Which key is the saddest?

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  • Опубликовано: 8 янв 2017
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    Ideen zu einer Ästhetik der Tonkuns (Ideas Towards an Aesthetic of Music)
    Pg 443-447
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    Organ prelude in F minor, but in Meantone Temperament (brutal dissonance!)
    • Trying out meantone te...
    TIMBRE SCIENCE
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    FUCK YEAH CHOPIN (Sad Eb minor music)
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    Fun Podcast series about musical keys and emotions
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    Meantone guitar
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Комментарии • 3 тыс.

  • @Rodoadrenalina
    @Rodoadrenalina 7 лет назад +13459

    I can say for sure that one of the saddest keys is the one you left inside the car.

    • @johnnydark6876
      @johnnydark6876 7 лет назад +62

      lol

    • @KS-hl6zo
      @KS-hl6zo 7 лет назад +100

      or the one ur ex probably threw away.

    • @felipegussoni2124
      @felipegussoni2124 7 лет назад +43

      ayye inside of emptiness

    • @teunputker
      @teunputker 7 лет назад +24

      Tomas Tur Nice profile picture, I love Inside Of Emptiness and John Frusciante :)

    • @swatkiller007
      @swatkiller007 7 лет назад +14

      JF is a lad

  • @Alorand
    @Alorand 4 года назад +1953

    I'd be sad if my D was minor.

    • @Platinum_XYZ
      @Platinum_XYZ 4 года назад +56

      ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

    • @joyce_rx
      @joyce_rx 4 года назад +187

      it would be sad if my d was in a minor

    • @LoneVII7
      @LoneVII7 4 года назад +81

      @@joyce_rx *hol up*

    • @chrisgarrett6305
      @chrisgarrett6305 4 года назад +11

      therainman777 ok? So what, he used it in a good way, and in a way that was appropriate to the video. Most of the jokes you make are probably not yours.

    • @chrisgarrett6305
      @chrisgarrett6305 4 года назад +7

      therainman777 oh ok, I thought you meant from somewhere else, i agree that’s it’s annoying when people just comment the same joke

  • @kevineast6117
    @kevineast6117 5 лет назад +1243

    Nothing is more sad than an ascending c Major scale I tell ya, it really gets me emotional.

  • @jamiewindsor
    @jamiewindsor 5 лет назад +454

    Haven’t watched the video yet, but if it’s not D minor, I’m going to be upset.

    • @Youssef-iu8dn
      @Youssef-iu8dn 3 года назад +8

      U r upset LOL!

    • @cxsmicking17
      @cxsmicking17 3 года назад +1

      @@Youssef-iu8dn yikes

    • @Youssef-iu8dn
      @Youssef-iu8dn 3 года назад +10

      @@cxsmicking17 my happiest minor key is E minor and my saddest is C# minor

    • @Rime-pj1ou
      @Rime-pj1ou 3 года назад +4

      @@Youssef-iu8dn My happiest minor key is C minor and saddest is F minor.

    • @alphao3012
      @alphao3012 3 года назад +2

      It isn’t d minor

  • @sebastianzaczek
    @sebastianzaczek 6 лет назад +2300

    4:37 "or maybe there are..."
    *Vsauce music starts playing in pythagorian tuning*

  • @eatham423
    @eatham423 7 лет назад +592

    Well I guess it's time to think outside
    the bachs

  • @josephho1150
    @josephho1150 5 лет назад +116

    The same feelings can be felt when you actually have to play a song in Eb Minor

  • @FairyCRat
    @FairyCRat 5 лет назад +294

    3:50 if equal temperament hadn't been thought of, we'd never have All Star.

  • @pierreandferb
    @pierreandferb 7 лет назад +789

    the saddest key is a depressed key

    • @peterharrison4090
      @peterharrison4090 7 лет назад +3

      ROTFLMAO!

    • @F7sus4
      @F7sus4 6 лет назад +2

      Now that's a smartass comment. Grab a like! :-)

    • @smallsignals
      @smallsignals 6 лет назад +1

      Except depression is about anger, not sadness lol

    • @Roescoe
      @Roescoe 6 лет назад +21

      a D-pressed key?

    • @theopenmouth9695
      @theopenmouth9695 6 лет назад

      Pierre Ibrahim what

  • @DjLepLaz
    @DjLepLaz 7 лет назад +1244

    4:34 This bit is SO VSaucy I thought I heard the music there for a second :D

    • @lvcifer-616
      @lvcifer-616 7 лет назад +42

      LepLaz
      Oh snap I was just about to comment that

    • @douglasferreira5082
      @douglasferreira5082 7 лет назад +4

      LepLaz indeed

    • @43chord
      @43chord 7 лет назад +3

      I really missed that Sungazer tune at 4:45.
      Glad to see this kind of video again.

