Izzy Berlin could only play and compose in the key of F#.

He would hire someone to transcribe the piece properly onto paper -- and also to put the key where the accomp;lished musician/arranger thought it would work best. White Christmas is one of those. Well, they ALL were:

Quote:


The determined composer became respected in the music world despite never having learned how to read music or play the piano properly. During the years when he should have been in school, he was busy surviving on the streets any way he could. Nevertheless, he plunked out tunes on the piano and wrote the lyrics. Then he would engage an assistant to transcribe the musical notation and arrangements into proper form. Berlin only knew how to play the black keys (the key of F#) on his piano; he compensated by using a special transposing piano with a lever that mechanically changed the key signature and, consequently, the vocal range of the song.




source: http://www.historynet.com/irving-berlin.htm


--Mac

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