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difference between different scales/keys
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Topic: difference between different scales/keys
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88keys88
PS Silver Member
Newbie
Posts: 1
difference between different scales/keys
on: October 03, 2022, 02:22:00 AM
Why do we say, this song (melody) is in A minor (just an example). Why can't you play that song let's say in D minor. You can, but musicians will say, it is not going to be as pleasant as original. Why not? If the frequency interval in between the notes stays the same, then why not? It is just that you will have a different starting point (reference point). The frequency intervals up and down going any number of keys , any scale will stay the same, does not matter which key you start from. And it is the manipulation of those frequency intervals in the time frame, that we perceive as melody. So melody should stay exactly the same. Isn't it? Of course pitch will slightly be different. And interestingly, we do not question the originality of a melody when we start from a different octave, as long as the reference point stays the same. That means you can start from A5, or A6 instead of A4. So doubling the frequency or quadrupling the frequency of the reference point is considered 100% right; but it is not considered accurate if the frequency of the new point is not the multiple of 2 (in terms of original key). Why not? If a melody played in the range 220Hz .....440 Hz is same as the melody played between 440Hz...880Hz, why is it not exactly the same as the melody played in the range from 392Hz.....784 (783.99) Hz. This is the G4-G5 range. Bottomline is, doubling the frequency is Ok, but choosing something less or more than the double is not Ok, even though you follow the same rules/intervals of melody. WHY ?
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brogers70
PS Silver Member
Sr. Member
Posts: 1744
Re: difference between different scales/keys
Reply #1 on: October 03, 2022, 06:54:17 PM
Of course you can play or sing a piece in any key you want. It may make a difference in several ways though. Instruments and human voices have different tonal qualities in different parts of their ranges, so a key may be chosen to highlight a particular sound quality. On many instruments some keys are just easier to play in than others.
The only place I'd disagree with you is with the claim that transposing by an octave is fine, while transposing by any other interval is not. Transposing by an octave often changes the character of a piece. Imagine an operatic soprano aria transposed down an octave to be sung by a tenor - character would be far more different than if it had been transposed down a whole step to accommodate a soprano with a slightly lower range.
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