    • @shizueleven
      @shizueleven 7 лет назад +21

      He did a short parody of this in a previous video. His inspiration obviously comes from channels like Vsauce. :)

    • @douglasferreira5082
      @douglasferreira5082 7 лет назад

      maybe he's his secret pupil

  • @blakehawkins3296
    @blakehawkins3296 5 лет назад +1153

    Obviously c# minor is the saddest...
    it always makes me cry when I see it

  • @Davey3
    @Davey3 4 года назад +32

    The saddest key is the one you don’t play.
    😭

  • @ScarryChili
    @ScarryChili 7 лет назад +2912

    Of course Stevie Wonder plays black keys. Every key is black to him.

    • @breno4659
      @breno4659 7 лет назад +242

      He would make a great black metal musician.

    • @jamesrogers1391
      @jamesrogers1391 7 лет назад +305

      I am not sure if this is a joke about his blindness, race, or playing style and I can't pick which option I love more.

    • @rolanddeschain6617
      @rolanddeschain6617 7 лет назад +28

      Imagine an eye on your fingertip...try to look through it...what colour do you see?

    • @TheAndreas1008
      @TheAndreas1008 7 лет назад +84

      Well just bash him lol. He can't read the comments anyway

    • @michaelm.2736
      @michaelm.2736 7 лет назад +21

      Roland Deschain
      All I see is blood.

  • @sharjesm
    @sharjesm 6 лет назад +344

    So here's Schubert's characterizations of the keys roughly to modern tuning:
    C# Major
    Completely Pure. Its character is: innocence, simplicity, naivety, children's talk.
    C# Minor
    Declaration of love and at the same time the lament of unhappy love. All languishing, longing, sighing of the love-sick soul lies in this key.
    E Major
    A leering key, degenerating into grief and rapture. It cannot laugh, but it can smile; it cannot howl, but it can at least grimace its crying.--Consequently only unusual characters and feelings can be brought out in this key.
    D Minor
    Penitential lamentation, intimate conversation with God, the friend and help-meet of life; sighs of disappointed friendship and love lie in its radius.
    D# Major
    The key of triumph, of Hallelujahs, of war-cries, of victory-rejoicing. Thus, the inviting symphonies, the marches, holiday songs and heaven-rejoicing choruses are set in this key.
    D# Minor
    Melancholy womanliness, the spleen and humors brood.
    F Major
    The key of love, of devotion, of intimate conversation with God.
    E Minor
    Feelings of the anxiety of the soul's deepest distress, of brooding despair, of blackest depression, of the most gloomy condition of the soul. Every fear, every hesitation of the shuddering heart, breathes out of horrible D# minor. If ghosts could speak, their speech would approximate this key.
    F Major
    Noisy shouts of joy, laughing pleasure and not yet complete, full delight lies in E Major.
    F minor
    Naïve, womanly innocent declaration of love, lament without grumbling; sighs accompanied by few tears; this key speaks of the imminent hope of resolving in the pure happiness of C major.
    F# Major
    Complaisance & Calm.
    F# Minor
    Deep depression, funereal lament, groans of misery and longing for the grave.
    G Major
    Triumph over difficulty, free sigh of relief uttered when hurdles are surmounted; echo of a soul which has fiercely struggled and finally conquered lies in all uses of this key.
    G Minor
    A gloomy key: it tugs at passion as a dog biting a dress. Resentment and discontent are its language.
    G# Major
    Everything rustic, idyllic and lyrical, every calm and satisfied passion, every tender gratitude for true friendship and faithful love,--in a word every gentle and peaceful emotion of the heart is correctly expressed by this key.
    G# Minor
    Discontent, uneasiness, worry about a failed scheme; bad-tempered gnashing of teeth; in a word: resentment and dislike.
    A Major
    Key of the grave. Death, grave, putrefaction, judgment, eternity lie in its radius.
    A Minor
    Grumbler, heart squeezed until it suffocates; wailing lament, difficult struggle; in a word, the color of this key is everything struggling with difficulty.
    A# Major
    This key includes declarations of innocent love, satisfaction with one's state of affairs; hope of seeing one's beloved again when parting; youthful cheerfulness and trust in God.
    A# minor
    Pious womanliness and tenderness of character.
    B Major
    Cheerful love, clear conscience, hope aspiration for a better world.
    B minor
    A quaint creature, often dressed in the garment of night. It is somewhat surly and very seldom takes on a pleasant countenance. Mocking God and the world; discontented with itself and with everything; preparation for suicide sounds in this key.
    C Major
    Strongly colored, announcing wild passions, composed from the most glaring colors. Anger, rage, jealousy, fury, despair and every burden of the heart lies in its sphere.
    C Minor
    This is as it were the key of patience, of calm awaiting one's fate and of submission to divine dispensation.

    • @samshard6257
      @samshard6257 4 года назад +29

      Imagine writing all that and only getting 4 likes in two years :(

    • @unkykun
      @unkykun 4 года назад +10

      You know, when people says "post underrated comment" but there is like thousands of like underneath...
      Sir, this IS the most underrated comment ever
      Thank you !

