Can any song be played in any scale?

[movilogo]

Is it possible to play any song (e.g. Jingle Bells) in any scale (e.g. C major and D major)? 

I changed scales for couple of songs and they still sound the same though a little bit different.

Why do the sheet music notation always specify the scale if players can change scale? 

[quantum]

It sounds (excuse the pun) as if you are asking if a piece can be transposed into different keys.  As you have already discovered, certainly they can.  The notes can remain at their relative proportions, while the entire piece shifted up or down in pitch - transposed into a different key. 

Since an octave can be divided into 12 distinct tones, there are 12 different possibilities for transposition to a parallel key. 

It is also possible switch modes for a piece.  For example, playing Jingle Bells in minor as opposed to major.  This again can be shifted up or down in any of the 12 tonal centers. 

The sheet music is telling you what mode/key you are currently in.  That by no means is an indication of restriction, as of course you could transpose the music.  It would be helpful to rewrite the music in the new key.  Then again, sight transposition is a very useful skill. 

[movilogo]

Ah, so this is called transposing 

What intrigues me is that even after changing scales (i.e. transposing) how the tune (e.g. Jingle Belles) is still recognizable.

What exactly makes a tune recognizable? Is it they keys or the interval between them? The keys are changed so must be the interval is most important then?

 

[hardy_practice]

Yes, it's the interval that gives the note its 'character'.  Intervals don't exist as such - just as the distance between home and work isn't a 'thing'.   We therefore attach the quality to the note.

[movilogo]

If it is so common to transpose notes, why the staff notation has symbols for each key e.g. C4 is different from C3 etc.

Would it not be easier if music notation consisted of just like do re mi and then leaving it up to the player where to start the 'do' in piano?

Having different symbols for C3 and C4 etc means a ton of memorization when reading. If a sheet music is in C major then transposing it to D major will require all notes being re-written - I am kind of lost here. 

[adodd81802]

No it doesn't make more sense.

Music doesn't always need to be transposed for one. and 2, note reading has been developed to allow you easiest to sight-read the music by seeing the symbols together rather than trying to read a chord of do-mi-so or  pieces of music with lots of notes can become very messy.

Reading music isn't necessarily supposed to be easy to learn, it's supposed to be efficient once you have.

Also consider the following - if somebody gave you the dictionary and told you it's the English language and you considered learning the book from start to finish, you probably wouldn't even bother.

if somebody gave you a phrase book and said this is what you will use most, not only is it more useful, it's more digestible.

Lastly please know, the symbols do not change, unless referring to rhythm. A note of same rhythm is the same no matter where it's placed on the stave. It just looks different if it sits on the line or in between.

[hardy_practice]

Solfa started in the 11th century by Guido d'Arezzo.  Music got more complicated as time went on but it's still useful to singers (and theory teachers) today.  Check out The Sacred Harp:

Too cool!

[movilogo]

Are there any scale which is easier to play than others?

As a beginners so far I am only playing everything on C major but tried G & A majors recently.

I now find C major is actually difficult to play as my right hand getting more twisted where if I move scale towards right it becomes more natural position. 

[hardy_practice]

Chopin like starting students on E or B.  The black notes, as he observed, were designed for the long fingers (2,3 and 4).

[xdjuicebox]

Some are easier to play than others. Because of the way the piano is tempered, some keys have different feelings to them. Ab, for instance, is a really passionate key that almost screams purple, whereas C# minor is a really dark, haunting key. C is really innocent and pure, and E is really F# is really bright and pearly.

[brianvds]

Some are easier to play than others. Because of the way the piano is tempered, some keys have different feelings to them. Ab, for instance, is a really passionate key that almost screams purple, whereas C# minor is a really dark, haunting key. C is really innocent and pure, and E is really F# is really bright and pearly.

I am not sure how, without perfect pitch, one can possibly hear any difference in character between keys. All major keys sound pretty much the same to my ears. :-)