How to play every music piece on C scale

[daniyal113]

I am not a Professional pianist. I play piano for Fun. I am not good in reading sheet music. I usually follow Youtube tutorials or I Google piano notes for any music which I wanted to learn. My singing scale is C major and I also feel comfortable on playing C major as it only demands us to play White keys he...he....
until now I was using Transpose function.

But now I am thinking to learn all new songs on C scale rather than mastering them on any other scale. But this has made my life terrible..... Recently I picked up a small music piece (Nokia Ringtone), it was on E scale...so on every note I need to think over it a lot by counting half and full steps until its back on root note E in order to recognise its place on C scale. Is there any better or easy way around so I can easily convert the notes of any scale to C major scale

 

[happyrat1]

Save yourself the trouble of learning everything the wrong way.

You'll end up having to unlearn it all someday and you're crippling yourself in the process.

Teach yourself properly by learning the Circle of Fifths and do Hanon's Piano Exercises which is a free download on the internet as copyright expired centuries ago.

All Piano Exercises

240 Hanon exercises

www.hanon-online.com

It just takes practice and determination. The only deadlines you have to worry about are the ones you create yourself

(REMEMBER: Real pianos DON'T have a Transpose Function )

Gary

 

[delaware dave]

You're apparently lazy and you are looking for us to aid and abet on your laziness........ I for one will pass on your request for assistance.

 

[yul]

This is OK in my opinion and not necessarily lazy as long as it is used for education.

There is something called chord progressions (example I-v-III etc..) you will find that a lot of songs are using a similar progressions.

I think thay in the middle ages some Gregorian monks would write music using only intervals and progressions. It was up to the player to use the scale they wanted.

Eventually you will also find out that some music is originally composed on something else (like guitar for example) and that the original song was done in another scale which was suitable for that instrument but with the same numeral chords progression.

I was trying to learn today a song from the middle east (not my usual style) and had to know it was initially composed on a string instrument which does not work on the key you would expect. But if you simplify it it is still the same song to some extent.

You will also see that some piano pieces were originally done on another given scale because it is easier to play etc..

Most contemporary and commercial music is sometimes very similar and the transpositions are useful

Sometimes more experienced artists change scale in the middle of the song and you will see it immediately and will have to switch too.

 

[SeaGtGruff]

You can use music notation software to enter the notes of the music in the original key, then transpose it to the key of your choice-- there's usually an option for that. And there are some good, simple music notation programs available for free, or commercial programs that have free lite versions available.

When playing music that's been transposed, you can use the keyboard's Transpose function to transpose it back to the original key.

In the long run, yes, it's best to learn how to play in different keys and practice doing it well.

But musicians have been transposing music to easier keys for a long, long time, so I don't think of it as laziness. It's a well-established tradition in music, even if it isn't necessarily a well-respected one.

 

[CowboyNQ]

Daniyal, the first thing you need to be aware of is just because a song is in the key of C Major this does not necessarily mean it contains no sharps or flats (the black notes).

Therefore if your primary motivation is to avoid these, transposing everything into C will ultimately not help you achieve this goal.

As Michael says, there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with altering the keys of songs, but personally I’d want a better reason than that to put up with all the hassle of transposing the song in the first place.

The harsh reality mate is that whether you’re a pro or playing at home for fun, if you want to learn to play keyboard you can’t avoid encounters with the black notes. I promise you they’re not as scary as they first seem.

 

[delaware dave]

Transposing a song can have several legit reasons. You learn and play the song in the original key and play it that way for years. Then you play with someone who tunes down or can't hit the vocals in that key so you drop it 1,2 or 3 semitones. In that case does it make sense to relearn a song that you learned in the proper key to another key or just transpose that song? Depends, sometimes for me it is easier to transpose. That I get. To transpose every song to C because I only know how to play in C that I can't buy...

 

[delaware dave]

Daniyal, the first thing you need to be aware of is just because a song is in the key of C Major this does not necessarily mean it contains no sharps or flats (the black notes).

Therefore if your primary motivation is to avoid these, transposing everything into C will ultimately not help you achieve this goal.

As Michael says, there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with altering the keys of songs, but personally I’d want a better reason than that to put up with all the hassle of transposing the song in the first place.

The harsh reality mate is that whether you’re a pro or playing at home for fun, if you want to learn to play keyboard you can’t avoid encounters with the black notes. I promise you they’re not as scary as they first seem.

Exactly. What if the song is a minor song, even in C you have to play the black keys.

 

[daniyal113]

Daniyal, the first thing you need to be aware of is just because a song is in the key of C Major this does not necessarily mean it contains no sharps or flats (the black notes).

Therefore if your primary motivation is to avoid these, transposing everything into C will ultimately not help you achieve this goal.

As Michael says, there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with altering the keys of songs, but personally I’d want a better reason than that to put up with all the hassle of transposing the song in the first place.