    • @alanharper6673
      @alanharper6673 4 года назад +2

      No no

    • @anonymus243
      @anonymus243 4 года назад +2

      Thankyou! :)

    • @finnrummygaming
      @finnrummygaming 4 года назад +6

      Actually it’s the other way around where C Major is B Major and B Major is Bb Major etc. Although it doesn’t really work bc the pitches are different

  • @andrewcavallo1877
    @andrewcavallo1877 4 года назад +26

    4:31 “There are no discernible differences between keys in our modern tuning system.
    Or maybe, there ARE...”
    *~Vsauce music plays~*

  • @tusezrus7731
    @tusezrus7731 4 года назад +46

    "Songs in D Minor sound the saddest"
    Stal and Crab Rave: Allow us to introduce ourselves

    • @botwenty
      @botwenty 3 года назад +1

      Crab Rave is in G Dorian though

    • @tusezrus7731
      @tusezrus7731 3 года назад

      @@botwenty crap

    • @gassug2
      @gassug2 3 года назад +2

      @@botwenty which is the relative dorian of d minor, so his point still kinda stands, even if it doesn't tonicize the d minor chord

    • @user-qb3ki5ki1h
      @user-qb3ki5ki1h 4 месяца назад

      Houdini:

  • @CookieMonsterVids12
    @CookieMonsterVids12 6 лет назад +60

    1:56 Baroque A was dank af damn

  • @shadoxir
    @shadoxir 7 лет назад +1368

    This is like watching Vsauce but for music.
    Msauce. mmm.

    • @kaphizmey6229
      @kaphizmey6229 5 лет назад +8

      I approve wholeheartedly, dude. We need to tell Adam to start calling his channel Msauce.

    • @olleaxelsson3249
      @olleaxelsson3249 5 лет назад +17

      Shadoxir m’sauce

    • @LuisWendling
      @LuisWendling 5 лет назад +3

      Vsauce 4?

    • @bsharpmajorscale
      @bsharpmajorscale 5 лет назад

      @@LuisWendling Vsauce 4: The Quest for a Piece of Music

    • @j-k-l4756
      @j-k-l4756 5 лет назад +1

      I was going to write that comment. You are a genius, but Adam should use other music in the background for being Msauce

  • @nachothemacho0389
    @nachothemacho0389 4 года назад +114

    Stevie wonder when he touches a white key: *IT AINT FAMILIAR*

  • @stevekap8
    @stevekap8 3 года назад

    I've enjoyed your channel, and have learned a lot. I appreciate how you show the relationship between the music and how people perceive it, how it will make them feel, and how that is related to culture and expectations. Well done and thank you.

  • @lucasday6013
    @lucasday6013 7 лет назад +287

    did anyone else think he was going to pull a Vsauce at 4:37

    • @AdamNeely
      @AdamNeely  7 лет назад +91

      +Lucas Day I sure did

    • @VGMusicExplorers
      @VGMusicExplorers 7 лет назад +24

      I was surprised the Vsauce music didn't start playing. :p

    • @FernieCanto
      @FernieCanto 7 лет назад +24

      I think there's nothing in that part that looks like Vsauce.
      ...
      [eyes wide]
      ... or is there?
      /music plays

    • @greatisnate6506
      @greatisnate6506 7 лет назад

      Lucas Day in

    • @LeoAr37
      @LeoAr37 6 лет назад +1

      Dude I was going to comment that my head "literally" started playing the music when that part happened.

  • @oravlaful
    @oravlaful 7 лет назад +475

    i love D minor centered around D3

    • @pasteljelly2234
      @pasteljelly2234 6 лет назад +9

      Alvs Notes hehe D

    • @cuntcrusher9546
      @cuntcrusher9546 6 лет назад +1

      D.:

    • @coentenham6638
      @coentenham6638 6 лет назад +5

      I love my E1 on my piano, because it ain't tuned right but still sounds pretty cool.

    • @soulight6091
      @soulight6091 5 лет назад +2

      @@coentenham6638 Dude that's my F3.

    • @thekillerclown8497
      @thekillerclown8497 5 лет назад

      @Penguin 101 I wish I didn't understand what that meant :'(

  • @bignatec1000
    @bignatec1000 4 года назад +69

    D minor makes me think of Squidward’s clarinet song that put Patrick to sleep

  • @ghost79ish
    @ghost79ish 5 лет назад

    Just discovered this channel. I'm really impressed not only with your musical knowledge but also your ability to articulate a lot of more obscure ideas that I generally and intuitively understand but have trouble explaining to other people. Subbing now

  • @charliedavis8447
    @charliedavis8447 7 лет назад +261

    Whatever key my life is in

    • @starry_lis
      @starry_lis 7 лет назад +1

      What if it's dodecaphonic?

    • @QDSGames
      @QDSGames 7 лет назад +2

      RaphaelAtherill
      mine is dodekackophonic ...

