Part of being a musician is the ability to play in any key. Many of us here are entertainers and with today's instruments, it's not necessary to play in any key. I've always prided myself in my ability to play in any key. Although I make my living as an entertainer, I am also a trained musician. There are advantages to being both. I also read music. I like most of you learned how to play by ear first and I wouldn't trade that for anything. For me, learning how to read has been helpful in my career.

Joe

ditto to what Joe said

I CAN play in any key but I'm a lot more comfortable in certain ones. As Rory says many licks are much more natural in certain keys.
Bill, our friend Richard Wells (who also happens to be blind) can play MORE than adequately in any key. He has perfect pitch and I don't believe he is capable of hitting a wrong note. When I worked with him, I didn't have to tell him what key I was going to be in, just which instrument I wanted him to play. He is amazing on keys, sax, clarinet, flute, harmonica and BAGPIPES. Last I heard he was learning guitar also.
Rory reminds me so much of Richard except Rory is way past him on guitar. They actually both sound a lot alike on vocals.
For the rest of you, Richard has two brothers, Charles and Talmadge. All three are just about equally talented. Talmadge's best instrument is probably guitar.
Bill sorry to hijack your thread but here is something you'll find interesting about our local music scene and its roots, including info about the Wells brothers and our friends Nita Lynn, and son Robin Vosbury. http://www.thebestoftimesnews.com/article.php?article=91&issue=

DonM

This thread also brought to mind my seeing Monty Alexander http://montyalexander.com/
at a local jazz club a few years back http://www.chanseggrollsandjazz.com/ ...
During their break, I went to the men's room and I met the bass player ... we talked (OUTSIDE the men's room ) about the play list they were using ... he said that they had rehearsed their latest CD for weeks before going out on the road, but that night they hadn't played one tune from it ... the 'play list' is whatever comes into Monty's mind at that moment ... the bass player also said that Monty would play an intro - sometimes fairly long - and then switch keys before starting the tune ... so he had to be able to play every song in ANY key because he never knew what key Monty was going to play it in ... he also joked that it was easier for the drummer to do that ...
t.

Most of the Nashville musicians use Nashville notation in the studio. The arrangement of the song is written in intervals and are key-agnostic. So if a song is II-V-I it doesn't matter what key you start in.

The chording using the above method is fairly straight forward, but if you were transcribing a solo, it would be a bit more work.

You can check out the Nashville Number system here: http://hubpages.com/hub/nashvillenumbers


[This message has been edited by kbrkr (edited 11-13-2010).]

In our way the Geometry of the keyboard changes the way you play a LOT and no way in
hell it would sound the same if you played it in another key...sometimes it sucks.
Thats why we use a lot the Transpose.

In my experience it has always been more important to be able to make the transposition SOUND GOOD as opposed to attempting a note-for-note transcription from the former key.

With the keyboard, there are certain physical constraints that lead to key-specific *devices* that often don't translate as something that is easy to play in the new key. So don't play 'em there.

Perhaps the best examples I can think of right now come from the great Art Tatum. He enjoyed the key of Db for the various fingering devices that can *only* be done quickly in that key.

Studio session cats are generally called upon to make it sound great. Always listening for a "hole" in the music in which we might fit something, yet knowing how not to overplay at the same time, it is both art and a science.


--Mac

Well put, Mac. I can tell that you're one of those "cats" with lots of hours logged as a session man!


Russ

This is just my experience.

I can play most songs in any key, but some keys are more comfortable to play certain phrases than others. For instance some minor/major double stops are easier and sound better in C, F, and G than in Bb, D# and B.

But for me I usually practice one version of the song in a female key, and one version in a male key.

When doing session work, I usually get the song, changes and key to be recorded before the session. Studio time is expensive, it is not good to waste money on a piano player not knowing the song he is hired to play. That said, we often do new arrangements and make up new phrases and motifs. But the key is usually allready established by the composer.

But who cares... if it sounds good, it is good. If you have to use the transpose button, do it. It doesn't make you a lesser player. I know great famous piano players who only knows ONE key! That doesn't stop them from making great music. I belive it was Irving Berlin (or other famous musical dude) how only knew how to play the black keys, and got a custom made piano that he could transpose by moving the hammers via some kind of contraption. We don't look down on guitarists from using a capo do we?

DocZ

I listen to many of the greatest tenor sax players of all time. I admit I haven't heard every tune they've ever done. They have Wynton Kelly, Art Tatum, Bill Evans, Monk and many others on their sessions. I have yet to hear a blues chart in, Gb, Ab, A, B, Db, D, or E by any of them. Their blues charts have many chords played in many different variations etc. It's not only I, IV, V blues.
Just my two cents!