Hello Metal Heads,

There is one thing that has been confusing for a long time. I've realized when I analyze a lot of classical music they mostly never stick to one key. Even when the songs are called for example Concerto in C major; a lot of the notes are not in the C major! I don't understand that. When they refer to the key do they mean it as the main key of the song and they modulate out of the key at numerous times? I think this is the logic. Any feedback on this would be great.

Thank You All!

You got to realise that the music is based in C major, but then they might use notes from outside to add in a different sound.

__________________

Good musicians follow the chord. So while a progression might be based out of C major. The chords of C major scale (C - Dm - Em - F - G - Am - Bdim) contain minor chords as well so many players will play that specfic scale ((any) D minor scale over a Dm chord, (any) Em scale over a Em chord) or pull specific tones from that scale to add color.

__________________

Yes, they switch keys. Usually they start and end on the same key and modulate to other keys in between. Some classical forms even include the key changes.

Even when the music says that it's in C major, the composer may often go to the Dominant key (G major) which has one accidental, or the subdominant key (F major) which also has one accidental. In addition, the use of scales like the harmonic and melodic minor scales will also create accidentals in the music, as will chords like diminished 7 chords.

It's called the Corelli protocol.

__________________

I noticed they do a lot of that in stuf that's in sonata form, especially during the recapitulation.

__________________

Mainly no, that happens in the development section, not the recapitulation.

__________________

Well, yeah, but usually they bring back the original theme with bits from the sub-dominant and dominant keys, at least in many that we studied in Music.

Plus you could have the same key but a completely different melody in the development.

__________________

It doesn't matter how much the other sections change, the point and basic definition of the devolopment section is to fuck around and change what had been musically stated already.

__________________

OK OK!

__________________

....just fuckin' around....

-Richard Pryor

__________________

Ya they switch keys to add more notes, but they usually end w/ the same key + note as they started with, excluding annacrusi

__________________

They're suppose to modulate, its part of the forms.