[78-L] Choral key question

[Tim Huskisson]

Ab too weird for a dance band? Surely it's one of the most popular keys -
particularly suiting Bb and Eb (transposing) instruments. 'A' by comparison
is a very uncomfortable key for those instruments. An Alto sax player, for
example, would have to negotiate six sharps - because he/she would be
playing in the key of F#. In Ab, the Alto player would be in a very
comfortable key of F (one flat). 

Aside from that, I believe Gospel music was more likely to have been written
in the simplest of keys for SINGERS to READ. i.e. minimal accidentals.
(Church choirs etc, etc.) Although this particular group may have been
non-readers, I suspect the TRADITION makes it more likely that these
recordings were in either G or A, and less likely to be in Ab - though of
course possible.

Regards,

Tim Huskisson




-----Original Message-----
From: 78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com
[mailto:78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com] On Behalf Of David Lewis
Sent: 19 December 2013 20:30
To: 78-l
Subject: [78-L] Choral key question

I also vote for A flat. While you'll never find a dance band playing in that
key -- too weird --for a piano player it falls pretty easily under the
fingers, like Valerie said, owing to all of the black keys. And singers
generally don't have an issue with it.

Uncle Dave Lewis
uncledavelewis at hotmail.com 		 	   		  
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