TranceAddict Forums (www.tranceaddict.com/forums)
- Production Studio
-- Modern Trance Keys

Modern Trance Keys

What are most modern trance / progressive songs keyed in ? I know two big keys are C minor and G# minor... Any other big keys?

*note I am not asking 'which key is best for... etc' simply which are most popular.

I didn't know there was a popular key

Think about it. If the answer doesn't come, learn more music theory or learn to play an instrument.

quote:

Originally posted by aLviNx80 I didn't know there was a popular key

There might be a more common one, but does it actually matter?........not in my opinion. I cant say i have ever sat down and thought "right, im going to make a tune in C minor"

Out of curiosity, why are you asking which are more popular?

X MAJOR!

quote:

Originally posted by Acton There might be a more common one, but does it actually matter?........not in my opinion. I cant say i have ever sat down and thought "right, im going to make a tune in C minor" Out of curiosity, why are you asking which are more popular?

sometimes when im having problems with my bassline im trying to change the key, sometimes its effective, giving you slightly different bass frequencies...

there is no popular one, as a dj spins stuff out he usually changes the key as he pitches up/down the track (+4% = half a tone aprox...), and other than that everyone has his favourite tonality of stuff thus each likes other scales...

A Minor, E Minor, D Minor. F Minor and C Minor are also pretty common.

You can use any key you want, of course.

quote:

Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles A Minor, E Minor, D Minor. F Minor and C Minor are also pretty common. You can use any key you want, of course.

Minor harmonic/melodic? as i recall i havent heard many tunes that are minor at all...

Natural minor.

A ton of trance tunes use it. I guess we might listen to different sets of artists or something.

Major Happy Minor Sad LOl

quote:

Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles Natural minor. A ton of trance tunes use it. I guess we might listen to different sets of artists or something.

oh... well i dont really consider natural minor being a minor scale... its a major scale that starts on the 6th note... but thats just how i feel bout it, but i guess formally your more correct than i do

quote:

Originally posted by Vortex_SA oh... well i dont really consider natural minor being a minor scale... its a major scale that starts on the 6th note...

The Aeolian mode (i.e., natural minor scale) is completely different than the Ionian mode (i.e., major scale). First, major and minor scales are defined by the intervals between notes in the scale, which are obviously different for a major and minor scale (or, all of the modes for that matter). Therefore, by definition, a minor scale is NOT a form of the major scale. The other primary difference is that the root/tonic chords are obviously different (major chord vs. minor chord) and the way chord progressions are built around resolving to the tonic chord of each mode can also be quite different.

Reason being I just bought a midi controller, and I've never played keys before, so I'm trying to just learn a few keys well, just to get the ball movin and what not, I know C minor and G# minor pretty well so far (as they're quite easy to play) and C major and A minor obviously, but i fuckin hate major

The only time I can think of that I have been restricted to using a certain key is if I'm using a sample that is in a particular key, such as when doing a remix.

Generally minor keys have been more prevalent in trance, but I am starting to see that change quite a bit in the last couple of years. Maor Levi - Shapes (Oliver Smith remix) was written in a major key, but it sounds like did that because the original vocal snippet was in major.

quote:

Originally posted by cryophonik The Aeolian mode (i.e., natural minor scale) is completely different than the Ionian mode (i.e., major scale). First, major and minor scales are defined by the intervals between notes in the scale, which are obviously different for a major and minor scale (or, all of the modes for that matter). Therefore, by definition, a minor scale is NOT a form of the major scale. The other primary difference is that the root/tonic chords are obviously different (major chord vs. minor chord) and the way chord progressions are built around resolving to the tonic chord of each mode can also be quite different.

when im playing i try to simplify things at my head, i know those theory lessons (learned it for 8 yrs...) but for me when im jamming on A minor i think of it as c major... unless its melodic or harmonic (of course...) thats what i do personally anyway...

It's not so much keys that you want to talk about. It's scales and modes. In trance, you'll generally run into various minor modes of the Western scale (Dorian, Phrygian and Aeolian being most common), or the Gypsy scale (basically an augmented Phrygian mode). Dorian and Aeolian mode are found more in prog and club trance while Phrygian mode and the Gypsy scale are found more often in Psy.

Usually I just write a melody, not thinking about key signatures, and then look at what keys I used to write the melody. Then I usually try to find a minor scale that suites the keys that I used and have them help me write the bassline/hook/pads and other elements in the track.

the idea of scales and stuff is so that you can use any of them

dude, i just freakin press those keys to see what sounds good together.. i know extremely little about chords and shit, but i can still crank out killer riffs

Powered by: vBulletin
Copyright © 2000-2021, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.