General Music Chat

Thanks guys, but just to clarify I didn't write that list and I'm not positive it's totally accurate, but it has a lot of truth in it. I wrote "Slummin'" in the key of Ab minor and it does have a lot of emotions described for that key. It also explains why so many of our songs are in the key of E, A and B major.

I don't know that one could be totally accurate on such as subjective.

You do research well and provide good info Jim.

I for one appreciate your input.

Thanks George. I appreciate that even though we are at opposite ends in many of our beliefs we still have respect for each other. If only there were more in the world like us ha ha!

Key signatures most certainly have distinct effects on emotions. I'm sure everyone has heard that D minor is the saddest key, or that E flat major is triumphant or heroic.

From Christian Schubart's Ideen zu einer Aesthetik der Tonkunst (1806) translated by Rita Steblin in A History of Key Characteristics in the 18th and Early 19th Centuries. UMI Research Press (1983).
C major Completely pure. Its character is: innocence, simplicity, naïvety, children's talk.
C minor Declaration of love and at the same time the lament of unhappy love. All languishing, longing, sighing of the love-sick soul lies in this key.
Db major A leering key, degenerating into grief and rapture. It cannot laugh, but it can smile; it cannot howl, but it can at least grimace its crying.--Consequently only unusual characters and feelings can be brought out in this key.
D major The key of triumph, of Hallejuahs, of war-cries, of victory-rejoicing. Thus, the inviting symphonies, the marches, holiday songs and heaven-rejoicing choruses are set in this key.
D minor Melancholy womanliness, the spleen and humours brood.
D# minor Feelings of the anxiety of the soul's deepest distress, of brooding despair, of blackest depresssion, of the most gloomy condition of the soul. Every fear, every hesitation of the shuddering heart, breathes out of horrible D# minor. If ghosts could speak, their speech would approximate this key.
Eb major The key of love, of devotion, of intimate conversation with God.
E major Noisy shouts of joy, laughing pleasure and not yet complete, full delight lies in E Major.
F major Complaisance & calm.
F minor Deep depression, funereal lament, groans of misery and longing for the grave.
F# major Triumph over difficulty, free sigh of relief utered when hurdles are surmounted; echo of a soul which has fiercely struggled and finally conquered lies in all uses of this key.
F# minor A gloomy key: it tugs at passion as a dog biting a dress. Resentment and discontent are its language.
G major Everything rustic, idyllic and lyrical, every calm and satisfied passion, every tender gratitude for true friendship and faithful love,--in a word every gentle and peaceful emotion of the heart is correctly expressed by this key.
G minor Discontent, uneasiness, worry about a failed scheme; bad-tempered gnashing of teeth; in a word: resentment and dislike.
Ab major Key of the grave. Death, grave, putrefaction, judgment, eternity lie in its radius.
Ab minor Grumbler, heart squeezed until it suffocates; wailing lament, difficult struggle; in a word, the color of this key is everything struggling with difficulty.
A major This key includes declarations of innocent love, satisfaction with one's state of affairs; hope of seeing one's beloved again when parting; youthful cheerfulness and trust in God.
A minor Pious womanliness and tenderness of character.
Bb major Cheerful love, clear conscience, hope aspiration for a better world.
Bb minor A quaint creature, often dressed in the garment of night. It is somewhat surly and very seldom takes on a pleasant countenance. Mocking God and the world; discontented with itself and with everything; preparation for suicide sounds in this key.
B major Strongly coloured, announcing wild passions, composed from the most glaring coulors. Anger, rage, jealousy, fury, despair and every burden of the heart lies in its sphere.
B minor This is as it were the key of patience, of calm awaiting ones's fate and of submission to divine dispensation.

Damn Dude! this is Awsome!

Hey everyone. This is my first serious topic post on bandmix. I've been composing various genres of music over the course of 10 years. I'm 19 as of now. I started composing songs in the hard rock/heavy metal genre first. I've since been dwelling in a large variety of electronic dance music genres, and I've even worked with ambient music. At this time, I'm working with my heavy metal project again, and I've stumbled across a problem. Like most people who start composing on rock/metal instruments, I can't get out of using the typical key signatures of those instruments. When people think of heavy metal, E and D are constantly occurring key signatures. I've bought a seven-stringed guitar so I can change to B, or tune a half-step down to A#. I still think these are sounds that have been heard before.

I'm looking to take heavy metal to the next level of emotion. I think a lot of the aggressive sound that trademarks the genre is made in production. Alternative key signatures can be used effectively in a way that would express new feelings, other than the overwhelmingly dark ones that most bands express. That drives a lot of people away from the genre. So, my question is; can anyone give me advice on breaking my habit, and/or give me a list of the key signatures and modes, and the way each one uniquely stimulates certain emotions?

Thanks before hand. Hope I get some good answers.

One Approach is to examine your subject/theme. If you want to emote over somebody's death, you'd try to slip in some minors and flats in there... But if you want to celebrate somebodies death, then Both minors and Majors (Less flats.) But Key is only part of it... You can't describe a woman's silky thighs with a texture on the instrument that screams Lizard Scales... Like wise, meter/tempos... If you are chasing down a rabbit, you don't keep the meter and tempo like Moonlight Sonata... or Iron Man.

Geez ... I'm not that good ... I just have to do my best to play it like I feel it.