RE:"What kind of key"

[Jeff Dods <jdods@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca>]

Dear f-minor list,
Regarding keys and colour:

In equal temperment (the way pianos are tuned in this century) there is
no difference between a minor and f minor _other than_ transposition.
The mathematical relationships between, say the minor third interval in the 'a'
and 'f' minor scale (in equal temperment) shows this.

Of course, the fact that the tonics of the two scales are at a different pitch 
is important to our ears,
but since absolute pitches have changed arbitrarily over the centuries, it is
not wise to ascribe a key colour on the ground of its absolute pitch.
What was middle C in 17th century France is lots lower than middle C today on a piano
in Toronto, New York, or Paris for that matter.

However,
Before the 20th century, different ways of tuning keyboard produced keys with
slight, but significant, alterations in the intervals. 
In older methods of tuning keyboard instruments (there are zillions of ways),
the intervals in 'a' minor may be slightly different from the intervals in 'f' minor,
hence a *difference in key colour*.
This colour is not based on the arbitrary absolute pitch of the tonic, as many people
today seem to think it is... but exists indepentantly and for my money, a lot more
"absolutely".

Jeff.

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