Talk:Impossible and theoretical keys
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A note about today's equal temperament might help put this into context, as C# hasn't always been exactly the same as Db. A qualifier is needed about double flats being common enough for enharmonic changes, but rarely used in key signatures. --Alf melmac 14:39, 13 August 2006 (UTC)
Even today, with any musician who plays (or sings) any non-keyboard instrument, their c-sharp will not equal their d-flat. Equal Temperament is a sort of compromise, so that all notes are equally in tune. However, that also means that all notes are equally OUT of tune. So, therefore, c-flat minor and b minor, for example, are not always the same thing, and therefore, c-flat minor and its other 'theoretical' brethren do, in fact, exist.
--Irishmaestro 19.18, 8 February 2007 (BST)
- Plus, harmonic progressions can strongly imply one enharmonic over another. Modulation and tonicization can give a strong impression of, for example, one key modulating to its subdominant key, which in turn could do the same, giving a sense of modulating into ever more flatted keys, even if equal temperament "magically" makes a Abbbb into an F, for example, it is possible to give the impression of a harmonic progression into a key like Abbbb, even if no sane composer would notate it that way. There's a Beethoven piece that does exactly this, although I forget which piece at the moment. ..but my point is that something like Abbbb is not an "impossible" or "theoretical" key except in terms of the music notation being too unwieldy to employ. Pfly 07:26, 20 March 2007 (UTC)
