meens no linnstrument nor launchpad since they are more pads than keys right?

So long as they play the same notes as black keys does on a normal keyboard, you can play on any instrument you want.

[folderol]

I would suggest, no cheating doing key shifts (or capo for guitar)

[violator_alba]

Playing guitar without hitting A,B,C,D,E,F or G would not work either ?

https://www.guitarscale.org/e-flat-pent ... minor.html so far as I can tell...

[silverpants]

I would understand it as:

Song 1: "Write a song using any instruments (virtual, live, vocals etc) - but you are restricted to only using C#, D#, F#, G#, A#"

Song 2: "As above - but only using A B C D E F G"

[ElVincente]

I would suggest, no cheating doing key shifts (or capo for guitar)

Just to push the inquiry a little further, when using guitar bends or portamento, we could still pass through the forbidden tones as long as we don't stay long enough to let them be heard as 'a tone', right ?