Music people, I need your help!

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Asher
G# simply doesn't make sense from a music theory point of view. Colloquially, it's come to mean the same as A flat. But in the system of music theory, it does not actually exist.

You are so full of ****ing ****. Classical music is full of ****ing G sharps.

First thing I grabbed out of my sheet music bag is a book of 42 études pour violon seul by Kreutzer. Etude 14, Moderato in A major. The key is Fsharp-Csharp-Gsharp

[KrazyHorse]

How the hell are you going to express the key of A major without a ****ing G sharp, praytell?

[Asher]

Look, the exact same argument I used: http://www.musicarrangers.com/star-t...gi?b=pitch&p=9

[Asher]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
How the hell are you going to express the key of A major without a ****ing G sharp, praytell?

Err...

My point was that G# isn't a key.

[KrazyHorse]

There's nothing wrong with double sharps either, Asher. While it might not be standard to use them, they pop up on occasion.

G sharp as a key is ****ing weird, but it doesn't violate any of the fundamental rules.

[Asher]

The music theory profs disagree.

[KrazyHorse]

The music theory profs are teaching theories which have only been in their current form for the last hundred years.

[Asher]

Can any of you answer/help with the real question in the thread?

This is my informal diagram thus far...

How to read it: The bold lines mean repeat what came before until a chord change is specified.

Ask me if it's confusing to anyone, how I set it up...

[Japher]

G sharp as a key is ****ing weird, but it doesn't violate any of the fundamental rules.

KH is right here. It may violate theories or practice however.

I can't read tablature, so I can't really help.

[Cort Haus]

Why can't G# be a key? For a start, as far as the note goes, A flat and G# are the same frequency and the same thing.

As far as the key of G# goes, if you play a little riff that goes G#, B, C#, then you've played a riff in G# minor using the root, minor third, and fourth. You can do that from any of the 12 notes.

If standard nomenclature protocol tends to call keys in G# as A flat, then that's just a label. I haven't done much theory since I was nine years old, so I can't remember, but it doesn't matter what these frequencies and progressions are called. The only thing that matters is the mathematics, and the maths only cares about the vibrations per second, not the arbitrary name attributed to it.

{edit : typo}

[Japher]

exactly, it can be a key
it just normally isn't

why have a key with 6 sharps when you can use a key with 1 flat?

[SlowwHand]

I can't find the song because my eyes must be up too early.

http://www.u2station.com/tablature/index.php

[self biased]

it could be that they're trying to represent that the instruments are tuned a half-step lower. much like how some bands tune to 'd standard' or 'drop b.' most people know a little about music, so some people might go against common notation (E flat being marginally more common than D#) and go with the one that is perceived as 'lower.'

on a purely academic note: such a thing was once true back in baroque and classical times. it wasn't until the romantic era that these things were standardized.

[self biased]

Originally posted by Japher
exactly, it can be a key
it just normally isn't

why have a key with 6 sharps when you can use a key with 1 flat?

exactly. i've seen such things, but they were more exercizes in theory rather than genuine works. it's largely a practicality issue. i know i used to have a hard time reading mor than three sharps of five flats.

[Japher]

I think with the guitar, however, they use a capo (if that is what it is called) to change the pitch which may make G# easier

I have no idea though