I want to learn to play a small piece I heard the other day. I usually take a look at YouTube to see if the hand positions and fingerings are within my capability. In this case they are.

But ....

I found the sheet music for the original composition and the piece is in C minor. I also checked by purchasing and listening to the original which has the LH done by piano, and the RH on violin (sorry for the incorrect terminology - side question what is it?).

All the piano examples I found on YouTube show the piece in A minor. All white keys. It is slightly easier than in E minor, for me, but it seems odd.

Why would all (well all that I've found) pieces of a composition in C minor have been transcribed and played on piano in A minor? Does it matter - musically?

Good question, one I've often thought about asking myself, i.e. Macdowell's "To a Wild Rose" was originally written in A Major, if I can dig 'em out I have around five versions transposed into other keys, I prefer the one I have written in F Major.

99% of people listening will not know you are playing it in a different key as long as they don't immediately hear the original for comparison. The intervals between the notes are all the same regardless of key, and that's what is important. (I would be interested to hear any arguments from people who disagree).

I think you answered your own question. A minor, all white keys, easier to play.


Ok, I disagree. Well sort of. Usually keys are changed for singers, but some people swear that for example D flat is a much warmer sounding key than D. I somewhat believe that, though a slight difference is probably not noticeable to the average listener.

Where I disagree most is this example. Have someone play a very familiar song, like Moonlight Sonata in a different key. I bet you'd be able to tell it wasn't in the original key. The further from that key, the more obvious.

I don't claim to know much about theory but I do have a very recent example to give you.

I've recently learned a new song (to me) called "Breathe" by Anna Nalick. The original song starts off with the right hand playing an "E" and the left playing a "C" (Sorry, I really don't know what key that makes it).

Anyway, through my usual select-O-key noodle method, I simply start to play the piece in many different locations on the keyboard just to see what *key* the tune will sound best in....[yes, I know this is an idiots method to theory but it works!].

So what's my point? I found out (after a couple of minutes) that playing this song starting out with the right hand on "A" instead of "E" and my left hand on "F" instead of "C", it completely changes the key the song is played in and thus the overall sound.

The change in sound from just changing the key this tune is played in was a very dramatic one. It turned an average, nice sounding tune into one that seemed to be much more dramatic with even nicer sounding individual notes/chords. All by just playing the piece in the best possible key.

So what does this mean for future tunes?

At least for me, I'm going to give every piece (that I can do this with) a pre test drive in all the different keys just to see where the tune will sound best. Then I will learn and fine tune the piece in that specific key.

Yes, it is sometimes MUCH easier to play something on all or mostly white keys but I have also noticed that many of the most dramtic notes/chords etc use the black keys. A lot!

It is SO worth the extra effort to learn a piece in the key in which it sounds best assuming it is compatible with your current abilites. Once you learn the piece correctly in the key it sounds best it will make the former 'white key only' version sound pretty good, just not great. That's reserved for the black keys.

Here is an additional thought: If an individual has any intention of eventually playing with other instrumentalists, as in "jamming", or simply accompanying, say, a clarinet; then it is best to learn the song in the key in which the composer wrote it.

The reason being that most instrumentalists who "jam" of "gig" will have learned the song in "the original" key. There might be more black keys involved, but it will save re-learning it later.

Ed

Great point, Ed. Also, I remember my jazz band teacher in high school telling us that the pro jazzers learn to play the standards in every key because when playing live with a singer, you never know which key they are going to call out. I was never that dedicated though. Learning a song in one key is hard enough.

But don't you think there are common chord patterns that can/should be learned in all/many keys?

Like 12 bar blues,
I-IV-I-V country music,
ii7-V7-I Jazz,
I-vi-IV-V 50's rock.

As a beginner I have been learning common chord patterns in 'popular music', so not too many across different scales, but my reason for opening this thread and question is it seems to me, with the few classical pieces I have learned, you never play them out of the original key, unless they are trannscribed and simplified for beginners. I could be wrong I suppose.

No I think you're right. Classical music is rarely played in more than one key. Popular music however is constantly changing keys depending on if there's a singer, male or female, who's recording of the song are you listening to. In Nashville, chord charts are written in numbers (basically modernized roman numerals) instead of letters for just that reason. You'll often hear, "Hey, let's do this a half-step lower".

As far as common chord patterns, I think it's a big help to learn the 6 main chords used in a key. 1,2m,3m,4,5,6m. If you can play them in all 12 keys, no basic chord progression should give you trouble, especially if you know your chord inversions well. You can add 7ths and other common chords (flat 7, 4 min, etc) as those become easier.