What's your favorite key to write in?

Lately I've been noticing that most of my songs are in E- minor..

I don't really do it intentionally, they just turn out that way. This is just on guitar by the way, when writing on keyboard, I almost never use this key.

I don't really mind it, but I suppose I might transpose a few songs or something. An album full of E-minor might get boring.

What about you guys?

I don't have a "favorite," really, but I do seem to find that a lot of the stuff I write ends up in D major.

D minor, which I find to be the saddest of all keys.

for some reason a lot of my songs end up in E or E minor

from my latest bunch of songs:

E: 3

Em: 2

Gm: 2

Am: 2

G: 1

A: 1

D: 1

Dm: 1

Cm: 1

F: 1

Bm: 1

I like writing in G/Em, too. It's an easy key to write in on guitar with lots of open string possibilities.

I should say that's the position I often write in (along with C/Am and D/Bm)... because I actually have my primary accompaniment guitars tuned down a half step. And I use a capo frequently, as well. (And, yes, sometimes I even put the capo on the first fret, returning me to "standard." Of course, that makes it a lot easier to play along with other folks.)

The capo helps break up the sameness quite a bit -- but it can't disguise it if you're doing the same old moves, so I try to keep expanding my technique and cofort zone.

Most of mine are originally written in C, Am, E or Em.

But a lot of songs get transposed with a capo when I start playing them with the band.

When I was a kid my piano had a broken string so everything I played had to be in the key of "E flat missing".

--gary

D minor, which I find to be the saddest of all keys.

HAHA the guy said that in "Spinal Tap".

I keep coming back to C major. I'm actually trying to avoid it for a while, because it feels like I've been stuck in a rut. It happens to be the easiest key for composing fingerpickin' melodies, which is why I come back to it. I do capo up a lot, too.

Spinal Tap quotes. Don't leave home without 'em (especially if you're a musician).

IMDB:

D minus, just above failure.

Is anyone using the cut or partial capo in any of their songs? Someone mentioned using a capo and getting some alternative tunings. I have been picking around with some Celtic/Irish Folk Melodies and rhythms and the Kyser Cut Capo is great. I can get some really neat tunings while using a full capo and a cut capo together. The cut capo seems to be good, alone, only on the 2nd Fret, but you can put a full capo on the 1st Fret and the Cut Capo on the 3rd Fret. Form the chords the way you usually do and see what voicings you get. You must always place the full capo and the cut capo 1 fret apart (i.e. 1st/3rd; 2nd/4th; 3rd/5th; etc.)

kinnordaviyd

guitarplayer@toast2.net

www.meetyourband.com/kinnordaviyd

It's all in good fun!!! Really, it's really fun!

I seem to really enjoy Bm and F#m these days. I like to play a lot in Em but I find that it's more natural for me to sing in Fm, so I sometimes capo 1st fret. I also really like Cm/Eb, but that's a very difficult key to play in for a guitarist, and aside from tuning down a 1/2 step for Eb major there's not a lot you can do. I have been experimenting with drop C tunings for Cminor though that I hope will expand my sound and ability to play more naturally within the key. I'm not a huge fan of major keys usually but I'd say Eb major is by far my favorite, then B major/F# major for 2nd place.

I've written in every key. I really don't have a favorite, although lately, I've been favoring natural keys over flat keys.

Often, the way I choose a key to write in is just "hey, I haven't written in this key in a while". It's actually pretty random.

I just tried it. It's actually not that complicated and it sounds really really really really really good.

6/8

i usually write in or around Emajor/C#minor b/c i'm such a lame singer and my range works very well there! lol. also, the natural open strings just sing on the guitar. it's such a guitaristic key.

(yes, 'guitaristic' is a word...i checked)