How to choose the right key?

Being an amateur, with no academic curriculum, I don't know how to choose the right key for a "classical" piece I imagine.

I hear the melody in my head, usually with harmony together; maybe there are also modulations, and so on. The piece seems pleasant, I play with it rearranging themes, or whatever. Bus or train commuting time, with the associated unpitched noises, is great to find musical ideas and add them in my mind. Usually I am able to name the Roman numerals of most chords, or at least have a clear idea of how they should play. I don't think about the names of the notes, just about the intervals. So, to say, my mind's image has no key yet decided: I still haven't named the notes yet.

And then, I go to the computer, or the keyboard, to notate it - and my inner music does not correspond to any key! Not strange, since I don't have absolute pitch. And the problem becomes: which tonality should I chose to write? I usually stick to the nearest and easiest one for me to follow (so, for example, if what I hear is found on the keyboard to be a somewhat flat C#major, I adjust my inner image to go to Cmajor). If I have to choose between enharmonic keys, I choose the one with flats, the number of added alterations is usually smaller.

I am sure this is a VERY questionable method for most of you, and that you strongly disagree!

However, apart from obvious considerations (instruments' ranges, or ease of execution): are there general principles to decide the right key for a piece after the "mind's image" stage? Should the key be obvious, and I'm just not sufficiently musical?

Sorry if the question seems to naive to most of you, or if it's in the wrong topic (I assume that in case the adminstrators will reposition or cancel the post).

Well, I'd sing out loud the melody that popped up in your brain. Then it's much easier to know the 'right' tonality.

Example:

The lowest tone I can sing is a C (I'm a bass singer), so when I sing a new melody, I just take the tonic of that tonality and listen what the interval is to my lowest note ©.

Probably not the most efficient method, but it works fine for me.

Generally, it depends on the material i'm working with. If my ideas fit within a particular landscape, then I will do my best to bring that material to life within that landscape. If the material works best with no landscape (tonal/modal/atonal/etc.) then I will leave it be.

Write what you hear.

Adjust as necessity demands.

FWIWCFM

-Peter

Oh my God, my poor English striked again. My question was much, much more simple. It's about the choice of the KEY. Really very sorry for your lost time. I am adjusting now the topic title and my post.

I think you should write or play the music in the key that you hear in your head. You could sing the first note of the melody you're hearing then play the note one the keyboard, then the entire melody on the keyboard, then you'll know what key it is in. I don't think it's likely that what is in your head is in between keys.

There isn't much of a reason to change the key. But you might do it to make it easier to play.

I think you should write or play the music in the key that you hear in your head.

Of course I can. But why?

When I write something I adjust many things to improve the result with respect to my mind's image (I assume it's the same for others). Therefore, I was wondering whether the key itself should be like the other elements of music, something that should be carefully chosen or modified "to find the best" according to some criterion, rule, or idea. Maybe a criterion that is valid only for a certain music genre or period.

Of course I can. But why?

When I write something I adjust many things to improve the result with respect to my mind's image (I assume it's the same for others). Therefore, I was wondering whether the key itself should be like the other elements of music, something that should be carefully chosen or modified "to find the best" according to some criterion, rule, or idea. Maybe a criterion that is valid only for a certain music genre or period.

Well early composers established a kind of a rulebook on which keys invoke particular feelings etc, someone posted the list here some time ago but I can't find it. I have it written down at home, I'm mobile right now, but I can post it if you want when I find it.

I think that every key has it's own "colour" of sound. Try to play some chord progressions in different keys and you will probably notice that although you play the same progression, it sounds different. For example: I think that C-major sounds kind of plain, simple; A-major sounds happy, childish; E-major sounds passionate, like fire, D-major is somewhat calm, E-flat sounds bright, D-flat has some depth that I cannot trully explain and so on...

The best thing is to play in different keys and try to connect them to a feeling...

Well early composers established a kind of a rulebook on which keys invoke particular feelings etc, someone posted the list here some time ago but I can't find it. I have it written down at home, I'm mobile right now, but I can post it if you want when I find it.

I don't know, correct me if I'm wrong, but if you like your line in such and such a key, isn't it more important that it fits your vision than it fitting someone else's theories on the impressions certain keys have on listeners?

Well the simplest thing to play the melody exactly as you hear it and use that key. However, there are also practical elements to consider. For example, if you were writing a piece that heavily favors strings, it would be preferable to use a key of an open string (hence why many violin concertos are in D or G) and avoid using keys that use a lot of flats.

