Key (music)
A key is determined as part of the since 1600 established major-minor tonality by the finding of Tongeschlechts ( major or minor) and the root note of the scale used.
Example: Major scale type D plus fundamental results in the key of D major.
The possible alternative definition on the definition of root and type the scale used would be problematic because the three different forms of the minor scale ( natural, melodic, harmonic ), not three but only corresponds to a minor key. The scale type is therefore more important than the structure of the ladder.
However, this applies only as long as the traditional major-minor system is not left. Referring, for example, modal scales with a, the ratios change.
Tonartliche conditions in songs
Tonal music pieces are in a given key, which can be their most important sections assign (especially the final, often the beginning). With compositional methods such as modulation and skidding the keys can change within a piece, they usually eventually lead back to the principal key, so this usually dominated within a piece, they also determine its musical character.
The key of a piece as a whole can be transposed when you choose a different root and all the tones of the piece at the same distance to the original tones are offset so that their intervals to each other and thus the scale type remain unchanged. As a result, the essential character of the piece does not change. Transposing is common and legitimate, such a piece of voice of singers or mood of instruments adapt. In art music, however, the key is often specified explicitly, and called in the name of the piece, on the one since about 1700; Thus, the specified key is essential for the desired character from the composer of the piece and thus its performance. On the other hand, different moods gleichstufige not be used to pre-classical period. In the Baroque era several treatises on the respective key character have also been published.
Notation with sign
The standard European notation comes from the seven root notes of the C major scale from (a, h, c, d, e, f, g) and refers to all of them different pitches of the desired key with the help of accidentals ( sharps or Bes ). With the key of a piece, the offset is relative to C major scale degrees are fixed from the outset, so that they are listed each line as a sign at the beginning of the grading system and thus mark the regular uniform displacement of these pitches for the duration of a piece or section. In conjunction with the final tone and / or final chord of this sign so give an indication of the key, in the stand this piece or this section.
The type and number of sign results from the removal of each key from the original key of C major, as it is seen by the array of all keys in the circle of fifths. Each sign - variant denotes one major key and the corresponding parallel natural minor key. A piece of unsigned may therefore be in C major or A minor; a piece with a cross in G major or E minor, one with a Be in F major or D minor, etc. A reliable decision can usually be made only with a view to the final note, which is almost always the same as the root.
The modes are listed with the help of sign; here, however, can refer to different modes depending on certain sign the root of the same Tonvorrats. A scale with two crosses, for example, contains the notes of D major, can be prepared starting from the root e E - Doric, starting from the root a A - Mixolydian, on the other hand be G- lydian from the root g.
Other scales as a major, natural minor, and church modes - such as harmonic minor or scales from an Eastern European, Jewish or Arab music - are listed not by regular sign at the beginning of the grading system, but enforced before each individual grades displacement or resolution characters of the pitches an underlying major or minor scale differ. This reflects that major and minor in modern Western music are generally considered, other scale types as exceptions.
In the free- tonal and atonal music is entirely omitted in the rule to an overall indication of the sign at the beginning of a piece.
Arrangement and relationship of the major and minor keys
Unsigned
- C major and A minor
Cross ( ♯ ) keys (right side of the circle of fifths ):
- G major and E minor: a sign Fis
- D major and B minor: F sharp and C sharp two sign
- A major and F sharp minor: F # / C # / G #
- E major and C sharp minor: F # / C # / G # / Dis
- B major and G sharp minor: F # / C # / G # / Dis / Ais
- F-sharp major and minor dis - Fis / Cis / Gis / Dis / Ais / ice
- C sharp major and minor ais Fis / Cis / Gis / Dis / Ais / ice / His
Loading ( ♭ ) keys (left side of the circle of fifths )
- F major and D minor: B
- B- flat major and G minor: B / Es
- E-flat major and C minor: Bb / Eb / Os
- A flat major and F minor: B / Es / As / In
- D flat major and B flat minor: B / Es / As / In / Ges
- G flat major and E flat minor: B / Es / As / In / Sent / Ces
- C flat major and A flat minor B / Es / As / In / Sent / Ces / Fes
The keys Cis-Dur/ais-Moll, Ces-Dur/as-Moll, each with seven signs are rarely used in compositions. The keys G # major, sharp major, Ais major, the minor, ges - minor and minor vices are normally not used because their notation would require more than seven crosses or Bes. Instead the focus it using the enharmonic change, each with a same -sounding but less signs requiring treatment or cross key the same. C sharp major ( seven crosses) is then, for example, with D flat major ( five Bes ) identified, Des minor ( eight Bes ) with C sharp minor ( four crosses ), etc.
Delineation of keys
Although the term key is used mostly in the strict sense described above, it is also a wider term for the harmonic context of meaning in which moves a piece.
Keys have no sharp boundaries. So you could not say exactly which notes belong to a key and which are not. It is the harmonious and especially the melodic context, which is decisive. This is especially true if there is no determination by a notation and you have to decide after the hearing.
Although clearly highlight keys through the use of their scales, immerse in every demanding piece also heaped sounds outside of the scales, without that one would already speak of a change of key.
A key is determined to a considerable extent by the presence of characteristic expressions in the form of progressions, melodies and cadences which point common to a tonal center.
The key concept outside the major-minor tonality
Modal scales
Since about 1900, in addition to the major and minor scales in resorting to the old church modes again reinforced modal scales such as Doric, Lydian used among others. The clays formed with their help can not be characterized by mere indication of scale type and root note, unless we group these scales to himself as Tongeschlechter, adding to the major and minor.
However, this occasionally held view is ruled out, because today ( in contrast to earlier times ), only major and minor are considered Tongeschlechter. Just as one perceives the harmonic minor as a being distinct from the natural minor scale type can be, for example, the Dorian, which also differs only by a sound from the natural minor, grant its own scale type. Dorian and Phrygian both belong to (because of the minor third above the root ) the scale type minor, Lydian, and Mixolydian (because of the major third ) the scale type major. The key signatures C or D Dorian - Lydian therefore consist of specifying the root note of the scale used, whereby a small letter on minor and a capital letter indicating major as scale type.
Free tonality
The onset in 1900 breaking away from the traditional major-minor tonality not only led to atonality of Schoenberg and the Second Viennese School, but also to attempts of tonality to provide a new basis. One of these experiments was propagated by Paul Hindemith free tonality. This eliminates a distinction between Tongeschlechtern or diatonic scales, because the entire chromatic scale is used as sound material. Keys created only by the fact that pushing single tones, so to speak because of their interval relationships to other tones in the foreground and so become " tonal centers ". A key signature as part of free tonality ie contains no reference to a scale type still on a scale, but merely the root to, so instead of C major or C minor, only C (without anything and always capitalized). (see Ludus tonalis )