    • @tiger-cn9sn
      @tiger-cn9sn 7 лет назад +1

      Edgy

    • @kakahtukat
      @kakahtukat 3 месяца назад

      @@gestaltbirdA minor and C minor because i’m under 18 and my life is just sad generally (default to c minor because yes)

  • @ognjenblesic9707
    @ognjenblesic9707 7 лет назад +150

    I like this "Vsauce" type of approach to these topics.

  • @GabzitoHD
    @GabzitoHD 5 лет назад +178

    D minor because that's the key of "lick my love pump"

    • @KieraQ0323
      @KieraQ0323 3 года назад +3

      Eb minor is sadder

    • @Wind-nj5xz
      @Wind-nj5xz 3 года назад +2

      Even the trumpet in that song sounds like it's going trough so much pain

    • @ssarmazi
      @ssarmazi 3 года назад

      I mean...I thought that was obvious.

    • @RodericSpode
      @RodericSpode 3 года назад +1

      Well it does make people weep instantly.

    • @dskim24
      @dskim24 3 года назад +5

      I'm fairly surprised that there are so few Spinal Tap references in the comments. This video kind of tees it right up.

  • @bleed5654
    @bleed5654 5 лет назад

    God man I've started to watching you videos and I can't stop. Amazing job.

  • @EoPatrux
    @EoPatrux 7 лет назад +667

    So the saddest key is the one that allows you to play on the laziest way possible on your favourite instrument? lol
    Nice!

  • @aaronkim3856
    @aaronkim3856 6 лет назад +55

    Before even clicking play:
    Happiest key: D major
    Brightest key: E major
    Most mellow key: Eb major
    Darkest key: B minor
    Warmest key: Db major
    Saddest key: C minor
    Another thoughts?

  • @kent631420
    @kent631420 4 года назад +240

    2:03 A = 420 hz...
    *smoke weed everyday*

  • @RH-uf9il
    @RH-uf9il 4 года назад +283

    Some say it's d minor, others say it's eb minor, but deep down we all know:
    C# minor gang

    • @smileyfacegr6691
      @smileyfacegr6691 4 года назад +3

      Yass

    • @lucasphillips2177
      @lucasphillips2177 4 года назад +2

      R H Bb minor or Eb minor

    • @12KTOYOTA
      @12KTOYOTA 4 года назад +5

      C# minor is the best bruh

    • @reedplaysgames
      @reedplaysgames 4 года назад +7

      I agree and disagree. C# minor is close, but we all know c# harmonic minor (with the sharp 7th) is the best because when you play a V chord it has more tension that natural minor just doesn’t really have so yeah fight me

    • @maxiapalucci2511
      @maxiapalucci2511 3 года назад

      Am I the only one who’s just inspired by Db?!?!

  • @juicyorange6717
    @juicyorange6717 6 лет назад +760

    I was hoping to see some emos say “the g note is the saddest”

    • @mlpdisneylover
      @mlpdisneylover 6 лет назад +4

      Geenelle mercado same!

    • @sammy135_
      @sammy135_ 5 лет назад +23

      As long as you go right down to that F# afterwards you'll have emo girls Immediatly surround you

    • @bigdumbdisease2901
      @bigdumbdisease2901 5 лет назад +9

      when I was a young boy, my father took me into the city, to see a marching band

    • @braydenwilloughby3687
      @braydenwilloughby3687 5 лет назад +3

      The saddest key is northern downpour

    • @Mdkumi
      @Mdkumi 5 лет назад

      No b

  • @Luvenhart
    @Luvenhart 6 лет назад +271

    Q minor

    • @ZaneDalton
      @ZaneDalton 4 года назад +2

      Luvenhart Bruh 😂

    • @whiteface513abandonedchann8
      @whiteface513abandonedchann8 4 года назад +9

      If you follow a normal pattern upwards that would be C Minor and downwards it would be E Minor

    • @Dowlphin
      @Dowlphin 4 года назад +5

      Major minor
      C++ is pretty sad, too, especially if you have played it for years. 😜

    • @AAYLV
      @AAYLV 3 года назад

      WWG1WGA

    • @billyjim0733
      @billyjim0733 3 года назад

      @@Dowlphin HA

  • @xlaythe
    @xlaythe 5 лет назад

    Thank you very much for this. I had a discussion about this a long time ago, and I took the "keys are all the same in equal temperament" stand. You have made me see things in a more nuanced way.

  • @joshtebben3078
    @joshtebben3078 5 лет назад +28

    I just read the thing by Shubart. He did actually include F# Major (which is enharmonically the same as Gb Major):
    G-flat major, triumph in difficulty, a free sigh of relief on
    having crossed hills, reminiscence of a soul which has struggled hard
    and finally is victorious lie in all applications of this key.
    To me, that does not really seam to describe a key so dissonant. I think that you may be confusing mean-tone temperament with well-temperament, the latter of which could be effectively used in all keys.

