I prefer them...

I can't say I prefer either one. In fact I prefer the total absence of keys.

I don't really prefer either. It's just that my songs tend to drift towards minor keys whatever I try...

A minor scale is just a pattern. It is different from another pattern only in the sense that blue is different to green or one shape is different to another. It's an abstract quale. It contains no invariant meaning for me in itself.

Quote: "How do you feel about composing in minor keys?"

Sad :p

Composing in minor keys are just fine. If one meant avoiding minor keys and only composing in major keys, that would leave out a lot of potential for wonderful, expressive compositions.

i like minor key, and use it for music with romantic, sentimental character or just for some pretty melody themes. i found it's hard to make a major key melody sound 'pretty', although it can be. just my perception of it.

I gravitate towards minor keys. Someone once told me he thinks the type of keys, major or minor, a composer tends towards says something about the person doing the composing.

One thing that gets me is sad sounding music that is written in MAJOR keys. I was talking to a pianist friend of mine. He compared that to an artist who paints a sad picture with bright colors. That wrenches/twists a person viewing that kind of a painting in different directions, as will listening to a piece of music with happy lyrics set to sad sounding music.

Something along these lines... I was reading a book by Jimmy Webb, the composer. Webb talks about Stephen Bishop's song "Separate Lives" - the one Phil Collins sings. The one with the lyrics about "but for now we'll go on living separate lives"...and something about "building that wall higher"... Webb related a story about how Bishop wrote that song for his girlfriend he had just broken up with. Bishop went to see his ex-girlfriend and played the song for her. He couldn't understand how his girlfriend thought the song was "beautiful". He meant it to be VERY ANGRY. So, those of you here who know the song, how does it sound to YOU? Happy, sad, beautiful, angry- - - WHAT? It doesn't sound ANGRY to me; it sounds SAD. I think if the MUSIC was different, you could interpret the lyrics much differently, I suppose, as angry in an angry song. But the MUSIC rules, for me. And, to me, this song is a SAD one.

Anyone here to comment on this?

Jeanne W

I prefer to play music in minor keys, but naturally, I started composing in major keys. Now, though, I tend to prefer minor keys for stand-apart piano solo pieces. (I'm not there yet with orchestral pieces...not by a long shot.)

My composition is getting quite modal so I don't know how well the question applies - would you guys consider the "minor" modes like dorian and phyrigian to be "minor" keys? If so, I prefer them as well. But then again, I prefer Lydian as my "major" key so the pieces have a tendancy to balance out between the major and minor modes, so maybe there's no real preference at all!

I often compose both in the same composition. The minor key often sounds more dramatic following a major key section.

Best, John

I'm currently working on a full set of original pieces, in all minor keys. The first two can be heard in the "member recordings" for a taste of what's to come.

The music that I write has no key signature. I prefer it that way,,, personally

I have only done two experiments with key signature composition ( both in minor keys )

1. A Rachmaninoff like piano solo (composed very shortly for a recital)

2. A Fugue on the theme of that Winnie the pooh cartoon,,, where he dreams of Womples and Elephants (? or something) But even then, I used many minor seconds, and it was... well... all for a good laugh.

But my passion is atonal. I occassionally outline a major or minor chord to serve its purpose. But my music is atmospheric, and non-tonal.

Love it. Love major too! I feel minor is easier to write in though.

The organist Virgil Fox once (or more than once) said, "Minor is richer than major" referring the the variation between various minor scales which allows a richer variety of tonal variation vs. the single major scale. Having said that while I find tonal centers useful (as opposed to doing everything possible to obliterate them), but I find I don't usually stay in once tonal place for very long. I also enjoy symmetrical harmony which tends to blur exact tonal centers without not necessarily obliterating them.

I lean towards the minor modes but often both major and minor are incorporated in my music. I've been told there is the element of tragedy in everything I compose.

Best, John

I've been told that, too...except I think the exact word was "tragic" and not "tragedy", but I imagine both apply equally. :p

just wonder if anyone use only minor keys, including modulations to other minor keys, in composition. i know perhaps most poeple use major to minor, or minor to major modulation in their composition. i'm just curious.

Yeah, I'm not sure how to interpret that, but I always take it as a compliment.

John

The reason that many people like minor keys is actually a scientific one. The IV natural harmonic of every fundamental is the major third. When the minor third the key signature puts into the piece clashes with the natural major third, the sound becomes fuller and more complex. Therefore, simple melodies with little weight are best in major of near major keys. But anything weighty of ponderous or mournful can benefit from the clashing harmonics of the Minor Triad.

I heard a top performing artist say[ sorry I don't remember specifically who the artist was]that great music is music that can break your heart....well then...it has to be minor. My nephew says my music is sad whereas I see it as introspective. I often begin in a minor mode and then modulate to major just to add the element of hope.

rada
www.pianopassions.com

Minor keys are just beautiful! I prefer them, for me, its much more easy to improvise in minor keys than in major keys. But ofcourse a well balanced mixture of both sounds nice.

P.

My favorite keys are all minors, but it really depends on the mood I'm in. I love dark and tenebrous stuff!

I've always loved the sound of minor keys. When I first began teaching myself piano, I used the scale from a video game melody that I had painstakingly picked out. I later realized it was G# harmonic minor. I began teaching myself around the circle (not methodically, just whenever I felt like I needed to learn a new scale) mainly in minor, using the same pattern of steps in the original scale I had figured out.

Now of course I know all the keys and chords (and lots of weird polytonal combinations in addition) and I can't say I truly prefer minor over major.

I love minor keys.

But like someone above said, when a sad song is major, it's somehow sadder. "You Are My Sunshine" is a really sad one to me.

I have read with interest the comments about composing in a minor key.

So I thought that I would drop on over, and post this little slideshow on a rare Heintzman & Co. upright piano, which used to be produced some time back. This instrument has 98 keys and songs can be played in 10 different keys …… 11 in fact, including the one you are in. In 35 yrs. of service to the industry I have only ever seen two of these.

For those not familiar with Picasa, when you click on the link here, there is an option above the first picture to see as a slide show. This is the best viewing, as you can adjust your time for each frame.

Enjoy!

http://picasaweb.google.com/silverwoodpianos/HeintzmanCoTransposingPiano

Was that game by any chance Ultima III?

Interesting thread... My composition assignment this week is to arrange Silent Night in minor mode for Flute, Clarinet, French Horn and Cello. I'm a pianist. Frankly, I don't know where to begin.

Although I enjoy a challenge, converting this melody to a somewhat somber version will certainly test my abilities (or lack thereof)!

I really like minor keyes, they give an eerie feeling to a piece a lot of times. But it depends what kind of mood you are trying to create for your piece. I prefer them

Amen.

It's also important the base note.Try to transpose the Beethoven Moonlight Sonata from C# minor into C minor.It will not sound the same. Ussualy the minor keys of the # base notes are more dramatic.