#1
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Most common key in Guitar music?
Is there a key that shows up more often than others or does it depend on the particular genre of guitar music as blues vs. rock vs. pop etc.
Thoughts? |
#2
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E or Em and G on rock. C or A on singer songwriter/pop stuff. At least that’s my personal observation. |
#3
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For what it's worth (key of E) (not much really), but you got me curious so I went through my repertoire (about 300 songs) and tabulated the keys (roughly, since I ignored key changes). These are mostly 60-70s pop rock folk and country:
D 17.7% G 12.7% C 12.4% A 11.4% E 9.4% F 8.0% Em 7.4% Am 5.4% B 3.7% Dm 2.7% Bb 2.3% Eb 1.7% Db 1.0% Bm 1.0% C#m 1.0% Fm 1.0% F# 0.3% Cm 0.3% F#m 0.3% Gm 0.3% Ab 0.0% Bbm 0.0% Ebm 0.0% Abm 0.0% It's mostly determined by finding a good key for the singer - then selecting a finger-friendly key (sometimes using a capo, so I'm not very often actually playing Eb chord shapes, for example). But I do play in F and B more often than most I think. Anyway, I was surprised that D was my most common key. I think I would have guessed G or A. |
#4
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I totally forgot about D in rock music. But your list is intriguing to say the least. And there’s also modal keys which are quite popular in rock but they’re usually “laymanned” into a major or minor key. |
#5
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This is the most wonderful post! (I love data as well as 60s-70s pop rock folk and country.) Can you post your 300 song list? Would you talk about why you think the key spread wound up this way? Is it just the songs you like? Is it what’s easy for you to play? Is it what’s commonly written and pop charted? |
#6
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OK. Here's the list:
America Horse With No NameAnderson, Leroy Sleigh RideAnimals House of the Rising SunArmstrong, Louis Hello DollyAssociation Never My LoveBadfinger Day After DayThe Band Night They Drove Old Dixie DownBangles Walk Like An EgyptianBeach Boys Catch a WaveBeatles Across the UniverseBelafonte, Harry The Banana Boat SongBerry, Chuck Roll Over BeethovenBig and Rich Deadwood MountainBloom, Bobby Montego BayBluegrass John HenryBread Everything I OwnBuffalo Springfield For What It’s WorthBuffet, Jimmy MargaritavilleCash, Johnny Folsom Prison BluesCassidy, Eva Fields of GoldChantays PipelineClark, Petula DowntownClimax Blues Band I Love YouCredence Clearwater Revival Bad Moon RisingCroce, Jim Bad, Bad Leroy BrownCrosby, Stills & Nash Teach Your ChildrenDavis, Jimmy You Are My SunshineDenver, John Country RoadsDiamond, Neil Holly HolyDion The WandererDire Straits Money For NothingDonovan Mellow YellowDoobie Brothers Black WaterDoors Light My FireDrifters On BroadwayDylan, Bob Blowing In the WindEagles DesperadoEmerson Lake and Palmer Lucky ManEverly Brothers All I Have to Do is Dream5th Dimension Aquarius / Let the Sun Shine InFive for Fighting SupermanFlack, Roberta Killing Me SoftlyFleetwood Mac LandslideFogelberg, Dan Run For the RosesFoundations Build Me Up, ButtercupGaye, Marvin I Heard It Through the GrapevineGibson, Don Oh, Lonesome MeGilberto, Astrud and Getz, Stan The Girl From IpanemaGuess Who No TimeGuthrie, Arlo City of New OrleansHarris, Richard MacArthur ParkHarrison, George My Sweet LordHeart Dreamboat AnnieHollies The Air That I BreatheHolly, Buddy Peggy SueHorton, Johnny Battle of New OrleansJackson 5 I’ll Be ThereJefferson Airplane White RabbitJethro Tull Wondering AloudJohnson, Jack The NewsJones, Rickie Lee The Moon is Made of GoldJoplin, Janis Me and Bobby McGeeKing, Ben E. Stand By MeKingston Trio Greenback DollarKrauss, Allison Down to the River to PrayLauper, Cyndi Time After TimeLennon, John ImagineLightfoot, Gordon Carefree HighwayLittle River Band LadyLobo I’d Love You to Want MeLoggins and Messina Danny’s SongLovin’ Spoonful DaydreamMamas and Papas California DreamingMartin, Dean HoustonMcCartney, Paul (Wings) Band on the RunMcGuire, Barry Eve of DestructionMcLachlan, Sarah AngelMcLean, Don American PieMiller, Roger King of the RoadMitchell, Joni Both Sides NowMonkeys Daydream BelieverMoody Blues Forever AfternoonMorrison, Van MoondanceMurphey, Michael WildfireNash, Johnny I Can See Clearly NowNelson, Rick Garden PartyNelson, Willie Always On My MindNewton-John, Olivia I Honestly Love YouNitty Gritty Dirt Band Mr. BojanglesOrbison, Roy Blue BayouPage, Patti Tennessee WaltzPeter Paul and Mary Freight TrainPink Floyd Another Brick in the WallPolice, The Every Breath You TakePresley, Elvis Always On My MindPrine, John Angel From MontgomeryProcum Harum ConquistadorQueen Crazy Little Thing Called LoveRabbitt, Eddie Driving My Life AwayRedding, Otis (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the BayRighteous Brothers Unchained MelodyRobbins, Marty Cool WaterRobinson, Smokey You’ve Really Got a Hold on MeRogers, Kenny LucilleRonstadt, Linda When Will I Be Loved?Seger, Bob Turn the PageShannon, Del RunawayShocking Blue VenusSiberry, Jane Everything Reminds … My DogSimon and Garfunkel BookendsSimon, Carly You’re So VainSimon, Paul KodachromeSmith, Sammi Help Me Make It Through the NightSoggy Bottom Boys I Am a Man of Constant SorrowSound of Music My Favorite ThingsStatler Brothers Flowers on the WallStevens, Cat MoonshadowStewart, Rod Have I Told You LatelyStills, Stephen Love the One You’re WithSting Fields of GoldStray Cats Stray Cat StrutStylistics You Make Me Feel Brand NewTaylor, James Fire and RainTemptations My Girl10cc I Wanna Rule the WorldThomas, B.J. Another Somebody...Wrong Song3 Dog Night Joy to the WorldTokens The Lion Sleeps TonightTommy James and the Shondells I Think We’re Alone NowTraditional AbileneTurtles Happy TogetherWard & Bates America the BeautifulWarwick, Dionne I’ll Never Fall In Love AgainWatson, Doc Deep River BluesWeber, Andrew Lloyd and Rice, Tim I Don’t Know How to Love HimWho, The Behind Blue EyesWilliams, Hank JambalayaYoung, Neil Heart of GoldYoungbloods Get TogetherZombies She’s Not There |
