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RE: Key...

Author: Bart Hendrix
Date: 2001-10-29 21:18

They are making reference to the key signature of the piece (how many sharps or flats). E major would have four sharps, A major three sharps and F major one flat. Exactly which key applies depends on the particular piece and, often, the instrument. For example:

The Mozart clarinet concerto is written in A major (concert pitch). That means if you play it on an A clarinet, your individual part is written in C major (no sharps or flats). On the other hand, if you try to play it on a Bb clarinet, you will find your part written in B major (five sharps).

Since different instruments are in different keys, their parts must be written in different keys as well. Usually a reference to the key of a piece is based on concert pitch (parts written for those instrumets which play naturally in the key of C where a fingered Bb sounds as a concert Bb). One way of determining the key of the instrument is by noting what concert pitch sounds when a fingered C is played on the instrument. Another way of saying the same thing is, which concert pitch is the fundamental tone on that instrument for playing a major scale without having to finger any sharps or flats.

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