    • @lollol9598
      @lollol9598 Год назад +2

      nope, enharmonics arent the same note in meantone temperament like they are in equal temperament

  • @LouisEnright
    @LouisEnright 7 лет назад +470

    That F# chord progression at around 3:46 hurt my ears 😂

    • @steller7515
      @steller7515 6 лет назад

      Ikr?

    • @sergej100qca4
      @sergej100qca4 5 лет назад +3

      it hurt my eyes

    • @deltasceptile7805
      @deltasceptile7805 5 лет назад +16

      It's because those certain keys were out of tune. He needs to have his piano retuned. I like F# Major because it has positive feelings of being in a new place, in another unfamiliar world, but one that is comforting and easy to adjust to.

    • @noesunyoutuber7680
      @noesunyoutuber7680 5 лет назад +88

      @@deltasceptile7805 No, it sounded like that because the piano was tuned in Meantone temperament. Yours is likely tuned in modern equal temperament, which removes the dissonance from the key. He says so in the video.

    • @ccanaves
      @ccanaves 5 лет назад +56

      @@deltasceptile7805 You clearly didn't understand the point he made about using different tunings.

  • @AtheniCuber
    @AtheniCuber 7 лет назад +195

    i dont even really play music and i like your videos

    • @kvazau8444
      @kvazau8444 7 лет назад +2

      sal sinjoro; mi ankaŭ ŝatas liajn filmetojn dum ne ofte krei muzikon

    • @semvandenheuvel2653
      @semvandenheuvel2653 7 лет назад +9

      Athenic Cuber Hey, it's obviously in line with your interests. You should pick up an instrument. You're never too old and I've never regretted it either!

    • @AtheniCuber
      @AtheniCuber 7 лет назад

      ***** ive played instruments in the past, i just dont think ive found the right one yet.

    • @yaboibobby7776
      @yaboibobby7776 7 лет назад +3

      Athenic Cuber Vi estas Esperantisto?

    • @unknownvariable7778
      @unknownvariable7778 7 лет назад

      What have you tried?

  • @5hyguy42
    @5hyguy42 4 года назад

    Asking questions from a potential viewers prospective really helps with making your points understandable
    Great job on these informative videos

  • @benburke3015
    @benburke3015 4 года назад +13

    “Shoe-Bart” - Adam Neely 2017

  • @SteveGouldinSpain
    @SteveGouldinSpain 7 лет назад +122

    ...but it goes up to eleven!

  • @arztnexus5680
    @arztnexus5680 6 лет назад +679

    *Looking for people saying G note*

  • @PeterWetzler
    @PeterWetzler 2 года назад

    Very well produced segment. Bravo!

  • @brianhanington470
    @brianhanington470 3 года назад

    Brilliant, Adam. Nicely organized research, insight and explanation of a topic that has been confusing me for years.

    • @MontoyaMatrix
      @MontoyaMatrix 3 года назад

      Brian, he's actually wrong. They Schuman guy had the analysis almost spot-on. The answers can be found in both Classical music and many inspired pop-music examples. This guy, Adam Neely, or whatever--he's an empiricist and a nay-sayer.

  • @jc3823
    @jc3823 6 лет назад +42

    MEANTONE TEMPERMENT, thanks for the band name

    • @slipshot422
      @slipshot422 4 года назад +1

      He meant one temperament.

    • @_cynth_wave
      @_cynth_wave 3 года назад

      @@slipshot422 I love you lol

  • @gregoryblain5665
    @gregoryblain5665 7 лет назад +31

    Adam Neely is the Vsauce of music theory.

  • @charizardmaster13
    @charizardmaster13 5 лет назад +4

    The fact that american footballs debut is all in major keys and yet is some of the saddest music ive ever proves that conext matters

  • @vandpiben
    @vandpiben 4 года назад +6

    You forgot to take into account the cultural impact of how much a certain key is being used. Western popular music using C major G major etc. A key that's half a note higher or lower in relation to the most used keys can either give an uplifting feeling or a punch in the gut.

  • @RockyLikesPews
    @RockyLikesPews 7 лет назад +312

    C major, because it's the only key sad musicians know

    • @nytro8027
      @nytro8027 7 лет назад +1

      Lee Fire 😂😂😂😂 omg lmfaoooooo

    • @dhitikabarua1779
      @dhitikabarua1779 6 лет назад +1

      Lee Fire true...major sad nd depressed keys are used in indian and middle Eastern music!!!

    • @PrinceSwaggy
      @PrinceSwaggy 5 лет назад

      I agree F Sharp Minor is the happiest key

  • @jonasfrehse
    @jonasfrehse 7 лет назад +18

    Hey Adam,
    I love your content. You're one of the few RUclipsrs who I start to appreciate more and more the longer I watch them. Yours is quality content, I appreciate that. Keep up the good work!
    Greetings from oversea :)

  • @amarks4383
    @amarks4383 5 лет назад

    Adam you are brilliant !

  • @seanvieux5814
    @seanvieux5814 4 года назад

    This is simply some of the best content on you tube, well in my opinion it is!