#7
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The keys I reported are just the keys I do these songs in. The first step is to find a key that is good for the singer. Most of the time, that's me, but I also have other singers in mind sometimes. But, since my voice is lower than the typical pop-singer, I often have to change the key from the original. Sometimes, there's not much leeway but often a range of possible keys would work. The next step is to think about what I want to do on the guitar. If I'm going to fingerpick, then I'll usually want to be in G, D, A or sometimes C. So if the best key for singing is Eb say, that would usually end up being capo 1 D or capo 3 C. If Bb is the best vocal key, that almost always becomes capo 3 G (but sometimes capo 1 A). My guitar style is often bass-driven. I usually work out a bass-line and intersperse a chord here and there. So that will influence my choice of key. This is what leads me to play in B more often than most. Sometimes the bass line will have a lot of 7ths - B is a good choice for that since the 7ths of the three main chords in B are all open strings (B (seventh is A); E (seventh is D) and F# (seventh is E)). Creeque Alley by the Mamas and Papas is an example of a song that works well in B because of this. I also love F more than most guitar players. I choose F for the opposite reason for choosing G,D and A for fingerpicking. I like F for the times when I don't want open strings ringing out. These are often rockier songs. When I do this, I usually won't play the standard open C chord, it'll be barred on the third fret or else C7 but not playing the top E. So the keys are just a result of all of these decisions and the little trade-offs between the vocals and the guitar part. If the vocals have some leeway then you'll usually fall into some of the more common keys like D,G,A,C or E. If not then the capo comes out. If it's a special case then maybe B. If it's a rock song, then maybe F. (or maybe the more traditional rock E). Sometimes it's not just the lead vocal, sometimes it's finding a good spot for the harmony vocal too. Sometimes, the guitar part just needs to be in a certain key. Then maybe the vocal has to stretch a little, or I need to break out the baritone or tune down a step. (like You've Got to Hide Your Love Away: the guitar has to be in G - it just doesn't seem to work right anywhere else. But G is a bit too high for me vocally. But in this case, the guitar wins and I stretch the vocal. But. If I have my 12-string handy - I keep that tuned don a step, then doing in F with the G chord shapeds is perfect...) Anyway - you get the idea... |
#8
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I have read where the most popular keys (C, D, G) vary depending whether is it a man, woman or duo doing the singing.
In general, I'd vote for G. This is helped out by bluegrassers. If you defined key as the fingerings used behind a nut or capo, you might get different answers.
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#9
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Awesome. I suppose statistically I’m in a similar boat. Lower vocal register as well as a heavy overlap with your library. It’s always interesting to me which songs work well in multiple keys. There’s always some (“Over the hills and far away” jumps to mind) that only sound proper in their original key. |
#10
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With my limited vocal range I don't give very much thought to the key. I just find the key that works for me and play it.
In the big band I don't sing so I just play what is on the paper. A little chord theory goes a long way.
__________________
"My opinion is worth every penny you paid for it." "If you try to play like someone else, Who will play like you". Quote from Johnny Gimble The only musician I have to impress today is the musician I was yesterday. No tubes, No capos, No Problems. |
#11
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I read that John Prine said "thank God for capos, or all these songs would be in G..."
Or something like that.
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Riley Just playing for my own amazement Martin 000-15sm Eastman E10SS RainSong SMH Blueridge BR-142 The Loar LH-250 Recording King RPS-9 (for slide) Kentucky KM-250 Mandolin A Strat and a Tele Les Paul and Jazzmaster copies |
#12
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He said exactly that. I heard the interview rebroadcast on NPR.
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#13
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In 2015 Spotify analyzed 30 million songs on their service and determined the most popular keys. The winners in order were G, C and D Major.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pPP1PyYuY8...s1600/keys.png |
#14
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There are the guitar-centric CAGED keys. These five keys are easy first position chords using open strings, and are what we usually learn first. After that it depends on what style you play. Bluegrass uses G and D mostly because of fiddles and banjo tuning. Then the capos come out for any other key, especially the flats.
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#15
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__________________
"My opinion is worth every penny you paid for it." "If you try to play like someone else, Who will play like you". Quote from Johnny Gimble The only musician I have to impress today is the musician I was yesterday. No tubes, No capos, No Problems. |