I'm not a trained musician. When folks talk about 'Well, you go to this or that' - the tenor, or the third part - I don't really know what they're talking about.
On acoustic guitar I tend to stay in the key of D for some reason. On electric guitar I keep basic: C, G, D, and A. The key of D minor is also real good for me.
For singers, I believe we can sing in a lot of keys. I know I have this big range, but the point is to find a key that emotionally connects people.
The piano has eighty-eight keys, and you have to be able to play all of them. And the range of white to black is analogous to the eighty-eight keys and you have to be able to play all eighty-eight keys in that palette from white to black.
I write in all keys. I've always written in all keys. I've probably written a lot of songs in A.
I'm a percussionist, so that's most of what I know when I attack a record. Melodically, knowing the keys - my first love - that makes the perfect blend.
I hope the Canada Pops can play in E and A. I do 'Forty Days' and 'Bo Diddley'. I don't change songs, just bands.
Our musical alphabet is poor and illogical.
I guess I like minor chords better than major ones, in general.
I'm usually writing in English, and then I'll get the hankering to change channels. And usually I'll do that when I want to try a whole new set of keys, like musical keys.
I love to play in the different keys like B or F sharp, or keys that most people don't play in, because they have a better resonance or something. I'm really not fond of F and C. I just stay away from those if I can.
I could stop and say, Well that was a D minor, G seven, but I really don't want to know that. I just want to know that there's a combination of notes that makes a sound.
My voice hasn't changed really very much. I still do all my songs when I perform live and still do them in the original keys. I've been blessed with that ability to retain that.
I find C major to be the key of strength, but also the key of regret. E major is the key of confidence. A-flat major is the key of renunciation.
