What Key are you most comfortable in?

[TimmyPage]

I find there are some keys I have some issues thinking in on guitar (Eb for example..), as if playing it is throwing off about 2 years of playing ability...

On the other hand there are certain keys that no matter what scale, mode, or odd chord progression, I'm still rather comfortable finding the notes and sounds I need. For me this complete comfort I can only really find with the key of C major.

I think it comes because I learned plenty of my sight-reading ability from playing the music of mainly C instruments, (namely flute and violin..) and the book I am primarily studying jazz from is written entirely in C major, so you can learn the licks and convert them to another key as you see fit. Similarly, many songs I write begin in C major, where I can write the melody and chord progression just by thinking of what I want.. then I can convert it later..

Are there any keys you are drawn to, or seem more comfortable with? And inversely, are there any that you have issues with. This is not limited to guitar.. so feel free to bring your murderous sax stories, and tales of composition in C# on piano.

 

[Fender_Punk]

Re: What Key are you most comfortable in?

Probably C

 

[BigAlTheBird]

Re: What Key are you most comfortable in?

E

 

[Virtual Kevorkian]

Re: What Key are you most comfortable in?

D minor, because I'm tuned down a step.

 

[Corbic]

Re: What Key are you most comfortable in?

In standard tuning, E, A, and G (Both minor and major).

In DADGAD, D major and G major/minor.

 

[Smilemon]

Re: What Key are you most comfortable in?

AM, I always end up in it for some reason, 5th fret is the best place to play.

 

[BluesGuyJ]

Re: What Key are you most comfortable in?

Since I didn't learn guitar by reading sheet music or anything like that, I feel pretty comfortable in C,D,E,F,G,A and B. Goes for minor and major of each of those. But when I start getting into flat or sharp keys, takes me longer to figure out chord tones.

 

[MDS]

Re: What Key are you most comfortable in?

If you're studying jazz start working on songs with tougher progressions like Giant Steps, Dolphin Dance, or even Have You Met Miss Jones. Songs with lots of unusual key changes will really make you comfortable in all keys. You should also try playing a simpler song in all 12 keys. All The Things You Are is a great one to do this with...though its not easy when you get started!! The more you do it, the easier it gets....trying using those licks you're learning over these songs too...its really hard at first, but with a lot of patience it gets easier and easier...

Good luck!

Mike

 

[Bludave]

Re: What Key are you most comfortable in?

The "closed keys for guitar are generally the hardest for rock players to overcome. Closed keys are keys the would prevent you from using any of the open strings. Eb is one that I always found challanging. Not amny longer. Even though I don't practice in a lot of closed keys, I feel pretty confident that I can play in them. Eb, Ab, Db. I find the easiest key for guitar is E, but G and A are also pretty easy.

 

[BG00]

Re: What Key are you most comfortable in?

Yea, Dm for sure when I tune down. Am when in standard.

 

[fingerace]

Re: What Key are you most comfortable in?

I think I like the A major key. I also like the G key because I only have a C harmonica right now so it's the only key I can jam to hehe...

Timmy, why can't you just transpose the licks into Eb? Is there a problem with the fingerings because of the tuning of the guitar??

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: What Key are you most comfortable in?

Use them all....no bother.

 

[tone4days]

Re: What Key are you most comfortable in?

yeah, i play equally badly in all keys

 

[Metalman_666]

Re: What Key are you most comfortable in?

It doesn't matter what key for me to play in, but some keys just sound sweeter to my ear than others. I find it also depends on the riff being played and other elements like harmonies.

 

[Brewtone]

Re: What Key are you most comfortable in?

I feel pretty comfortable in them all. D is by far my favorite and for some reason I always feel a bit lost when playing in B

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: What Key are you most comfortable in?

Learn to ignore the open strings unless they're prominent in that key, and go with the scales/positions that don't need them, then just move your hand to the new position and go to it. For example, if you play Am really well at the 5th fret, using the "blues box" you can play Abm equally as well by moving your hand back a fret and doing the same patterns. Bbm is a fret forward from Am, and so on. Same patterns, different positions.
Chords work the same way, and when you know the moves linearly...chord number-1,3,4,5,etc-and where the root note is...you can do the same with them. If a progression works at the 5th fret, 5th string for D major, the same moves work in Eb one fret ahead at the 6th fret.
Learn them patterns.

 

[TimmyPage]

Re: What Key are you most comfortable in?

Timmy, why can't you just transpose the licks into Eb? Is there a problem with the fingerings because of the tuning of the guitar??

I honestly don't even know.. I even love the key of F which is a semitone away from E.. its just for some odd mental block I get lost in Eb, can't seem to find anything properly on the fretboard, chords become awkward.

 

[Robbiedbee]

Re: What Key are you most comfortable in?

When it comes to soloing/improv, I'm alright in pretty much all keys. I'd know all the shapes for A, G, D, E and probably C inside out back to front. If I needed B, I'd either play A two frets up or C one fret down, and fill in the gaps that way.

If someone said to me 'okay, here's 4 chords GO', I'd have to sit and think about Eb, because that's the only chord I can't go to straight away. There isn't a comfortable one that sounds good. A Major shape at 6th fret is one, and C shape at 3rd fret can be a bit tricky.

 

[PaulReedSmith]

Re: What Key are you most comfortable in?

E...probably because I use a "pitch axis" technique to work modally/in scales and the lower E string provides a nice drone note, plus the key of E is easy enough to play in all over the board without going out of the guitars "easy reach" area.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: What Key are you most comfortable in?

Depends entirely on the song and whether open strings are needed. Soemtimes even E-flat can be fine because you can use the open G for the major 3rd.