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Songwriting
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PG Music Staff
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Hello PG Forums, what is your favorite key signature? I tend to gravitate towards C minor, Dm, and Bb Major (I'm a keyboard player)
When you go to play, do you decide to pick a feeling to play or do you just pick what sounds best to you?
Cheers,
Joe
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I asked Janice as nowadays she plays more than me. My Martin box is in a closet and my bass fiddle gathers dust in a corner. She tends to favor minor keys or keys that have a lot of minor chords. I’m sure our love of the blues plays a part in that. She kinda defines chords as happy or sad  but a favorite key per se would be hard as she has a pretty good range and settles in on the key that both fits her range and the mood of the tune. Bud
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos
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Songwriting
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Joined: Oct 2008
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Hi Joe,
Good question!
I don't really have a favourite key but I can say that I don't like keys that have 5 or more flats or sharps.
When writing songs in BIAB, I often choose keys based on my perception of which one my chosen style's Realtracks sound best in. To do this, I enter a few standard chords, then engage the Song Settings option "Avoid transposition of Realtracks" and listen to a range of possibilities. I settle on the key I like the sound of best and then start writing lyrics and melody.
If my brain doesn't work so well in a chosen key, I use BIAB's Nashville system or Roman numerals for chords... this makes thinking of progressions much, much easier.
Regards,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Songwriting
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Regarding keys....
I choose the key based on how it sounds and if I can sing reasonably well in that key. I will change in a heartbeat to a different key to better suit my voice. HOWEVER.... the feel of the song can be different in a different key so it's a trade off to switch keys.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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Joe,
E, D, Bb, Eb, F and C are my favorite keys. I just like the chemistry of them. I am not so crazy about G these days but I still use it from time to time for bluegrass. But sometimes I prefer to play in a G modality on the guitar with a capo on the 1st fret to make it Ab and it sounds better to me. Have no idea why. No idea at all. But, every key to me has a different chemistry.
Of all of them I LOVE the key of Eb. It just sounds gorgeous to me and I am not sure why. But it always sounds so "silky." Maybe others know more.
For me, if a song does not come fast I usually don't mess with it. 100% of the time I find the songs I like the most are the ones that come quickly, so fast that I don't have enough time to write the lyrics I hear in my head and I have to reach for the tape player.
Usually, I hear something, will start humming, sit down at the piano, figure out the rudiments of what is going on and then take it from there.
The song totally dictates the key.
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Songwriting
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Journeyman
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Journeyman
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I enjoy reading your comments David, so good, real, I can understand your views. Your songs are the same top of the line.
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Songwriting
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Unquestionably for me it's Eb
I have others, I like F, Ab and Am.
I play in all keys (Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata which I also play is written in C# minor).
They're all good, it depends a lot on the song, the style, the range and more - but I love the richness of Eb.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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It depends on the song and what I am going to play that determines the key signature.
Since I am not very proficient on my wind controller I stay with the simple key signatures C, F, G, D, Bb or their relative minors.
It doesn't matter what key signature if I'm playing guitar or bass as I can play in all keys with these instruments.
I'm a real hacker when it comes to the keyboard so the fewer sharps or flats the better. I can usually figure something out on the keys but it takes a long time.
BobH is a finger picking guitarist so when he comes over the key signatures are usually C, G, D, A, or E.
When JonD comes over we make up key signatures!
If I have to pick my favorite key signatures they would be Em or Am.
PS - I only sing in the key of Z.
I think my wife has started to show the first signs of dementia.
She said she can't remember what she ever saw in me!
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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PG Music Staff
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I find I write a lot in Eb, A, and C myself. Really interesting to hear all the variety here in what people prefer!
Cheers,
Deryk
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I play what sounds best to me. I don’t care what key it is.
As far as composing, one of the great features of BIAB is how easy it is to change the key. After I write a song, I audition it in all keys to find the one with the most comfortable range for the lead instrument.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Being a guitarist and mostly playing country type music I stick as much as I can to open chords. D, A, E, G, and C then Em, Am, Dm for minors. This also comes from often playing in a band with only bass, drums and guitar. Playing open chords gives one more time to use the pinky for little fills etc. However, at times one does need to use other keys as the voice might dictate. Other times other chords in the pattern might make a different key more favourable. Horses for courses.
My thoughts
Tony
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I play what sounds best to me. I don’t care what key it is.
As far as composing, one of the great features of BIAB is how easy it is to change the key. After I write a song, I audition it in all keys to find the one with the most comfortable range for the lead instrument. I agree with Matt. I don't even understand the concept of a favorite key. You choose the key based on the range of the vocalist or lead instrument in an instrumental.
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 Steve BIAB/RB 2022, Pro Tools 2020, Korg N5, JBL LSR 4328 Powered Monitors, AKG/Shure Mics.
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F,E,C,G,Eb. When it come to real track I try and write in the same key as the real track demo as I figure when it was put together that was the best key for the style. I may be wrong on that? Rob
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eddie1261
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eddie1261
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C and D. Where I can sing.
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Whatever key gets the best vocal performance from the given vocalist. For myself that varies greatly from song to song. But, most of the country songs I cover I happen to do them in the original key done by the person who made the song popular. That is likely due to me choosing songs that I sing well and learning them mostly by ear. A few I will lower or raise a half step.
For worship songs I try best to choose keys that I think the majority of people can sing them in even if it's not my best key. I have heard very nice worship songs done in bad keys where the lead singer sounded okay but the rest of the people where very uncomfortable joining in. Then I've done those same songs and heard others do them in appropriate keys where everyone feels comfortable and sings along.
So, for me it's largely dependent on the vocals.
For guitar instrumentals it really doesn't matter but I prefer to avoid Eb and Bb.
Does the noise in your head bother me ?
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For guitar instrumentals it really doesn't matter but I prefer to avoid Eb and Bb.
Eb is easy on guitar, just pretend you are Stevie Ray and tune down a 1/2 step 
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Songwriting
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PG Music Staff
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OP
PG Music Staff
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Great responses everyone! Its so interesting to see how other musicians pick specific keys. I also tend to hum a riff and then figure out the key from there. Generally it is a very spontaneous decision.
Cheers,
Joe
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