Which key do you like the most?

For me, I hear keys as colors and feel them as moods. For example, F major is green and like a forest or living things. It’s relative minor, D minor, sounds like death and grief to me. C major feels open and somewhat happy like a light red but and A minor feels sad but not depressing. Minor feels like a deep dark blood red and feels violent and harsh. G major is navy blue like a hug from a friend. E minor is loneliness and kind of a teal color but very dark. Eb major is purple and royal, commanding, moral. I could go on and on. D major is yellow and sunshine happy.

D Major is very bright, happy and heartwarming! Reminds me of loving moments.

G and D are common for folk songs. Possibly for bright inviting sound.

I think each key lends itself to different moods, but each scale also lets you create an infinite (or finite?) myriad of moods, depending on how you add color, tempo, chords that break the scale, etc. I also love modes, for creating a different palette, and I love the work of Florence Beatrice Price which , rather than being based purely on major and minor scales as much of western classical does, is based on African-American hymnals. All this said, I love the idea of finding scales to be beautiful and meaningful; anything one plays can be beautiful and meaningful.

Once you get into the Circle of Fifths and look at how violin, viola, and cello are tuned, in makes sense that most music written for these instruments is written in the major keys of C, G, D, A, and some E. Not only are songs in major keys generally happier sounding than songs played in minor keys, these major keys take advantage of open strings that resonate and help produce a more rounded sound. Fingerings for these major keys (especially in first position, which most students learn initially) are relatively straightforward and do not require as many extensions/shifts as songs played in other major keys (such as F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, etc). These major keys use half positions and extensions more frequently, so they require a bit more technical mastery so are not as easy for beginners to learn. Since children usually start off with familiar, happy pieces, it is more natural for them to be written in C, G, D, and A major.

THANK YOU!! Brilliant. I never thought about it like this. Now I’m inspired to play scales.

Only a GOAT will mention this. So, thank you! ❤

Ahhh I always watch one of your videos before my studing...its always imspiring! Thanks Illia.

super interesting. In eastern music specifically Indian Music a Raga is a set of notes intended to invoke a different emotion, we definitely don't think about this coming from the western classical tradition of performers! Thank you!

Maravilloso❤

Great!

Key-character relations have been described by several musicians and composers over the centuries, and each one says something different. The keys, as we tune our instruments nowadays (440~442+), is higher than it used to be, so.... Is the Cmaj Haydn example also valid for Bmaj, as it would sound with gut strings? Is Gbmaj also warm?

What about the scordatura in the Sarabande of the 5th Suite? It seems that you didn’t use the higher g-string (i.e. the downpitched a-string) at all…

What was the first piece played in c-minor? 🤔

Amei!

❤

You are pointing to something terribly real : each scale is a world of its own. This seems strange because all notes are related to each other and can be the same in various scales. However, playing D major scale or piece is very different from Dflat major. On my cello, scales with more than 2 flat signs (starting with Bflat major and further) have a peculiar softness. I love Dflat on the G string and Gflat on the D string: funny, they cross each other! Thanks for drawing our attention to the colorful ness of the cello. It is a marvelous instrument!!

I dont understand this video... I mean,like most of the teachers,they tell you about this from the first begining of learning the scales,snd after a while,you on your own ,you see the difference!!! I dont understand many videos of people who play cello,i really dont understand the meaning all of this...!!!! Keep playing...!!! I dont understand....