Peter_W., I agree with your opinion...

I don't know, correct me if I'm wrong, but if you like your line in such and such a key, isn't it more important that it fits your vision than it fitting someone else's theories on the impressions certain keys have on listeners?

Well that may be right, but I somehow think that classical masters must have gotten something right... After all, it's their theory that we are thought in schools.

Yeah, but their audiences are not our audiences. Their ears are not our ears.

And if your ears ARE very much in tune with "the masters" of times past, then you will feel naturally inclined to hear your pieces appropriately anyway.

Either way, I'd think it makes sense to go with your aesthetic.

Also most of the people who wrote those kind of theories weren't working with equal temperament, so there were actual tangible difference between the intervals. Equal temperament wasn't fully adopted until late in the 19th century (some church organs...). Now the intervals are the same in every key. But if you happen to working in a non-TET system...

Then there is the issue of instrument resonance. The farther away from an instruments "home-key" the less resonant it will be. Even string instruments have keys which sound clearer, usually keys close to the open strings. The dark, closed, sound of a distant key can be quite appealing though.

Some people argue for the psychological impact of sharp keys vs. flat keys, and I kinda get where they're coming from, but this is most likely not that significant (depending on the level of detail you include in a piece of music).

It's still ultimately up to you though, whatever seems best for the piece. What you do now is probably fine, it's what I usually do. I've been writing way too many pieces with an E 'tonic' lately though...

Thanks everyone. I must say, however, that I am still confused.

I don't understand the idea that the "original" key of the musical idea is the best one. For example:

- since I don't have absolute pitch, the melody I have in mind is usually in-between keys when I try it on the keyboard, so for example I have the tonic between A and Bb; after having heard the two notes I can easily slide the melody to one key or the other, which are (at least on the circle of fifths) very far;

- if the melody in my mind (if I avoid stating the notes, just listening to intervals) is corresponding to an existing key, is really easy to shift it a few semitones above or below. And if other musical material should be the subject of refinements and adjustments, why not the key?

- keeping the melody hanged to the pitch I imagined the first time, there are still two possibilities - the two enharmonic keys - I can choose. Which one? Random choice? The simplest one? (sometimes it's obvious, I think nobody writes in B#, but what about the choice between D# or Eb?)

I don't think either that the historical classification of keys is still useful. Apart from evolving fashion, such classifications a) often refers to non-TET tuning and b) refer to a different diapason - among many, the still widely used 415 Hz, which is a semitone far from the modern one (so, all key feelings should be now shifted to keys a semitone lower than before).

But I'm eager to read other inputs to my doubt - is there any real good reason to write in C#major or A#minor, apart complicating life to many instrumental performers?

Then there is the issue of instrument resonance. The farther away from an instruments "home-key" the less resonant it will be. Even string instruments have keys which sound clearer, usually keys close to the open strings. The dark, closed, sound of a distant key can be quite appealing though.

I agree. I often wonder why instruments are in "flat" keys (the exception I can think of is the A clarinet, are there others?). It's probably because it's easier to raise a note - shortening the resonant element - than lower it? But this is another question, too many I have...

Calle,

I'd recommend hacking your musings on a piano so you don't have the connundrum of conceptualizing a tune in a semitone key. That'll help you decide also whether or not a piece 'wants' to be that Bb or that A, because you are judging it by how it actually sounds on a tuned instrument.

Assuming we're talking 12-tet.

I agree. I often wonder why instruments are in "flat" keys (the exception I can think of is the A clarinet, are there others?). It's probably because it's easier to raise a note - shortening the resonant element - than lower it? But this is another question, too many I have...

What do you mean "why they are in flat keys"? String pieces favor sharp keys (modern rock and other pop genres are almost ALWAYS in sharp keys to facilitate the guitar), wind ensemble pieces favor flat keys. For strings, it's because the mindset is to start with a base note and raise it, hence sharp notes are slightly more intuitive. Also, the natural strings are pitched to favor sharp rather than flat keys (E A D G etc). This is also true for guitar. EVERY* single pop/R&B piece I play is in a guitar key like B minor, A major, E minor, etc... For band instruments, most are built in flat keys because of tradition (not going to get into it), so it's easier to play tunes that are in flat key sigs rather than sharp.

* an exaggeration, but not much of one. Really.

Range can also be an issue. E.g. in vocal music, its easier for Sopranos to sing a D scale than a G scale. So if you're song goes as high a G5 in the Soprano part, but only goes down to an F#4, then you may want to consider lowering the key. This is just one example for one reason though.