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Author Topic: Finding a key to write in  (Read 27099 times)

rfxRodo

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Finding a key to write in
« on: January 06, 2016, 03:18:35 pm »
Hello everyone! Usually whenever I start writing a song I pick a random key and see what goes on from there. I was wondering if anyone has any methods or tips to finding the right key they want to write in.
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Tiongcy

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Re: Finding a key to write in
« Reply #1 on: January 06, 2016, 03:24:13 pm »
I usually just play around with the piano then get something from that haha. After i try transposing to different keys and ill try to see if it sounds better.
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BoyBioNik

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Re: Finding a key to write in
« Reply #2 on: January 06, 2016, 03:26:23 pm »
I usually plan the concept of the song in my head like roughly would it be a Chill Song/Heavy Bass/Party/Mood Swing and then accordingly decide the key.To sum it up,I think what vibes people should get while listening to the song and accordingly plan the key.
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Awkward Dance Moves

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Re: Finding a key to write in
« Reply #3 on: January 06, 2016, 03:32:54 pm »
Skim through the keys and there is usually one that always sounds best to people(stands out), it just depends on the person,and your mood. For example, I noticed almost all of other peoples songs I had on my pc were in  D#. My body just connects with that vibrational frequency. So when I'm in a more happy mood I general gravitate towards C major. Just go with what you vibe with and build your song using a scale based on that main key you are vibing with at that moment.


This  may not be very good advice since I'm pretty new to producing, but you can kind of just feel it.
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Hearts

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Re: Finding a key to write in
« Reply #4 on: January 06, 2016, 03:37:44 pm »
Personally the way I write is always starting in Eb Maj because thats the key i know how to play best on the piano, i know how to improvise on it and its my most comfortable form to play in. What I do is I will flesh out the chords and melody and then transpose to a key that fits the song better. To find this it will be dependent on many factors, the most important ones will probably be your vocalist's range if youre working with vocals, and your sub bass range if youre just working instrumentally. depending on how wide your sub notes vary you might find that you arent really staying within the Sub frequencies, or youre going too low to hear your sub, if either of these happen you can transpose the song up or down a few semitones accordingly, if BOTH of these happen, it means that your sub is too erratically moving and you should revisit the notes youre playing :P
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Voia

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Re: Finding a key to write in
« Reply #5 on: January 06, 2016, 04:16:18 pm »
if you want your tune to be super heavy, you should write it between F and G# minor. most buildings actually resonate with those sub level frequencies and they go harder in a club setting
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Mussar

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Re: Finding a key to write in
« Reply #6 on: January 06, 2016, 05:15:07 pm »
Quote from: Voia on January 06, 2016, 04:16:18 pm
if you want your tune to be super heavy, you should write it between F and G# minor. most buildings actually resonate with those sub level frequencies and they go harder in a club setting

I've also heard to avoid anything below D# because it can get difficult to manage the sub for something that low.
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Drainpuppet

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Re: Finding a key to write in
« Reply #7 on: January 06, 2016, 05:22:54 pm »
Quote from: Voia on January 06, 2016, 04:16:18 pm
if you want your tune to be super heavy, you should write it between F and G# minor. most buildings actually resonate with those sub level frequencies and they go harder in a club setting

that being said your tonic may not necessarily be the lowest note you wish to play. usually if i have a submediant in my bassline somewhere i want it to be lower than the tonic.
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Syrenne

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Re: Finding a key to write in
« Reply #8 on: January 06, 2016, 07:09:12 pm »
Seeing as though a lot of us are producing electronic music, I think its important to look at how the key we pick affects the bass energy in a track.  For example, if you choose the key of Eb the fundamental will be just below 40Hz.  That's all well and good, but you have to take the sound systems you play on into account.  Most of them don't really reach lower than that so your track can sound like it loses power.

It's just yet another thing to take into account  ;D
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Vidale

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Re: Finding a key to write in
« Reply #9 on: January 06, 2016, 10:56:13 pm »
I normally don't think about a key, but just a chord. Then I see where my creativity takes me. Must of the time I end up in the same key as my chord, but it's not always the case.

For example, If I'm in playing a C major chord sometimes I stay in the key of C, but I might change to the key of G if I want to go that direction. Either way that chord would be coherent to both key signatures.

Then you can build different parts of the track and modulate between key signatures.

There's a lot of ways you can do it. If you don't have a lot of experience with music theory and have a keyboard in front of you, you can just always write in C (all the white keys) and then transpose if you need to. Some of my fav producers do it this way.   ;D
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Wontolla

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Re: Finding a key to write in
« Reply #10 on: January 06, 2016, 11:25:35 pm »
If you're worried about the sub not showing up, use a different sub. Try this: start with a saw, put a sharp high pass around 40 Hz, and use a low pass to get it into sub range. Then use a limiter to keep it at a consistent volume. That should work down to about an A (27.5 Hz). It works by cutting out the fundamental, and just playing overtones on the lower notes, so it sounds more like a bass guitar, but deeper, since it gets down into the sub frequencies that acoustic instruments can't reach.

It might not be as heavy, but you won't be stuck in the same key that literally everyone else uses, and your track will stand out.
« Last Edit: January 06, 2016, 11:30:16 pm by Wontolla »
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Mussar

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Re: Finding a key to write in
« Reply #11 on: January 06, 2016, 11:28:53 pm »
Quote from: Wontolla on January 06, 2016, 11:25:35 pm
If you're worried about the sub not showing up, use a different sub. Try this: start with a saw, put a sharp high pass around 40 Hz, and use a low pass to get it into sub range. Then use a limiter to keep it at a consistent volume. This should work down to about an A (27.5 Hz). It might not be as heavy, but you won't be stuck in the same key that literally everyone else uses, and your track will stand out.

Ooh, that's a good trick. Thanks!
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Kaivaan

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Re: Finding a key to write in
« Reply #12 on: January 07, 2016, 12:56:02 am »
keys are kind of arbitrary, its really just whatever- I personally prefer the C#, D, and A major scales. why? Ive made so many tracks with that scale so now its just habit ;D

if you really want to you can just use the same key as your favorite songs {so you can mix it in dj sets heheheh}

I personally believe in the theory that different keys give off different moods... likewise with modal scales

heres one link I found if you want to read more on that: http://biteyourownelbow.com/keychar.htm
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producer_chick

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Re: Finding a key to write in
« Reply #13 on: January 07, 2016, 02:56:08 am »
I usually start off a track based on a bass sound that inspires me. I check to see which key it sounds best in, and then write my track from there. The bass is the foundation of the track so it's important for me to know that the key I'm writing my track in is the best possible one for the main bass sound I've chosen. It works for the style I'm producing which is mostly electronic dance music.
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ErikF

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Re: Finding a key to write in
« Reply #14 on: January 07, 2016, 04:46:58 am »
I really like writing in Cm and Fm. Don't know why, I just dig that scale.
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