Re: [Harp-L] Just what exactly is 'key'?

[Jesse <jvboden@xxxxxxxxx>]

Jazz players, as well as blues musicians, are certain tunes are in a
specific key. Jazz players tend to think in terms of the Roman numeral
system - I for the chord whose root is the tonal center of the song (key),
ii for the minor built on the second degree of the scale (key) the song is
based around, and so on. This enables them to transpose easily to any key or
to modulate to another key while performing the tune. In the real world
there is little confusion what players mean when they call out an A shuffle
or Stardust in Eb. In a classroom, examining theory applied to classical or
even jazz music, one could debate the meaning of "key", but on the bandstand
- never.

One of the advantages of knowing what the term key means is the ability to
make music with people who do not speak your native tongue. I played with
temple musicians in India - who spoke little or no English. Their way of
expressing key is to hold up a number of fingers in a system based around
the C scale - 1 for C, 2 for D, 2 and a bent finger for Eb and so on.
Instantly I knew what key the piece would be in and could jam along with
them. The concept of music being in a key is a simple one and it is probably
not going away any time soon.  When all else fails, look at the sheet music
and look for the number of #'s and b's - also called the* *key signature.
Yes, a jazz tune can have ii V I's or other cadences that resolve to
different tones, but that does not change the key the song is in by the
definition that is agreed upon by musicians the world over. If you do not
understand what key you are in when you are playing music - how can you play
with other musicians or even sight read without playing endless clams?


On Sun, May 8, 2011 at 10:11 AM, <sheltraw@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Here's another Wikipedia page:
>
>  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_%28music%29
>
> Please notice that the definition stresses cadences as defining a key. As
> I pointed out earlier there are multiple cadences with a jazz tune and
> each cadence usually resolves to a different tonal center. So in jazz
> this definition would not assign a key or at least a single key to most
> jazz tunes. Yet jazz players often do speak of a single key associated
> with a tune.
>
> Cheers1
>
>
> > Found this question on Ask Metafilter:
> > Music: Just what exactly is
> > 'key'?<http://ask.metafilter.com/6444/Music-Just-what-exactly-is-key>
> >
> > One of the answers was so good, Wikipedia references
> > it<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_%28music%29#External_links>
> > :
> > A simple, but accurate, explanation of the function of "keys" in
> > music<http://ask.metafilter.com/mefi/6444#132028>
> >
> > --
> > Arthur Jennings
> > http://www.timeistight.com
> >
>
>
>