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What is a key in music called?

Table of Contents. key, in music, a system of functionally related chords deriving from the major and minor scales, with a central note, called the tonic (or keynote). The central chord is the tonic triad, which is built on the tonic note. Any of the 12 tones of the chromatic scale can serve as the tonic of a key.

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key, in music, a system of functionally related chords deriving from the major and minor scales, with a central note, called the tonic (or keynote). The central chord is the tonic triad, which is built on the tonic note. Any of the 12 tones of the chromatic scale can serve as the tonic of a key. Accordingly, 12 major keys and 12 minor keys are possible, and all are used in music. In musical notation, the key is indicated by the key signature, a group of sharp or flat signs at the beginning of each staff. The concept of key is fundamental to the system of tonality (the organization of notes, chords, and keys around a centrally important tone), the basis of most Western art music from about 1700 to the 20th century and beyond. A short piece of music, such as a song or dance, may demonstrate only a single key and is said to be in that key; longer pieces usually change key, even many times, but are organized and unified within a principal key that predominates at important points. A composition, particularly an instrumental work, may be identified with a key designation; Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 in D Major (1802), for example, has three of its four movements beginning and ending with explicit harmony in D major (the second movement is in A major, for contrast).

More From Britannica harmony: Classical Western harmony

Different keys are closely or distantly related according to the number of notes their diatonic scales share; C major and G major, for instance, have six of their seven notes in common (differing only in F♮ and F♯) and thus are closely related. In contrast, the distantly related keys of C major and C-sharp major have no note names in common. The relationships between keys are at the heart of the tonal system, and the listener’s ability to perceive different keys and the process of changing between them (called modulation) adds immeasurably to their significance in musical structure. The circle of fifths is an efficient way to visualize keys, key signatures, and relationships between keys. Beginning at C, the top position, and proceeding clockwise, the keynotes ascend by perfect fifths (as in the tonic–dominant relationship). Each advance adds a sharp to the key—or, equivalently, subtracts a flat. At F-sharp major, the key with six sharps, the circle shifts enharmonically to G-flat major, the key with six flats (they sound and look the same on a keyboard instrument). Each minor key is also entered on the circle, in the same position as its relative major. Thus the circle of fifths clearly depicts the two most important relationships in tonal harmony: tonic–dominant and minor–relative major. The broader term tonality is sometimes used loosely for key, e.g., “The first movement of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony exhibits a strong C-minor tonality.”

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Can you learn piano on a Yamaha keyboard?

Yamaha portable keyboards The piano learning app is also ideally suited for use with keyboards. If you can't wait to get your fingers gliding over the keys of a Yamaha portable keyboard, you've come to the right place.

Have you always dreamt of playing piano or keyboard? Alongside online courses, private lessons with a piano teacher or classes in a music school, there are also other options: Start learning how to play your favourite songs on your Yamaha piano or keyboard right now, at your own pace and whenever you have time – with Yamaha and flowkey. flowkey is one of the world’s most popular apps for learning to play the piano. Even beginners can learn to play a wide array of songs on their acoustic piano, digital piano or keyboard in next to no time. The flowkey piano app is the ideal companion for those starting to learn the piano. Choose your favourites from a wide range of songs and start playing right away or learn in the traditional way with one of the many tutorials available.

All you need to do is:

• Register your new acoustic piano, digital piano or keyboard on the Yamaha member portal

• obtain your individual code from the member portal

• enter your code when registering on the flowkey website.

You will then have premium access to the app free of charge for three months.

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