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I saw this and thought it was good. It's been posted before and it started a lot of controversy. Hopefully we can give that a rest this time around.
I think a Better title is: "Key signatures are easy."
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I’m not convinced that learning a song in C# Major means you can automatically play it in Db Major.
Sure, you could just pretend it’s in C#, But what if you’re asked to sightread it in Db?
Guys, key signatures are NOT the entirety of music theory. It’s cool that someone skilled and famous came up with a formula to simplify the concepts behind them, but there’s a couple more things involved. Music theory textbooks would only be a few pages long if that’s all there was.
Yeah there's a strange tendency to believe that "key signatures and reading" is the same thing as "music theory"
Much like thinking "numbers and greek letters" = "Mathematics"
Much like thinking "numbers and greek letters" = "Mathematics"
I count 58 theoretical keys and 35 possible note names. What am I missing? Help shroo!Here's what noted musicologist Wik E. Pedia has to say on the topic:
So if I'm ever at a Victor Wooten workshop and he brings this up, I'm going to shout out, "Wrong! There are 62 keys!"
Now, I will play "devil's advocate".
In my years, I've played ton's of songs - covers, originals, my own - as a comping instrument, but somehow I've missed that very important bass guitar teaching "tool" - play it in all 12 keys.
Let's say, we would play a song from Chic or Earth Wind and Fire, or Mezzoforte, or Steve Wonder, or any "Jazz Standard", but I was so wrong and did not spend time playing and learning it in all 12(?) keys.
If I've played the original/self-concocted songs - I also did not learn it in all 12 keys.
I’d say you’re screwed if you can’t move down a half step.
Let me see.
I'm in the recording studio and have only 10 seconds to react??? and immediately record Donna Lee?
Anyway, I know that ALL BIG and (low) name bass players always repeat that "mantra" play in all 12(?) keys, but...
If it's a sightreading deal in the studio than I don't have enough time to re-transcribe it in all 12 keys.
If it's a Chord chart deal in the studio - I will have a few seconds (or at least 1 minute) to check the chords/chord progression but I won't have enough time to play it in all 12 keys.
I'm kind of still trying to understand that expression "suddenly" you must.
About the singer's request "suddenly" to transpose a song. If it's on a regular basis - start writing the Nashville system way the chord changes, if it's a single event - than I would have a few seconds to think about it and prepare for that change.
In short.
I've played in all keys various songs in various music styles but I've had NO time to to play all those songs in all keys.
It's only my opinion.
There is no problem to move up or down a song by any steps - I just don't understand that overwhelming everywhere statement, "If you don't play it in all 12 keys, you don't know the song"
Most professional level players can transpose on sight. If you can do this, you don’t have to pre-practice in all 12 keys.
If you can’t transpose on sight, then learning a song in all keys is certainly a way to circumvent this skill. A really long way.
It's more about the mastery of your instrument. If you have to improvise in any key, the fact that you had been learning all your tunes in all keys will help you tremendously. Same with fills. Haven't played anything in F# tho 