Klarinet Archive - Posting 000540.txt from 1995/05

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.EDU>
Subj: The writing in weird keys for show tunes
Date: Fri, 19 May 1995 06:41:23 -0400

The question was asked by Andrew Lloyd Weber (for instance) writes in
weird keys like Db. Easy question!!!

There was never a broadway show that I played in where the lead singer
did not say, "It's too high. Take it down a half tone." So all
the arrangers always put the pieces in keys where a half tone down was
C major or G major or F major. Occasionally someone would want the tune
a half done up, so that put the piece in D or A or G.

No one ever seemed to realize that keys have character. Pieces in
A major are very active purely because A major is an active key. (I
don't want to say "bright" but that is the word usually employed
and not "active.")

====================================
Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
(leeson@-----.edu)
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