Is C# the less "guitar-friendly" key?

[zorrow]

In C#, all the chords of its major scale cannot be mapped to open chords in standard tuning. Would it be then the less "guitar-friendly" key of them all?

[velorush]

Hardly ever use open chords ('less I'm doing my pathetic version of Malcom), so

It don't really matter to me,

Everybody's got the right to play in C (sharp, that is)

[zorrow]

Hardly ever use open chords

True, neither do I, though I do use pedal notes on open strings quite often.

So, Eb seems to be another key which is not very guitar-friendly.

Not that I care that much, but I'm still curious.

[Uncle Thor's Hamer]

Just tune your guitar a half step sharp and you're all set!

I keep several guitars in alternate tunings, though to be honest none are in higher tunings, usually some form of lower tuning or open tuning.

[dragan]

least friendly for alll instruments , in response to the question" if the song is in E where does that put your horn ?" miles davis said : "back in the Fing case " F# being the next worst senario for sharp content .

[velorush]

Hardly ever use open chords

True, neither do I, though I do use pedal notes on open strings quite often.

So, Eb seems to be another key which is not very guitar-friendly.

Not that I care that much, but I'm still curious.

I didn't mean to sound smug. I find this kind of stuff quite interesting, as well. Eb seemed to be the key none of the less-experienced players wanted to visit as they couldn't find it with a capo (no, I'm not going to revisit my capo rant - for which I was soundly disciplined here on these pages ).

It's always an interesting disagreement between pianists (who seem always to desire to play in flats) and less-experienced guitarists who seem always to desire to play in straight keys) to determine exactly what key to use. Couple this with the vocal range / limitations of a given vocalist and it's quite a bit of work to get everyone in sync.

An example: it amazed me that most of the piano players I was with would rather play in Db (FIVE flats) than in D (TWO sharps). It amazed them that it didn't matter to me...

[dragan]

only thing about e flat is no open blues , srv is in e flat but tuned down a 1/2 step.

[Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame]

Depends on what you mean by "easy".

For a jazzer, c# and eb should actually be easier, because the lack of open chords means you stick with moveable chords. Open chords aren't movable, movable chords aren't open.

[dragan]

only hard when reading music , knowing scale forms helps........ chords in 1st position (open ) are same as all barre type chords the nut is the barre thats all.

[velorush]

Depends on what you mean by "easy".

For a jazzer, c# and eb should actually be easier, because the lack of open chords means you stick with moveable chords. Unless you're Lerxst, Open chords aren't movable, movable chords aren't open.

Fixed!

[tomteriffic]

Situations like this are exactly why I own a long-neck (not quite a baritone). when Most Esteemed Redhead decides that the right key for her to sing a song is Eb, C# or Mb demented, I can usually work something out to take advantage of some open strings. fairly quickly.

ETA, when we were a bass-less duo, this was more important than it is currently.

[zorrow]

Situations like this are exactly why I own a long-neck (not quite a baritone).

Hmmm... This seems to justify why one would need 24 guitars: one tuned per note in the chromatic scale, plus one backup per each. Now I'll let Most Esteemed Brunette know my side, hoping she'll understand.

[gorch]

I'm really open minded here. I've never spent a thought on key advantages on the guitar. They all sound different. That's what I know.

[velorush]

I'm really open minded here. I've never spent a thought on key advantages on the guitar. They all sound different. That's what I know.

Yes, and of course, D minor is the saddest of all keys, I find.

[zenmindbeginner]

I write a lot in C# tuning, so I keep 2 guitars with that tuning... solves F# too since the stuff that is usually in A is now in F#.

I also keep a guitar or two in Eb tuning which is how I like to play lead, so I have the hard keys covered. lolz

[Ting Ho Dung]

All this gave me a bad headache. I'm headed to the fridge for a beer.

My son talks like this and my eyes just glaze over.

I'm with Dragan. I have (had) guitars tuned to different keys so I can play the standard "E" chords and not have the learning curve. The one exception was one tuned to open G. That was weird.

[DaveH]

An example: it amazed me that most of the piano players I was with would rather play in Db (FIVE flats) than in D (TWO sharps). It amazed them that it didn't matter to me...

Lol... keyboards are SO limited compared to guitars.

[elduave]

I'm a fan of C#m, coupled with an A. Allows for that nice major/minor solo thing.

[Ting Ho Dung]

I'm a fan of C#m, coupled with an A. Allows for that nice major/minor solo thing.

C-there! I knew I was onto something.

[Jackass]

Is C# the same as Db? That shit fucks me up. Is Obama half black or half white? Which color would be # and what color would be b?......................................................................................."Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue."

Bm

[Toadroller]

I'm with Dragan. I have (had) guitars tuned to different keys so I can play the standard "E" chords and not have the learning curve. The one exception was one tuned to open G. That was weird.

Did you sell that guitar? Was it the white Daytona?

[Bobby Marshall]

Is C# the same as Db? That shit fucks me up. Is Obama half black or half white? Which color would be # and what color would be b?......................................................................................."Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue."

Bm

C# and Db played as a single note sound exactly the same but are not the same in the context of written music. And I hate that tuners always show notes as being sharp vs flat. I tune down to E flat not to D sharp. I mean come on people. There is only one major key that has sharp in the name but there are 5 major keys that have flat in the name. Must be a bunch of baroque dudes playing études in G# minor harmonic that build those things.

[The Shark]

I don't have problems with soloing too much in any key. I only play in penatonic patterns and know passing tones that work with major and minor chords in that key, if that makes sense. I really don't read at all. Some keys aren't, however, conducive to the most comfortable of my memorized positions. The guy that taught me taught me penatonics from each note of the major scale. Then, he taught me passing tones and scales. So, I just transpose what I know. Fewer open strings in some keys is, I think, the exercise.

[tomteriffic]

Pointless factoid: Until, I think, the late 18th or early 19th Century, the sharps and flats (say C# and Db) were actually slightly different pitches. There were keyboard instruments with two sets of skinny black keys, dual-manual pianos, one for the sharps, one for the flats, etc. I suspect that the piano makers got pissed off and banged a few heads together to resolve it all.

And I can see why keyboardists (being a little bit of one meself) would prefer playing in, say Db. You can play a pentatonic major or minor scale starting from any black key, using only the black keys. And it's right handy if you're in a "horn band", seeing as how all the horns are pitched to "black key" keys.

Oh and that bit there is why "Johnny B Goode" is actually in Eb. Chuck's piano player, Johnnie Johnson had decades of big band/jump band experience and Chuck was no stranger to horn bands either.

[Bobby Marshall]

That's what I mean. Horns are tuned to flat pitches not sharp pitches. Why don't the tuner manufacturers understand this?