Re: [Harp-L] What's a "key"?

[Arthur Jennings <timeistight@xxxxxxxxx>]

In terms of standards and blues, 99.9% of the time, the tunes that resolved
to either AM7 or A7 will be notated in A major (3 #'s); tunes resolving to
Am7 are notated in A minor (no #'s or b's).

Blues or modal tunes get shoehorned into either major or minor and use
accidentals where needed.

Very occasionally I've seen a change of key signature in a song (like Body
and Soul) that modulates to a distant key but usually modulations are
handled by accidentals.

It might be a fun intellectual exercise to challenge the idea of key, but,
unless they're playing atonal music, musicians think in terms of keys and
tonalities.

On Sat, May 7, 2011 at 1:44 AM, <sheltraw@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Hi RD
>
> And if different tunes "resolved" to an AM7, an Am7, and an A7
> respectively then they would all be in the same key? What relationship
> does your definition have to the key of each of these tunes as
> designated by the key signature of the notated tunes?
>
> Also, I have a problem with your definition in that I don't hear entire
> tunes resolving. What I hear is bits and pieces of tunes creating tension
> followed by resolution. That is, I hear many cadences each resolving to
> different chords.
>
> Cheers!
>
>
> > Exactly.
> > RD
> >
> >>>> <sheltraw@xxxxxxxxxxxx> 07/05/11 3:28 AM >>>
> >> The root not of the triad that the piece resolves to.
> >> RD
> >
> > So by your definition if the piece resolves to an A minor triad then it
> > would be in the key of A and if the piece resolved to an A major triad
> > then it would also be in the key of A.
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>


-- 
Arthur Jennings
http://www.timeistight.com