What is your favorite key

[BrassSection]

Just wondering what is your favorite key to play in? Thanks to guitars, I do a fair amount in B and E, but also A and D, and occasional F# or Gb, few F, fewer G, and a rare C or Bb. Out of all of them I really like D. Seems to be easy to improv with any of the 4 instruments I use, and although none of the keys are a challenge I just feel most comfortable in D.

[tbdana]

I mean, the correct answer should be every key, right? But I really like Db major for the trombone. Sounds great and lays well on the horn.

For playing jazz, F major and D minor are the easiest, but there is something I really like about blowing in Eb and Ab.

[LeTromboniste]

But I really like Db major for the trombone. Sounds great and lays well on the horn.

Interesting little snippet here: since trombones were originally in A, at a pitch roughly half a step higher than modern pitch, what looks and reads like Db major today corresponds to the original slide positions for the old church modes, with all the natural notes of the scale falling in the same four positions (except one note).

It makes total sense that Db major lays well on the horn: that's the combination of positions the instrument was originally designed to play the most!

[harrisonreed]

I thought historic trombones were in Bb? Didn't they just call what we think of as Bb today A back then?

[KingThings]

My favourite key is whatever key the composer has chosen because variety of tone colour keeps me awake. (However, lots of accidentals in tenor clef can be a bit too awakening......)

[Nolankberk]

any key with c#! what a great note on the trombone

[LeTromboniste]

I thought historic trombones were in Bb? Didn't they just call what we think of as Bb today A back then?

Yes, the reference pitch was generally higher but the instrument around the same length as today, so the instrument was nominally a half step lower (tenor in A, alto in D). What I used to call Bb in 1 I now call A for the majority of my playing. My C is your Db, in 5. The unaltered modes correspond to the positions of a modern Db major/Eb dorian/Bb minor and it's just remarkably comfortable.

[baileyman]

F is the key of the universe.

[harrisonreed]

Atonal open C? AKA, too lazy to even figure out what key you are writing in? Anyone?

Okay, moving to the exit.

[tbdana]

But I really like Db major for the trombone. Sounds great and lays well on the horn.

Interesting little snippet here: since trombones were originally in A, at a pitch roughly half a step higher than modern pitch, what looks and reads like Db major today corresponds to the original slide positions for the old church modes, with all the natural notes of the scale falling in the same four positions (except one note).

It makes total sense that Db major lays well on the horn: that's the combination of positions the instrument was originally designed to play the most!

That is interesting! Thanks for the edumacation!

[Kingfan]

My favorite key is the key to the beer cooler.

[BrassSection]

Side note on D…perfect key for valved instrument if your 2nd valve sticks down. (French horn excluded) Happened on euph during practice once, with a little alternate fingering no problems playing all the notes I wanted with 2nd in the down position! Quick cleaning and oiling and no valve issues during the service.

[Matt K]

C- seems to sit really well for me. As does D- and G-. Eb sits really well for me on valves instruments. It’s noticeably more fluent on those and has been for over 10 years at this point.

[keybone]

Great question! I have thought about this for years and thought it sounded like a crazy thing to say out loud! To answer the question — I like the brightness of G and the dark sound of the Ab or Db.

[marccromme]

Agree Db is lovely. Especially on independent bass trombone.

Did you notice that many keys one half tone apart are almost equaly nice in slide movement patterns?

I call that capodaster playing.

For example Db and D have almost same slide patterns, just one lposition further out or in. Or Bb and A.

Thus, practising all major or minor scales through the quint circle makes less sense to me than doing it in half step increments. ..

[Doug Elliott]

I actually like F# and B

[Kbiggs]

I actually like F# and B

I prefer Gb and Cb myself.

Seriously, though, I think it’s important to practice and think in the enharmonic keys of F#/Gb, B/Cb, C#/Db.

I’m kind of partial to E myself. It just seems to lie well on the horn. It feels different that F, even though the slide movement between notes is the same and 1/2 step lower.

[BrassSection]

Had a song in Gb once and I jokingly said “Can’t play Gb with brass, gotta be F#!” Leader said he could change that if I wanted, told him I was only joking and I’d play it. Did the same song the next week in F#, man did the guitar players whine about that! Been in Gb ever since.

But the B and E the guitar players love is fine with me, do kinda like them more than I used to. And it keeps me on my transposing toes when the French horn comes out!

[bitbckt]

I entirely agree that the keys which don’t push too hard against the asymmetry of the horn are the most comfortable. Staying toward the middle of the slide makes up for the facility of valves. G, Gb/F#, B, C#/Db are where it’s at on the open horn[0]. If you must play without at least one valve…


[0] And only on the mid/upper register on straight horns.

[sctroy]

D Major. Why? A certain chord at the end of Brahms 2.

[Mr412]

I wouldn't hate it if there were more pop ballads written in minor keys. I can dig a good tune in, say, Dm to noodle around with.

[Posaunus]

D Major. Why? A certain chord at the end of Brahms 2.

[claf]

Same key as Stevie Wonder, the key of life.

Sorry, couldn't resist

[harrisonreed]

The key that unlocks the jar of cookies I'm not allowed to eat.