  • @KingWak
    @KingWak 7 лет назад +12

    @Adam Neely 3:45 You are right, Schubert didn't mention F Sharp in his Book, but he described the enharmonic equivalent G Flat as "The echo of a soul that has struggled, and finally triumphed" - to me a good description of Chopin Etude Op.10 No.5 In G Flat . When Schubert wrote this description, there were already peaces for piano in F Sharp i.e. in the Well-Tempered Clavier of Bach. In my Opinion the character of keys is a mixture of timbre, modes and learned associations from well known music.

  • @kostaa713
    @kostaa713 7 лет назад +45

    D Minor is the saddest key because that's what Mozart wrote his Requiem in, his final breath 😢😢

    • @flaneur5560
      @flaneur5560 5 лет назад +1

      And let's not forget Spinal Tap's 'Lick my Love Pump'

    • @flaneur5560
      @flaneur5560 4 года назад

      @@meetroushan2727 ruclips.net/video/H7vk5keNbRc/видео.html

  • @pavelszabomusic
    @pavelszabomusic 3 года назад

    Your videos helps me with composing, thank you! ❤️✌️

  • @stevenhearrell1564
    @stevenhearrell1564 5 лет назад

    Thank you Adam!

  • @spoddie
    @spoddie 7 лет назад +37

    I think I would be very sad if I had to play in E♭minor

  • @DennisTrovato
    @DennisTrovato 7 лет назад +693

    A = 420hz blaze it

    • @d.o.1554
      @d.o.1554 7 лет назад +56

      scrolled way too far for this

    • @alias_2236
      @alias_2236 7 лет назад

      waay too far...

    • @TovaHolmberger
      @TovaHolmberger 7 лет назад +8

      you mean A-flat bro
      also always A = 442 because why the fuck not and because wind instruments like to get high

    • @arjenbij
      @arjenbij 7 лет назад +7

      Tova Holmberger In the baroque period a=416 hz or 460 or sometimes ever 395.

    • @alias_2236
      @alias_2236 7 лет назад +2

      You must be fun at parties.

  • @owenklein1917
    @owenklein1917 3 года назад +6

    All instruments: We tend to play in the key of __ because it has a great, upbeat feeling. Though when we play in the key of __, it gives a very spooky feeling.
    Brass and woodwind: We play in Bb because it’s easier

  • @migueldospachangas7716
    @migueldospachangas7716 4 года назад +2

    Adam, my friend, you are 22 lengths ahead of me. My 40 years of study never entered the the door of a university. That was countered by the fortunate schooling rec'd from a generous hand full of great musicians, which included one notable Jazz great. He was 98, & still very sharp when I met him. I paid attention, and never miss an opportunity to learn something from every musician I've encountered, especially from a titan, such as yourself. I remain a student at heart, while teaching for 20 years now.
    That said, to me- certain keys have a unique quality. G and D are very happy, Always felt G opens a set, in an inviting, warm and happy way. I'm a guitar player and understand that aspect, as you put into meaning through context here. I'm in agreement with that.
    I still feel a deeper thing at work, but it wouldn't hurt my feelings if every individual. belief was tied to the reasoning you explained. E and A seem to me to be slightly less sprite, but still well happy.
    Dm is, I truly believe the saddest of all keys. Nigel isn't a mentor in my top 100, but Ritchie Blackmore is. He shares this belief in Dm as being the saddest. Dm & F#m are mucho misterioso, as Em can be as well. B has a tension about it, unique, and tight. Bm isnt nearly as sad as Dm. F#m is about as sad ( The second saddest key, to me). There is context there, too. The 50 odd records of my main man no doubt have this belief put into practice throughout his canon. He put the saddest of the triste in Dm. As Bach's Requiem, and the Toccata and Fugue are in Dm, perhaps Ive just come to associate Dm this way because its what I know.
    There exists a little ditty on a Purple record, Made in Europe, on the Burn track. The beginning has a cadenza like, loud and boisterous part,. It's in the Key of the song, Gm. After it dies down, the "ditty" is stated on the guitar only (.31.), lower in volume, delivered in a Quasi Misterioso manner. It's in Dm. 25 seconds or so long, I call it a snake charming line.
    ( Dm is also the best key for snake charming. The Gilly Gilly man came to my grade school in Singapore, with his baskets of cobras. I'm not absolutely certain, but his funny sounding horn was tuned for a Dm scale, Alas, the sticker stating its key must've worn off. He appeared 90, the horn maybe twice as old, so I can understand why no sticker existed. The cobras sure came out and did their thing, I am certain that I was too close, the front row was smushed into the 2nd row from the start to the finish of the show.
    I've not been able to recognize the ditty it by name, though likely , it's of classical origin. An influential teacher of his provided classical guitar training, which obviously left its mark. It took me a while to figure it out, I'm sure you could accomplish it in a minute or two, Today though, I instantly recognize some of the elements that were so muddy 30 years ago.
    Many Django gypsy minor songs are in Dm, and Am. Am is the most spanish of all keys ( that's common knowledge).
    To use the word ditty, actually strikes me as more in the vein of a jig or reel- happy. Perhaps there exists a more accurate term. Perhaps that defines my level of Musical IQ as well. Dm does have a close relationship to Gm, and perhaps a Gm to Dm back to Gm sequence is extra sad and mysterious, (not sure what to call that; - Im modulating to the IVm and returning to Im explains zilch, If I'm barking up the right tree, what does a tonic to the Dominant and back do ?? I've wondered exactly why it was done this way. Should I learn the origin of the piece, perhaps some further light will offer another piece to a musical puzzle. I've yet to study the author cited in your video, I'll have to see what his reasoning is.
    The scoreboard does have him, me, R. Blackmore, and for what its worth, Nigel too, - in agreement. Versus you. I'd never be so foolish to come right out and challenge a titan. However, If you revisit the subject, in light of these pseudo mysterious revelations, I'd be glad to hear further insight. You'll probably still win, and that's fine. of course- because then I might know better, too.
    You know, that "Lick my Love Pump" is awfully sad..., I've never tried to modulate it, to check the melancholy factor in other keys. Perhaps segued with "Smell the Glove" would take it elsewhere. Hmmm, 5 bucks- says it takes you to Stonehenge, where the jolly dwarfs live

