Members rasputin1963 Posted June 9, 2012 Members Share Posted June 9, 2012 I've been trying to replicate the sound of the soul girls singing background on 1976's "Night Moves" by Bob Segar. I was surprised tonight to learn that that song is in the key of C# or Db (depending how you look at it). Definitely a "capo" song for you guitarists, no? What other famous pop songs can you think of... that are in highly atypical keys (for a pop/rock record)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members A. Einstein Posted June 9, 2012 Members Share Posted June 9, 2012 Two hit songs in an unusual key for Portuguese [video=youtube;VvWTp3bO-Cs] [video=youtube;882j_iw-JTc] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members philbo Posted June 9, 2012 Members Share Posted June 9, 2012 I've been trying to replicate the sound of the soul girls singing background on 1976's "Night Moves" by Bob Segar.I was surprised tonight to learn that that song is in the key of C# or Db (depending how you look at it). Definitely a "capo" song for you guitarists, no?What other famous pop songs can you think of... that are in highly atypical keys (for a pop/rock record)? i have a capo but never use it. when the key is guitar-unfriendly, i just switch to partial chords. one favorite shape is the 3 5 1, which can be done easily on any 3 consecutive guitar strings:Eb: 3 1 1 x x xAb: x 3 1 1 x xC#: x x 3 1 2 x i sear ched for statistics on what keys are most used for pop, but had no luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members A. Einstein Posted June 9, 2012 Members Share Posted June 9, 2012 possibly A and E major are the most used basic keys on pop Db is great for tenor sax Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members russrags Posted June 9, 2012 Members Share Posted June 9, 2012 I think "Night Moves" is in a special Keith Richard's tuning with the low E string removed. RussNashville Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members A. Einstein Posted June 9, 2012 Members Share Posted June 9, 2012 btw, guitar in standard tunung sounds most natural in anything phrygian minor, no matter if you felled from a coconut tree, or not Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rasputin1963 Posted June 10, 2012 Author Members Share Posted June 10, 2012 The Beatles' "Because" is in....an odd key... "I Am The Walrus" is in the weirdest key of all: Cb Or starts in it, anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wrongnote85 Posted June 10, 2012 Members Share Posted June 10, 2012 just because the song is in an 'odd' key does not mean that it requires a capo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members onelife Posted June 10, 2012 Members Share Posted June 10, 2012 "Walrus" is in A but has a strange vamp at the end using descending major chords. The root of all the chords are natural notes and the eight measure phrase starts on a different chord every time because there are only seven chords. It makes it sound more unusual than it really is. A lot of players who tune down half a step play in "unusual" keys by conventional pop guitar standards but I really think it all comes down to where the singer is comfortable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members A. Einstein Posted June 10, 2012 Members Share Posted June 10, 2012 just because the song is in an 'odd' key does not mean that it requires a capo. a score where all music is written in C major or A minor is called "idiot score" (Idioten-Partitur), also a score where none of instruments are tranposed is called idiot score Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wrongnote85 Posted June 10, 2012 Members Share Posted June 10, 2012 a score where all music is written in C major or A minor is called "idiot score" (Idioten-Partitur), also a score where none of instruments are tranposed is called idiot score thanks for that, really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rasputin1963 Posted June 11, 2012 Author Members Share Posted June 11, 2012 Thought of another: "Cold As Ice" by Foreigner. In Eb Minor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted June 11, 2012 Members Share Posted June 11, 2012 Thought of another: "Cold As Ice" by Foreigner. In Eb Minor. Not an odd key if the song was written on the keyboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JeffLearman Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 You can't always tell what key the musicians played in by listening to the song. Especially back in the 60's, a lot of tunes were sped up or slowed down during mastering as requested by the producer, either to hit a desired track length, or because the change in pitch and temp improved the result in some way. Also, a lot of guitar-oriented rock was recorded without tuning the instruments to standard pitch first. So, as a keyboard player learning tunes back in the day, I needed a turntable with adjustable speed (I couldn't adjust the pitch on my Rhodes or CP70.) I wish I could provide specific examples but it was too long ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ggm1960 Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 I've been trying to replicate the sound of the soul girls singing background on 1976's "Night Moves" by Bob Segar.I was surprised tonight to learn that that song is in the key of C# or Db (depending how you look at it). Definitely a "capo" song for you guitarists, no?What other famous pop songs can you think of... that are in highly atypical keys (for a pop/rock record)? Hmmm I recently learned to play that one on piano but playing along to the recorded version I was in Ab. I haven't ever played it on guitar. My guess is that if my band were to do it we'd drop it down to G. I was at a Bob Seger concert in Des Moines last September where he, of course, played this song. Even though I had binoculars I don't know what key they played it in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zooey Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 I'm probably the only Smiths fan on this board, but most Smiths songs are in unusual keys for guitar music. When I was in high school, I drove myself crazy trying to figure out how to play those riffs. It wasn't until the '90s that I read an interview with Johnny Marr (in Guitar Player, this was pre-internet) and found out that he tunes his guitar a whole step sharp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members scarecrowbob Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 Just saw this research.... mebee relevant? http://blog.hooktheory.com/2012/06/06/i-analyzed-the-chords-of-1300-popular-songs-for-patterns-this-is-what-i-found/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members A. Einstein Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 Famous pop songs... in unusual keys.. I know quite a few famous song in C Major and A Minor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members A. Einstein Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 thanks for that, really. You're welcome. Do you know what a score is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wrongnote85 Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 You're welcome.Do you know what a score is? no idea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members girevik Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 "Rock With You" by Michael Jackson is mostly in Eb before it finishes in E Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JeffLearman Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 A lot of great tunes are in Eb, either due to being horn songs, or because it's "guitar tuned down a half-step" stuff. (I don't mind when guitarists do that, but I sure wish they'd transpose to concert themselves when calling chords! Ah well, might as well wish they'd turn the volume down, too.) Low Spark of High Heeled Boys is in Eb, but does that qualify as a pop song? ;-) I'm weak(er) in anything but a handful of easy keys like GCA&E, but the only ones I find "odd" are Db, Ab, and Gb (plus their enharmonic sharps). Of course, I'm ignoring keys like B#. Don't bother me with key sigs with 6 flats or 6 sharps, either! Even then I did write a tune in Ab, because it uses the open E on guitar. Sue me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members A. Einstein Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 no idea You're a real superstar, if not already then soon !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members girevik Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 "ABC" by Jackson 5 is in Ab. I play my simple solo fingerstyle guitar arrangement of "Rock With You" in the key of Eb... until it switches to E of course. I don't use a capo for that arrangement, nor do I tune the guitar down to Eb. I do use a capo though for the solo fingerstyle arrangement of "ABC" that I'm learning from Adam Rafferty's DVD, because he uses a capo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wrongnote85 Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 You're a real superstar, if not already then soon !!! thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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