So, I’m having my usual pleasant morning break tinkering around with the piano. I pretty much just grab something from the pile of ragtime music in the corner and play around with it, then move onto the next. I’m usually pleasantly surprised because a)it turns out I really do like this stuff, and b) they are usually pretty damn simple, because these folks made their living by selling sheet music to hacks like me.

so, this morning selection I get to the trio section and it tells me it wants me to play in the key of G flat. Why is that even a thing? It claims I’m supposed to be playing six flats. My piano only has five flats. Do I have to buy an adapter kit?

One of my less smooth site reading ventures of the week…

Playing keys of black is easy...

Sometimes not to read, but to play.

Playing All black keys is the first I teach a student!

Try playing scales of black keys.

So comfortable under ones fingers!

Throw the book on the floor and stomp around.

quote:

Originally posted by ShiroKuro:
Throw the book on the floor and stomp around.

Well, Doug, at least it wasn't written in C-flat.

quote:

Originally posted by LL:
Playing keys of black is easy...

Sometimes not to read, but to play.

Playing All black keys is the first I teach a student!

Playing the black keys is fine. I just have to stop and think every time I’m about to play a damn C flat. Stupidly enough, if they wrote the thing in five flats, and wrote in an accidental every time they hit C, I think I could sight read it pretty easily.

Beware of the stealth Fb.

Hire a piano tuner to tune the piano a half tone down except the F notes, then you can ignore all the flats in the key signature.

quote:

Originally posted by Doug:
Playing the black keys is fine. I just have to stop and think every time I’m about to play a damn C flat. Stupidly enough, if they wrote the thing in five flats, and wrote in an accidental every time they hit C, I think I could sight read it pretty easily.

Doug, try writing those Cb accidentals in yourself. (This is a common practice in orchestra music - writing in a "courtesy accidental" as a reminder.)

Yeah, I have always disliked Cb and Fb and often write those in myself.

quote:

Originally posted by DaleH:

quote:

Originally posted by Doug:
Playing the black keys is fine. I just have to stop and think every time I’m about to play a damn C flat. Stupidly enough, if they wrote the thing in five flats, and wrote in an accidental every time they hit C, I think I could sight read it pretty easily.

Doug, try writing those Cb accidentals in yourself. (This is a common practice in orchestra music - writing in a "courtesy accidental" as a reminder.)

Was not expecting a serious, useful suggestion!
Apart from underestimating my laziness, this seems like it would help...

quote:

this seems like it would help...

You mean, more than stomping around? Don't knock it til you try it!

I can't handle F#. Technically, it's the same number of black keys as Cb but for some reason I can't seem to read the sharps nearly as well. I keep thinking, well, F# is G, but G is sharped so.... may day! may day!