Do you generally play in the same key?

[KATMAN]

Or do you play in a barage of keys and chords? Maybe it's that I'm lazy and don't want to learn more chords or whatever. I noticed that some artists play in one key a lot more than others. I play a lot of tunes in G,D,and E.I don't venture too far from there.On electric I'm more flexiable,but I don't know a whole bunch of scales either.I'm more of a blues type wannabe who can get away with playing close to the songs I choose.Don't get me wrong,I can play songs in about any key,it's that I don't choose to do it.What about you all? Favorite key when writing a song?

[guitarist21]

I play/write a lot of songs in C, D, and E, because its easiest for me to sing. But because I'm a nerd, I like to mix it up sometimes. Especially in the keys in between C, D, and E. I stick in that area for songs requiring the use of my limited vocals, but when I'm not in that box, I like to explore the different colors you can achieve by using different keys.

[Oldskool Texas]

I used to write a lot in certain keys, thinking that my voice matched those chords better (which it probably does), but my songs started getting stale. When I finally exhausted every permutation of a G - Bm - Em - C - D chord progression, I finally started branching out. Now, years later, I keep one guitar in an open tuning, one in standard, and I use a capo on about 3 out of every 5 songs I write. I have also found the beauty of dropping in the occasional major seventh or minor 6th chord, all of which have really increased the variety of my "style." I recommend abandoning that which has become comfortable and pushing yourself to try new directions.

 

There's a fine line between a groove and a rut.

[babablowfish]

I use my capo to move the song to wherever my voice sounds best. Most of what I play is on the 2nd or 4th fret but I do a few at the 6th and a couple at the 7th or 8th fret.

[Cripes]

Capo works to refresh the sound as well as the mind(set). I will play anywhere from the 2nd to the 5th frets with a capo depending if its for an instrumental or song. Or, I will not use a capo and start a piece somewhere around the 7th to 10th fret range and move around from there.

Staying at one key and pitch can get to be plain Jane after a while. These days I try not to use full chords to see what evolves from there.

[Hudman]

I generally play songs in the key they were written in. I will use a capo (or move a capo) if needed to change the key of a song to better match my vocals (if singing).

[kwakatak]

I find myself noodling around mostly in D, though I like E, G and C. I positively HATE the key of F unless in the relative minor (D min).

 

BTW - I also love to fiddle with several different tunings like DADGAD, DGDGBD, and CACGCE.

[Jake7]

Nope I write in all kinds of keys and combinations of!

 

Lemme know what what you think, all instruments and vocals are me....the third one down and on are acoustic, and I'm about to load a few new ones now too.

 

 

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=521267

[fats]

I find myself noodling around mostly in D, though I like E, G and C. I positively HATE the key of F unless in the relative minor (D min). BTW - I also love to fiddle with several different tunings like DADGAD, DGDGBD, and CACGCE.

 

 

Ahhhh, Dm...the saddest of all keys!

 

I play a *lot* in Am, and E. I'm trying to branch out a bit...but I just instinctively strum an Am chord when I pick up the guitar, and a lot of things go from there.

[brahmz118]

As a music therapist I improvise a lot with kids, so I need to get a lot of mileage out of C major. The Orff marimbas and other kid-oriented xylophones and resonator bells are in C by default. Our plastic recorders are all in C. For children that don't play piano, it's often easiest for them to improvise on white keys. Many children who are starting lessons (on non-transposing instruments) play in C. And a lot of kids songs seem to fit that key, in terms of vocal range.

So to help myself mix things up I often play in non-C keys with a capo. I.e., A major capo III or G major capo V. On my 12-string which is tuned down a whole step I get to play in D, no capo.

I think I've learned a lot by focusing on C. I feel like I'm fluent in that key, the way a person would be fluent in both speaking and hearing a language. If I could do the same thing in all keys I'd really be a versatile musician. But I don't think I ever will.

[Terry Allan Hall]

Can play in any key, but I tend to gravitate towards #keys (G, D, A, E, B, F#) and C, and their relative minors mostly for my vocal range, but occ. I'll sing in F or Bb...instrumentally, it can be any key, though.

Probably at least 1/2 of the songs I've written are in D, G, E, or A (and relative minors).

[DeepEnd]

Usually try to play a song in the key it's written in unless it's too high or has funky chords or a lot of barre chords. I'll sometimes transpose and use a capo so I'm still playing in the same key (for example, play in D with the capo behind the third fret so it comes out in F) but with fewer barre chords. If it's something I've written it's usually in C with the capo behind the third fret (Eb) or it's in D.

[RTripp]

yeah, I also write mainly in keys that work for me. I can sing well in A and I also like playing in A. E and A are probably my main keys, but I have songs in F#, B, D, and G. Don't have any in C, but I can write in any key if I want to challenge myself or something like that. If I find myself strainingto sing a part the way I want to, then I drop it down a step or whatever it takes so I can sing it well.

[bbarkow]

I use my capo to move the song to wherever my voice sounds best. Most of what I play is on the 2nd or 4th fret but I do a few at the 6th and a couple at the 7th or 8th fret.

Same here.

[slodge]

My favorite fingerings are in the keys of G, C, and to a lesser extent, D. This has mostly to do with the fact that I find the chords involved give me a lot of easy opportunities for bass lines and embelishments. I move the capo to change the actual key to that of the original song, the one I can sing to, or the one everyone else is playing in. This should give everyone some idea of my skill level. (I'd put an "embarassed" smilie here if they had one!)

[JasmineTea]

G, mostly.

[guit30]

I like G, D, E, A, C, , most of these are favorites, hate capos
Jim