B-flat major: Difference between revisions
Content deleted Content added
No edit summary Tag: Manual revert |
Calling something "good" can be exchanged for saying what exactly it is better at. In this case, rather than being called a "good key" for wind instruments, B-flat major can be said to be the key they are most easily played at (by being the key they were designed for). |
||
| Line 13: | Line 13: | ||
}} |
}} |
||
'''B{{music|flat}} major''' or '''B-flat major''' is a [[major scale]] starting on B-flat. Its [[key signature]] has two flats. |
'''B{{music|flat}} major''' or '''B-flat major''' is a [[major scale]] starting on B-flat. Its [[key signature]] has two [[Flat (music)|flats]]. It has the pitches of [[B♭ (musical note)|B♭]], [[C (musical note)|C]], [[D (musical note)|D]], [[E♭ (musical note)|E♭]], [[F (musical note)|F]], [[G (musical note)|G]], [[A (musical note)|A]], and B♭. |
||
Its [[relative key|relative minor]] is [[G minor]], and its [[parallel key|parallel minor]] is [[B-flat minor|B{{music|flat}} minor]]. |
Its [[relative key|relative minor]] is [[G minor]], and its [[parallel key|parallel minor]] is [[B-flat minor|B{{music|flat}} minor]]. |
||
B-flat major is |
B-flat major is the home key of many [[wind instrument]]s, such as [[clarinet]]s, [[trumpet]]s, [[saxophone]]s, and [[flute]]s in B-flat. This means they can be played the most easily in this key. Because of this, many works for [[concert band]]s (those you might have played in while you were at school) are written in this key or a closely related one such as [[F major]] or [[E-flat major]]. |
||
[[Joseph Haydn|Haydn]]'s Symphony No. 98, which had both [[trumpet]] and [[timpani]], is known as the first symphony that anyone had written in that key. Actually, his brother [[Michael Haydn]] had written one earlier. However, Joseph Haydn still gets credit for writing the timpani part at actual pitch with an [[F major]] key signature (instead of transposing with a [[C major]] key signature), something that made things easier and made more sense.<ref>H. C. Robbins Landon, ''Haydn Symphonies'' London: British Broadcasting Corporation (1966): 57</ref> |
[[Joseph Haydn|Haydn]]'s Symphony No. 98, which had both [[trumpet]] and [[timpani]], is known as the first symphony that anyone had written in that key. Actually, his brother [[Michael Haydn]] had written one earlier. However, Joseph Haydn still gets credit for writing the timpani part at actual pitch with an [[F major]] key signature (instead of [[transposing]] with a [[C major]] key signature), something that made things easier and made more sense.<ref>H. C. Robbins Landon, ''Haydn Symphonies'' London: British Broadcasting Corporation (1966): 57</ref> |
||
Five of [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]]'s [[piano]] [[concerto|concerti]] are in B-flat major. |
Five of [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]]'s [[piano]] [[concerto|concerti]] are in B-flat major. |
||
Latest revision as of 21:25, 7 April 2024
| ||
| Relative key | G minor | |
|---|---|---|
| Parallel key | B♭ minor | |
| Dominant key | ||
| Subdominant | ||
| Notes in this scale | ||
| B♭, C, D, E♭, F, G, A, B♭ | ||
B♭ major or B-flat major is a major scale starting on B-flat. Its key signature has two flats. It has the pitches of B♭, C, D, E♭, F, G, A, and B♭.
Its relative minor is G minor, and its parallel minor is B♭ minor.
B-flat major is the home key of many wind instruments, such as clarinets, trumpets, saxophones, and flutes in B-flat. This means they can be played the most easily in this key. Because of this, many works for concert bands (those you might have played in while you were at school) are written in this key or a closely related one such as F major or E-flat major.
Haydn's Symphony No. 98, which had both trumpet and timpani, is known as the first symphony that anyone had written in that key. Actually, his brother Michael Haydn had written one earlier. However, Joseph Haydn still gets credit for writing the timpani part at actual pitch with an F major key signature (instead of transposing with a C major key signature), something that made things easier and made more sense.[1]
Five of Mozart's piano concerti are in B-flat major.
Well-known classical compositions in this key[change | change source]
- Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 (Bach)
- Piano Concerto No. 15 (Mozart)
- Piano Concerto No. 27 (Mozart)
- String Quartet No. 13 (Beethoven)
- Piano Sonata No. 29 (Beethoven)
- Piano Sonata No. 21 (Schubert)
- Piano Concerto No. 2 (Brahms)
- Symphony No. 5 (Prokofiev)
References[change | change source]
- ↑ H. C. Robbins Landon, Haydn Symphonies London: British Broadcasting Corporation (1966): 57
Scales and keys[change | change source]
 |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The table shows the number of sharps or flats in each scale. Minor scales are written in lower case. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wikimedia Commons has media related to B-flat major.
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: B-flat major