If you’d want to know the difference between a note and a key, then this lesson is for you.<\/p>\n
The terms note and key are usually used interchangeably because both terms are related. However, they differ in so many ways – especially in meaning.<\/p>\n
Most of the time, C:
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\n…is considered as a note and a key as well. However, the consideration of C as a note differs from the consideration of C as a key. This situation of NOT knowing when C is a note and when C is a key, is a common misconception among a vast majority of musicians.<\/p>\n
Attention:<\/strong> If you’re yet to come to terms with the difference between the use of the terms note and key, then you need to invest the next 10 minutes or so in reading this blog because in today’s lesson, we’re resolving the misconception of the terms note and key.<\/p>\n So, what is a note?<\/p>\n A note is a musical sound of a definite <\/em>pitch.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n There are several pitches on the piano: “Check Them Out…”<\/em><\/p>\n First<\/strong> set of twelve: C: Although they are four different pitches, they share the same letter name in common.<\/p>\n Therefore, there are basically twelve notes on the piano. This means that despite the fact that a piano can have as much as 88 notes, these notes are duplicates of the twelve known pitch-classes.<\/p>\n If you’ve been around musicians, you probably must have heard any of these popular phrases:<\/p>\n “The next tune is Autumn Leaves<\/strong> and we’ll be playing in the key of Bb”<\/em><\/p>\n “I want to bless God with this song – Total Praise<\/strong>. Pianist, can you put me in the key of Db?”<\/em><\/p>\n “Attention guys! After the next verse, We’ll be modulating to the key of G”<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n …or similar ones at least.<\/p>\n Before we go any further in this lesson, let’s discuss the concept of key elaborately.<\/p>\n In the last segment, we defined notes and classified all notes into a 12 pitch set: The establishment of a key center involves these eight components:<\/p>\n Altogether, these eight components establish the tonic (which is the first tone in the key) as the key center. Nevertheless, beyond the establishment of a key center, every key has its unique character, which can either be major or minor.<\/p>\n The character of the major key is synonymous with goodness, day, light, happiness, and so on. On the other hand, the minor key has a contrasting character that is synonymous with day, darkness, evil, and so on.<\/p>\n The simplest major key to think of is the key of C major: Therefore, when a particular piece of music is in a given major or minor key, it means that the elements of that pieces (from notes, to intervals, to chords, to chord progressions) are derived from the eight degrees.<\/p>\n “Here Are The Major Keys…”<\/em><\/p>\n C major: C minor: From what we’ve learned in earlier segments, it’s crystal clear that a note and a key are different.<\/p>\n C: The goal of these eight notes: Therefore, the note C: In addition to that, a key must have all of the following:<\/p>\n …and the note C: The note C: A note and a key are two different concepts and should be considered as such. The note C: The note C: The scope of a key is more advanced than the scope of a note. I’m sure that from all we’ve learned in this lesson, you now know when its appropriate to use each of the terms – note and key.<\/p>\n In another lesson, we’ll further this discussion by learning more about tonality, key and scale.<\/p>\n See you then!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If you are interested in knowing the difference between a note and a key, then you need to check this lesson out.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":22720,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[252,416,350,9,229],"tags":[2310,17,2308,790,2328,753],"class_list":["post-14973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beginners","category-experienced-players","category-music-etc","category-piano","category-scales-theory-piano","tag-12-notes","tag-basic-songs","tag-key","tag-major-key","tag-minor-key","tag-note","post-wrapper","thrv_wrapper"],"yoast_head":"\nA Breakdown Of The Term Note<\/em><\/h2>\n
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\n…which can be grouped into sets of twelve notes.<\/p>\n
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\nSecond<\/strong> set of twelve:
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\nThird<\/strong> set of twelve:
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\nFourth<\/strong> set of twelve:
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\nAlthough there are several pitches on the piano, they are considered as twelve because this set of twelve notes:
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\n…is a duplicate of this set of twelve notes:
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\n…and so is this set of twelve notes:
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\nCheck out the following pitches:<\/p>\n
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\nC:
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\nC:
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\nC:
\n<\/p>\n
An Answer To The Question “What Is A Key?”<\/em><\/h2>\n
The Concept Of Key<\/h3>\n
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\nThe concept of key focuses on the establishment of a given note as a tonal center, as such, having its unique relationship with other tones.<\/p>\n\n
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\n…which is established by all the white notes on the piano from C to C, and its relative minor key – A minor:
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\n…which is established by all the white notes on the piano from A to A.<\/p>\n
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\nDb major:
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\nD major:
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\nEb major:
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\nE major:
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\nF major:
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\nGb major:
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\nG major:
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\nAb major:
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\nA major:
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\nBb major:
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\nB major:
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\n“Also Check Out The Minor Keys…”<\/em><\/p>\n
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\nC# minor:
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\nD minor:
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\nEb minor:
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\nE minor:
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\nF minor
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\nF# minor:
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\nG minor:
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\nG# minor:
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\nA minor:
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\nBb minor:
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\nB minor:
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\nIn a nutshell, a piece of music played in the key of E major:
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\n…will have E:
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\n…as the key center and feature these eight notes:
\n<\/p>\n
Resolution To The Misconception Between A Note And A Key<\/h2>\n
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\n…is a note, just like every other note on the keyboard:
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\n…and is usually considered as a key on the piano. But the consideration of C:
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\n…as a key is wrong and this is because a note cannot make a key, in actuality, it takes a collection of eight notes to form a key.<\/p>\n
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\n…is to establish the note C:
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\n…as a key.<\/p>\n
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\n…can either be established as the key of C major:
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\n…or the key of C minor:
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\nIn a nutshell, representing the note C:
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\n…as key C is wrong, and this is because C:
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\n…doesn’t have a major or minor character.<\/p>\n\n
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\n…does not have any of those.<\/p>\n
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\n…doesn’t have a dominant, but the key of C major:
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\n…does – G:
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\n“In A Nutshell…” <\/em><\/p>\n
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\n…can be used to established other keys apart from the keys of C major and C minor.<\/p>\n
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\n…is the supertonic in the key of Bb major:
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\n…the mediant in the key of Ab major:
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\n…the subdominant in the key of G major:
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\n…the dominant in the key of F major:
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\n…the submediant in the key of Eb major:
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\n…the subtonic in the key of Db major:
\n<\/p>\n
Final Words<\/h2>\n