Comments on: Album Keys

By: Atara

Atara — Fri, 15 May 2009 06:25:46 +0000

The two keys you mentioned, E and D, are also some of the first chords learned by guitar players. I would consider those two keys very easy and common. I would say the tenor who uses F# major might be the exception, not the rule.

By: Ellen

Ellen — Thu, 14 May 2009 17:25:05 +0000

I can’t contribute much in the way of the “theory”…but I do find it innately boring when consecutive songs are in the same key–especially if they are nearly the same tempo (the exact points that Neil was making).

The church that I attend sings nearly exclusively four-part harmony straight out of the hymnal (a cappella to boot!). When I do attend a church that sings choruses or “off the wall”, even though the songs themselves may be good, I still find it frustrating and unsettling in my musical spirit that often one chorus after another is sung in the same key.

The principle of having variety from song to song in both key and tempo needs to apply to congregational singing, concerts, recordings, etc. As Neil always does, he stated it so aptly when he said, “Changing…clears the emotion of the mind and gives new adventure and a fresh start to the next song.” (Neil, you show plenty of imagination in your singing, too!)

If I am listening to a recording in which there are consecutive same-key songs, my tendency is to push the “next track” button to find something that DOES afford the variety my spirit is seeking.

Thanks for bringing to the discussion table one of my “chief beefs”!

By: Samuel

Samuel — Thu, 14 May 2009 13:46:23 +0000

You forgot on the A,D,E list F#m. Each key has a bunch of different keys such as for (A,D,E) B, F#, Bm, G. Check out Roger Bennett’s styling when he plays Boundless Love or I’ve Read the back of the book. He does this little diddy that’s (Eb,C#,Ab,Eb). I learned it, and now I play it in alomost every song.

By: Neil Enloe

Neil Enloe — Thu, 14 May 2009 13:22:22 +0000

One cardinal rule that I’ve always tried to honor while arranging the order of songs on a project is to never start the next song in the same ending key as the last one. It tends to remove the redundancy of sound, as does alternating tempos between songs.

When one song follows another having the same key and tempo, it tends to make the project all sound the same. Changing the key and tempo clears the emotion of the mind and gives new adventure and a fresh start to the next song.

Now, if I could just get some imagination into my singing . . .

By: John C

John C — Thu, 14 May 2009 12:59:32 +0000

When I was singing in a quartet, the only thing that mattered was what key the pianist could play the song in! LOL!

Needless to say, I was that pitiful excuse for a pianist.