    • @11123fsd
      @11123fsd 4 года назад

      Very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

  • @iananderson12796
    @iananderson12796 7 лет назад +72

    We may not know the saddest key, but we know that the viola is the saddest instrument.

    • @garylee7996
      @garylee7996 6 лет назад +2

      Ian Anderson I would suggest that the viola da gamba is sadder than the modern viola.

    • @cocoapuff_x
      @cocoapuff_x 6 лет назад +6

      Ian Anderson
      I play a viola and I totally agree. Literally, I just leave it in the corner and play my piano.

    • @katelijne2962
      @katelijne2962 6 лет назад +3

      viola is a pretty great instrument tho

    • @edmondbrown3678
      @edmondbrown3678 6 лет назад +3

      Because it only burns half as long as the cello?

    • @LucasRodmo
      @LucasRodmo 6 лет назад

      My favorite tho

  • @vseghal1
    @vseghal1 7 лет назад +63

    OK.....WOW I did not expect that "This Spinal Tap" reference

    • @NicklausSIR2
      @NicklausSIR2 7 лет назад +5

      I clicked the link to this vid just to see if it was in there (ok also a bit because AN's stuff is usually interesting :p)

    • @RCAvhstape
      @RCAvhstape 7 лет назад +9

      Also: 4. Your drummer will die soon, always have a replacement lined up.

    • @GeeVanderplas
      @GeeVanderplas 7 лет назад +4

      5. Know the difference between inches and feet or your Stonehenge monument will be in danger of being crushed by a dwarf!

    • @thegreatgambeeno
      @thegreatgambeeno 7 лет назад +1

      Teaching us more everyday. Smell the glove, baby.

  • @jamescalberson6793
    @jamescalberson6793 4 года назад

    Thank you for this video. I have been saying for years that equal temperament basically negated key difference as opposed to meantone or Werkmeister, etc. , but few have agreed with me. Your analysis is spot on. Thanks again!

  • @ThePredatorYT-kl9dr
    @ThePredatorYT-kl9dr 4 года назад +13

    Top 10 saddest key signatures:
    1. F Major
    2. E Major
    3. C# minor
    4. D# Minor
    5. D minor
    6. F minor
    7. Bb minor
    8. F# minor
    9. A major
    10. G minor

  • @user-km2kq3np4l
    @user-km2kq3np4l 6 лет назад +39

    The "G" note

  • @AnonymousAZ
    @AnonymousAZ 7 лет назад +14

    I hate when musicians talked about saddest """KEY""" in Ionian mode and ignore intonation entirely, which is where dissonance and harmony comes from.

  • @Seiffouri
    @Seiffouri 5 лет назад

    Very informative as usual! I’ve learnt a lot from you.
    One addition to your video would be the unique characteristic of each pitch as described by people with absolute pitch. As they say each pitch has a deep feeling and characteristic associated with it, just as we associate red with passion and danger or blue with tranquility and stability. That’s why many car horns beep in F# (which is the sharpest, twangiest and most jarring note, again as described by pitch perfect people) Those properties of the pitch is what makes them distinguishable for absolute pitch owners. They can think of pitches without thinking about the timbre (the carrier of the pitch, like violin or elevator ring) just as we can think about red abstractly and without context. Therefore it doesn’t matter with what instrument or in what octave the pitch is played! F# is always F#.
    All said it’s not only the timbre which caries emotional context. The deeper layer is the characteristic of each pitch itself. Each chord combines different tone colors (pitches) and therefore it DOES matter which key is chosen for a piece based on its emotional context. As an experiment open an image in Photoshop and shift the hues. Although the relationship between colors are fixed, the mood and meaning of the whole image will change; trust me.

