For example, the root of the C major scale is C. The root note of an Eb minor scale would be Eb. When speaking of keys, the root note of the key is called the tonic pronounced TAWN-ik. I think of keys and the tonic like gravity on Earth. All objects are constantly pulled toward Earth until they come to a state of rest on its surface. Objects can move away from Earth, but eventually come back down.
When you play music, the music is constantly being pulled toward the tonic, or root of the key, wanting to come to a state of rest or completion. The tonic is the most resolved note in a key. Moving away from and back to the tonic resting point of the key is partly what makes music interesting and why it has a pleasing effect on us. Continuing the gravity analogy, music momentarily defies gravity, but then comes back down. When music has this centered sound to it, it is said to be tonal pronounced TOE-nul , or possessing tonality.
Almost all music to which we listen is tonal. When a piece of music lacks a tonal center it is said to be atonal pronounced AY-toe-nul. Most people don't like the sound of atonal music. As you listen to music, try to pay attention to these concepts of tonality and resolution. Although points of resolution occur all throughout a song, you will most noticeably hear it at the end of a song.
Most songs finish on the tonic of the key to make the song sound complete or finished. When the end of a song goes unresolved it often has a comical effect. As such, you should be playing through each example at the keyboard, or where relevant listening to the examples provided. Take a look at the simple melody notated below. Now, see if you can sing it starting at a higher or lower pitch. Did you do it? See if you can do it again at a different pitch. The takeaway point here is that you were able to do this simply by internalizing the melody and letting your musical mind take it higher or lower.
If you were to take this exercise to the piano, you would find that a good deal of thinking might be involved to consider the accidentals the black notes that need to be used to accomplish the same task.
For experienced and skilled pianists, the process of transposing at the piano is as easy a task as it was for you to sing this melody in different places without too much thought--a knowledge of keys is how this is possible. With a knowledge of keys, all of the above information can be distilled down to this:.
Even this is not completely representative of the full potential of key-based thinking, and most of it lies far beyond what we will accomplish in this article series. Our goal will be to establish a core understanding of keys, rather than to go through all the nitty-gritty details.
We want to understand how a knowledge of keys can make our music-learning easier, and how we do it without having to slog through years of college music theory. As is the case with any musical training, the most important ally you have is a strong familiarity with the fundamentals of musical structure and expression. We will reintroduce and reinforce our knowledge of chords and scales to help us, and we will go about learning as much as we can using examples from real music to show how these concepts are actually applied.
To accomplish all of this, we will present six articles that break down keys into a number of components, starting with some basic fundamentals, and then moving onto looking at how we can apply those fundamentals to our understanding of keys.
The articles are linked in order below:. Consider this article series the vista view of keys. Our musical journeys will be long and full of enriching travels, so any chance we can get to survey the landscape before we dive into it should be taken. In these articles, we will survey the landscape of learning about keys so we are more prepared to walk down those paths and benefit from what they have to show us. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
In the Key of So how do we learn? So, what are those basic musical devices you ask? Look at all those 16th notes… Give it a listen here. Summing it Up Whew. It looks something like this: A musician with a knowledge of keys is much more easily able to identify chords , scales , their relationships with one another, and their relationship with the piece as a whole.
This key can carry grief, mournfulness, restlessness. Like a princess locked in a tower longing for her rescuer and future lover. Complaisance, Controlled calmness over the readiness to explode. Deeply angry but composed and sociable still.
Religious sentiment. Deepest depression, lament over death and loss, groans of misery, ready to expire. Triumph over evil, obstacles, hurdles. Surmounting foes and finally finding rest in victory. Brilliant clarity of thought and feeling. Tearing at your hair and shirt, discontentment, long periods of lamentation and crying. Still capable of fighting this feeling.
Rustic, Idyllic, Poetic, Lyrical. Calm and satisfied. Tenderness and Gratitude. Friendship and Faith. It is a gentle key full of peace. Worry of the future, of a failed plan, gnashing of teeth. Concern over a failed plan. Struggling with dislike and malcontent. Putrefaction, Expansive viewpoints of a dark cosmos and existence. Ghosts, Ghouls, Goblins, Graveyards. Haunting and Lingering. A negative look at the experiences of life, competition, growth.
Innocent Love, Satisfaction with the current state of affairs. Belief in Heaven and reuniting with lost loved ones. Youthful and cheerful. Trusting in the spirit of the divine. Love, Clear Conscience, Hopeful Aspirations for the future and a better world. Optimistic and able to take control in order to ensure peace. Preparations for the end. Pessimism and giving up. Belief in darkness.
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