A hypothetical

[perprocrastinate]

What if all music was written in C major? Would you still play piano?

[austinarg]

That would mean we would not know any other key. Therefore, we wouldn't be thinking about the possibility of playing in another key. So my answer is yes.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

That would be kinda ugly. 

But as long as Rachmaninoff and Scriain have music written in C major, then I would keep playing

[j_menz]

The question is ridiculous. 

[ajspiano]

....yes. And I would be famous, as the first person to write in a different key.

[perprocrastinate]

The question is ridiculous. 

And you shall suffer the fate of having to bear these ridiculous questions for all eternity! Well, as long as I'm here.

[j_menz]

And you shall suffer the fate of having to bear these ridiculous questions for all eternity! Well, as long as I'm here.

LOL, much preferable to an eternity of "which is harder" or endless debates about finger vs wrist vs arm technique, though I suspect they'll outlive us both. 

[davidjosepha]

Do you mean that other keys couldn't be used? Like, the piece would only be able to use the C major scale? Or do you just mean that the key signature would have to be in C major, but it could drift to other keys like most music does? If so, I'd probably still play piano...it'd be kinda bland after a while, but I guess there's always the advantage of not having to remember any sharps or flats in the key signature!

I think C major is my least favorite key of all though...couldn't you have picked B minor, or B-flat major? Something at least remotely interesting...

[perprocrastinate]

Do you mean that other keys couldn't be used? Like, the piece would only be able to use the C major scale? Or do you just mean that the key signature would have to be in C major, but it could drift to other keys like most music does? If so, I'd probably still play piano...it'd be kinda bland after a while, but I guess there's always the advantage of not having to remember any sharps or flats in the key signature!

I think C major is my least favorite key of all though...couldn't you have picked B minor, or B-flat major? Something at least remotely interesting...

In the concept that the chromatic scale is a human invention. Say that only C major had been "created". I have no idea about music theory, so I apologize if I am ridiculous like j_menz says.

[ajspiano]

In the concept that the chromatic scale is a human invention. Say that only C major had been "created".

Then I'd play in A minor.

Seriously though. Here's the thing. There are instruments unlike the piano, such as the violin, that have variable pitch. - or the human voice....

So, as J_menz pointed out. This question is totally ridiculous.

[davidjosepha]

Then I'd play in A minor.

Seriously though. Here's the thing. There are instruments unlike the piano, such as the violin, that have variable pitch. - or the human voice....

So, as J_menz pointed out. This question is totally ridiculous.

Well, yes and no. It's ridiculous in that if you have the interval between B and C, someone would likely be able to find C#, but on the other hand, there are other cultures whose music uses quarter steps in addition to half steps. Sure, technically /we/ could use them too, but we don't. I imagine they could have a discussion like this and think, "No, there's no way someone would only have 12 notes in an octave (probably not the word they'd use...). They can bend pitch with various instruments, why not just create the rest of the notes?"

I understand it's a little different, but...

If I actually were in this situation though, I'd just play in C dorian.

[ajspiano]

I understand it's a little different, but...

perhaps a little different..  but mostly thats my point - its not just that people would very quickly find the other chromatic intervals, so much as in order to find C major to begin with they'd have experimented with much of what goes in between any chromatic interval...

and since the voice came before instruments, they probably also sang at a variety of different pitches and in different keys (diatonic or otherwise) before anyone ever settled on a major scale and made an instrument that could produce the sounds.

[invictious]

....yes. And I would be famous, as the first person to write in a different key.

Unfortunately, you will be criticised and ostracised for your whole life. It is only years after your death when your 'genius' will be appreciated. By then, it would not matter anymore