Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner C major

Curious, what aren't all peices written in "simple" keys like C, D, G, or ones with relatively few sharps or flats. Why do composers chose a key signatures that's ackward or difficult to read when, to an extent, any peice could be written in C?

How long have you been playing? Eventually reading keys other than those "simple" ones is not at all awkward or difficult to read.

The pianistic advantage of some keys allow for much easier performance. I guarantee you that Ondine or half of the Liszt Sonata would not be playable if you put it in the key of C.

Also, each key is unique in its sound and its character. Not all major keys sound the same. A piece written in C sounds different than in Ab major. Try for example, transposing a piece like the Chopin's etude no.3 to another key. The notes may sound the same, the character of the piece is somewhat different.

It's actually an interesting question with respect to music which either has no key or juxtaposes many keys. I suppose in these cases, unless reasonably long sections exist using the notes of one scale, you might as well use "C", i.e. no key signature and just stick in accidentals. Even then, on the occasions I've written out that sort of stuff I still find it probably helps the reader (and me) to write accidentals as nearly as possible in combinations I would use if there were a key. I would probably tend to write, for instance, G,Bb and Eb rather than G, A# and D# - because I would tend to think of the simplest description of the group I already know, which happens to be tonal even if the piece is not.

Having had no training at all I don't know what "theory" says about this. Does each composer just devise his own expedient way according to each piece or are there modern "rules" ?

1)Despite its familiarity C major is not the easiest key to play the piano in.

2)Some instruments 'read' C major and play in another key. When pianists play with such instruments they'll read the other key.

3)Restricting ourselves to one tonal centre would be quite a step back. Would we be allowed to modulate? Even if we transposed a piece from F# to C if it modulated to F major we'd have to go to Cb/B.

4)Given the above, composers generally choose the simplest notation. That is, they use Ab major instead of G# major etc.

(correct me if I'm wrong here)

Back in the days before we had the even tuning that we have today, each key was a bit different.

So....

The interval between a C and an E would be different than the interval between, say, an F and an A. It may be a few cents higher or lower.

Because of these differences, different keys had different "character." Beethoven always considered Eb to be "heroic (look at the 3rd symphony). C minor was tragic, and so on.

So some of the characteristics of the piece really had to do with the fact that they DID sound different, because the tunings were slightly different.

I also heartily agree that some things are easier in some keys than others. I watched (I think) Gavrilov play the C major prelude and fugue from the WTC I. He comments that it's difficult because "it is all so white."

Some people feel (like Chang) that the first scale you should learn is NOT C major, but B major - your fingers naturally do on the right places of the black keys.

George

Like everyone else pretty much said, C major is not the easiest key to play in.

Music tends to modulate to different keys.

I couldn't imagine playing Chopin op25#1 or Schubert Op90#3 in the key of C major.

C major is a very awkward scale, because your thumb has to play on the same level as your other (longer) fingers. On ones like B major, your hand fits into the first 5 notes (for example) much easier than C. The easiest kind of scales are (for me) the ones that start on a sharp or flat.

It works the opposite though - imagine playing the Chopin 10/2, in Bb minor...

Looking at these posts, and realizing I understood all of this, I'm not exactly sure why I posted this.. Apologies

As compensation, all of Edward MacDowell's music for solo piano:
http://aurora.wellesley.edu/macdowell/contents.cfm

everyone says that a song is harder when sharps or flats [black keys] are involved. but to me, that isn't true.

but i know of a songstress who composed, wrote, and sang a song, and recorded it in C Major. but when she performs it live, she plays it in B Major, [even though i like it better in C Major, b/c it's the original key] and i think the reason for it is that it's easier to play that way, and she's less likely to make mistakes, b/c the black keys are easier to see, farther apart, and you don't have to stretch your hands as much. since all of the keys in C Major are together [it's the only chord with and all natural scale (all white keys, in Layman's terms)], you're more likely to flub notes, b/c your fingers could slide to the wrong key.

In an interview after a recital at Mannes, Earl Wild played this Chopin Etudem in a different key(can't remeber which one) to show that he thought it sounded better transposed to that key.

Another factor could have been the cost of printing and ink...depending on the key your in, applying a key signature in the beginning would eliminate the need for inserting accidental signs all throughout the music. This would be easier on the eyes in a way as well as maybe cut down costs of printing.

I have to agree with some previous people. C major is a hard major key to play in. Just try playing the scale. It is far easier for me to play C# major or D major.

I believe Chopin taught the C major scale to his students last, as he believed it was the hardest. I agree with that, you're just lost in a sea of white - there are no black keys to help mark your way.

I remember in a competition I had to play three scales of my own choice and I picked E, Db and Gb - the judges couldn't believe I picked those - but those are among the easiest (in my opinion). I probably scored an extra point or two for originality as they said everyone else picked C, G, and D.

Reading pieces that have key signatures that contain sharps and flats is no problem with a bit of practice. It's just a matter of practicing scales, becoming familiar with the different keys, observing key signatures, and then training yourself to "think" in that key while you're playing the piece. And, as others have said, each key has its own unique character and tone. Ultimately, key signatures will become your friend, as I think most pianists who have been playing for a while will agree that accidentals are actually more of a pain to read than a note which is in the key signature.

Yeah, that's interesting. If I were asked to play three scales, I think I'd pick C Minor, G Minor and possibly C. Those seem to be the ones I have under my fingers the best, but I'm pretty good at all my scales, I suppose.

Because some people like a challenge.

For violin, composers like to use keys that resonate with the open strings of the instruement- G, D, A, E. F major is a very awkward key for violin, since a lot of playing is done in 2nd position (most violinists hate 2nd position).

I imagine winds have similar issues.

I wonder if composers choose a key first then start writing, or start writing, then transpose up or down if necessary...

All very well said, but any time a key signature has more than 4 flats or sharps, as a site reader, I start to feel opressed.

When playing a piece in a key with 6 or 7 sharps or flats, the accidentals can become nightmarish to figure out on the fly.

Key sigs with more sharps/flats are more difficult to sight-read, no doubt. Not to mention the terror that ensues when one glimpses the scary chiastic form of the double sharp! lol!

I read that bach wrote some of the more remote wtc fugues in more familiar keys before transposing them. Still, as far as the physical performance at the piano is concerned, many passages fit more nicely under the hand when at least one of the three middle fingers can take a black key.