I know there isn’t a “right answer” to the question of what key signature I should choose when I begin a composition. However, it is one of the questions that I find really difficult to answer. There are many articles and chapters in textbooks that suggest that different key signatures represent different emotions. Some key signatures are easier to play on certain instruments than on others. Vocal range also impacts key signatures.
I looked back at some of my more recent compositions and found that I’ve been writing mostly in C Major and C minor. According to Jon Brantingham, C minor is associated with “A Misunderstood Genius.” I kind of like that. I’m pretty sure that I compose most often in C Major just because it is easier since there are no sharps or flats. That is something I hope to change.
I also looked at some of my favorite music to sing. I found that I like singing in a large variety of key signatures including A Major (Brantingham calls this “Something Just Out of Reach”), E Major (“A Morning Person”), and G Major (“Persistent Optimism). I’m just getting ready to start a new composition and again I wonder where I will start. I’m considering E Major since I identify as a morning person. Will I modulate to something else? Why?
A couple of my mentors have challenged me to think about how I want the listener to feel before I ever begin writing. I don’t find this to be very easy but I do believe it could be helpful when considering key signatures. It can’t just be about what I like to sing or hear. It wouldn’t make sense to write in C Major if I’m looking for something really haunting or mournful. Do I want the listener to feel uplifted or contemplative? Am I going for sorrow or joy?
Someday maybe this will just be second nature for me. But for now, the best way for me to sort it out is to sit down at my piano and just play the melody in different keys and notice how I feel. I might not always be able to put words to the feeling, but I’ve been around music for long enough to know what I like. This gives me my starting point. Sometimes I am able to use that key for the piece. Often, as the composition evolves I need to change it based on vocal ranges. Other times I change it just because I don’t like playing piano with 5 flats or 6 sharps.
As the composer the choices are mine, but I think it is important to remember that the music I am writing is meant to be shared. Composer + singer + instrumentalist + listener = shared experience. That is my ultimate goal.