The harsh reality mate is that whether you’re a pro or playing at home for fun, if you want to learn to play keyboard you can’t avoid encounters with the black notes. I promise you they’re not as scary as they first seem.

thats really something new for me. How can you say that?
C Scale is devised in a way that naturally scale is completed without interferencing with sharps and flats. I remembered watching circle of fifth video there i came to knew why C major don't have flats/sharps

 

[daniyal113]

Transposing a song can have several legit reasons. You learn and play the song in the original key and play it that way for years. Then you play with someone who tunes down or can't hit the vocals in that key so you drop it 1,2 or 3 semitones. In that case does it make sense to relearn a song that you learned in the proper key to another key or just transpose that song? Depends, sometimes for me it is easier to transpose. That I get. To transpose every song to C because I only know how to play in C that I can't buy...

no no I wanted to play on C scale because my voice mostly matches with music orelse I feel out-turned

 

[SeaGtGruff]

No, the C major scale has no naturally-occurring sharps or flats-- but any scale can have its notes sharpened or flatted, which are called "accidentals."

Edit: It's actually more complex than that, but I'm reluctant to try to explain because it might get confusing. If you want to know more, look up "musical intervals," "degrees of a scale," "sharpened," "augmented," "flatted," and "diminished." After that you can look up "major scale," "minor scale," and "types of minor scales."

 

[daniyal113]

B

You can use music notation software to enter the notes of the music in the original key, then transpose it to the key of your choice-- there's usually an option for that. And there are some good, simple music notation programs available for free, or commercial programs that have free lite versions available.

When playing music that's been transposed, you can use the keyboard's Transpose function to transpose it back to the original key.

In the long run, yes, it's best to learn how to play in different keys and practice doing it well.

But musicians have been transposing music to easier keys for a long, long time, so I don't think of it as laziness. It's a well-established tradition in music, even if it isn't necessarily a well-respected one.

Thanks SeaGTGruff your answer is most relevant to my question. I Google one hour on music notation software but can't find the one which I am looking for. They all provide Transpose notes in music sheet and scan music sheets. I follow youtube lessons or website which has music notes in alphabetic language. see the below pictures as an example, if I wanted to play this tune on key of C. How can I know what note to play?? I know my question might sound like dump but since I have got married my wife and little 2 daughter's have taken all my attention and I really can't be that much dedicated which I use to be.

Mehreen and Alisha want to hear beautiful sounds me playing but they can't afford to buy her daddy's attention.

 

[CowboyNQ]

C Scale is devised in a way that naturally scale is completed without interferencing with sharps and flats.

Yes the C Major scale is all “white notes”. But just because a song’s key centre is in C Major this does not preclude the melody or harmony from venturing into the dark and mysterious world of Mr # or Ms b.

Depends very much on the tune.

 

[SeaGtGruff]

Are you using a phone? Or do you have a laptop?

One of the notation programs that I like for its ease of use and for its price (free!) is Crescendo by NCH Software. It has versions for different platforms-- Windows, Mac, iPhone or iPad, and Android phone. It does not have all of the bells and whistles found in expensive notation software, but it is adequate for most of my meager needs.

 

[daniyal113]

Are you using a phone? Or do you have a laptop?

One of the notation programs that I like for its ease of use and for its price (free!) is Crescendo by NCH Software. It has versions for different platforms-- Windows, Mac, iPhone or iPad, and Android phone. It does not have all of the bells and whistles found in expensive notation software, but it is adequate for most of my meager needs.

sir SeaGtGruff please watch this trick I believe it should work on chords and individual notes which is of our interest right at this moment

lets now take back same Nokia Ringtone notations

Now these are Transpose notes which I have made by following this trick but still one or two notes still doesn't sound right, why?

 

[SeaGtGruff]

You are close, but you need to adjust a couple of notes.

You need to think in terms of semitones, not notes.

To go backwards from E to C is minus 4 semitones, not minus 2 notes.

Therefore your conversion key should be as follows:

E , F#, G#, A , B , C#, D#, E
C , D , E , F , G , A , B , C

However, the melody you showed in your post uses D, not D#, and D transposes to Bb.

Also, where you show G# transposing to F, it should be transposing to E.

So the transposed melody should be as follows:

C, Bb, D, E
A, G, Bb, C
G, F, A, C, F

 

[Rufus]

There are also a lot of songs that change key in the middle of the song. If you can only play in C, then best case would be that you have to stop playing and hit the transpose button in the middle of the song. Not ideal. Would be better to spend your time/effort learning to play in different keys.

 

[Craig3d]

What if ---a fully chromatic keyboard instrument was available that had only white keys --each key a halftone step? By increasing the gaps between, the keys could be narrower, with good tolerance for fatter fingers. There would then be but one fingering (per hand) for runs and chords in any "key". Even with artful modulations, would we even think in terms of "key signatures"? (Wide chords would have to be arpegiated/sustained.) --Could something like this be what Daniyal is seeking?

 

[Jubimatico]

You're apparently lazy and you are looking for us to aid and abet on your laziness........ I for one will pass on your request for assistance.

There is no need to be rude. If you don't feel like answering, just don't do It, and spare us your unseful comment

 

[Biggles]

There is no need to be rude. If you don't feel like answering, just don't do It, and spare us your unseful comment

Welcome.

You have zero knowledge of the Ops history within the forum and your critique is un called for without looking at the history of dialogues that have taken place with the Op..

Unlike Dave who offers very constructive and helpful advice the Op has not taken heed of said advice, not just of that from Dave but from all other regular members who have offered him advice and guidance and he has only interacted within the forum when he wants something specifically for himself.

If you hover over the sidebar of a contributor a pop up will show when they were last on the forum and in the Ops case that was ten months ago so resurrecting an old thread is in reality of little value.

We welcome your constructive input in threads and in time and with contributions from yourself you will find that this is the friendliest music forum online.