  • @terdragontra8900
    @terdragontra8900 5 лет назад +5

    the perfect fifth in equal temperment is 2^(7/12):1, not 7*2^(1/12):1

  • @zenispagetti1
    @zenispagetti1 7 лет назад +54

    g minor will always be the saddest sounding key to me.

  • @PlayingWithDidi
    @PlayingWithDidi 7 лет назад +235

    Hey Adam. Great video as always.
    I'm afraid there's a little correction in 2:52, the ratio is (¹²√2)⁷ , it's a power function not multiplication.
    I'm sorry I know you don't much like correcting mistakes that are irrelevant but I couldn't help but get it out of the system.
    Thanks for the insightful channel.

    • @AdamNeely
      @AdamNeely  7 лет назад +161

      No, it's relevant, thanks for the correction, several others mentioned it, and it's definitely my bad!

    • @kekaronipotato4267
      @kekaronipotato4267 6 лет назад +6

      Esam Bustaty nerd

    • @anatolydyatlov963
      @anatolydyatlov963 6 лет назад +8

      +Kekaroni Potato that's a complement ;P

    • @moadot720
      @moadot720 6 лет назад

      DON'T YOU DARE SAY CAN'T HELP IT!!!!

  • @filharmonix
    @filharmonix 4 года назад

    I loved your video on microtunes. I even, because of it, made a beat on FL studio using the FL keys midi utilizing microtunes. And your video on why majors are happy ... amazing and informative!

  • @GDitto
    @GDitto 5 лет назад +21

    And of course for those of us with chromesthesia, each tonal centre is represented by a different colour, and quality affects brightness (which most people have a concept of). So if I want something dark purple, I’ll shoot for D minor. If I want a bright and cheery red, I’ll go for A major.

    • @Maria.Malarkey
      @Maria.Malarkey 4 года назад +2

      F# major to me is orange! G major is blue and g minor is navy blue!

    • @EdySmi
      @EdySmi 4 года назад +1

      I get orange for A, but D is dark blue/purple. Pretty close

    • @logestt
      @logestt 4 года назад

      To me E sounds blue and A sounds yellow

    • @benhamel6550
      @benhamel6550 4 года назад

      For me A major is a peach orange, D major is a yellow and G major is sky blue. C minor is reddish/hot pink, F major is grass green, F# major is dark green, C# minor is grayish orchid/sometimes purply, and Eb and Ab major are both a very warm red.

    • @kapildnayar528
      @kapildnayar528 4 года назад +2

      Wow !! So many people with chromesthesia !! That too at one place at the same time ?! Truly this video is gods gift

  • @goth3d77
    @goth3d77 7 лет назад +37

    *g note*

  • @tombatty7315
    @tombatty7315 7 лет назад +6

    This is very interesting as Hans Zimmers favourite key is D as he uses a lot of low strings e.g. Cellos in the jokers theme 'Why so serious' whilst the lowest note on the cello is C its an open string so you cant vibrato on it so going one tone up allows for a much more expressive lowest note and that is how he chooses his keys.

  • @klaxoncow
    @klaxoncow 3 года назад +5

    The saddest key will be the last one you ever hear.

  • @rayanshamil763
    @rayanshamil763 5 лет назад

    love the painting in the back

  • @daveoh13
    @daveoh13 7 лет назад +57

    if nigel tufnel says d-minor is the saddest of all keys, then that's good enough for me!

  • @96robola
    @96robola 7 лет назад +41

    Would be an interesting experiment to take a piece of music and just transpose it to different keys and see if it makes the feel of it any different.

    • @Lucas13100
      @Lucas13100 7 лет назад +5

      Just tried it! I made up a stupid little 3 bar melody accompanied by an Alberti bass in A minor and in D minor. You can hear it there: flat.io/score/586e6cbf09be5543a83d5582
      The composition is terrible, I made it in 10 minutes, forgive me x)
      Personally I don't think D minor sounds sadder than A minor to be honest. Maybe it takes a longer piece to notice, I don't know, or just something better xD

    • @96robola
      @96robola 7 лет назад +3

      Cool! A problem i now realize is that its hard to truly isolate the different keys since you hear it in Dm directly after you've heard it in Am which makes it sound kinda like any modulation in any song. This gives it the sort of climax feel that you would normally get from any modulation in any song really.

    • @Lucas13100
      @Lucas13100 7 лет назад +1

      I see what you mean, and yea indeed it kinda gives off the modulation feel
      Maybe writing a different phrase in Dm would work better, instead of just modulating and doing the exact same phrase.

    • @thegreatgambeeno
      @thegreatgambeeno 7 лет назад +2

      96robola Rob Scallon has a video where he plays a song and on each repeat tunes down 1/2 step. It's a metal thing, but nonetheless, it gives what I would think are semi-typical results. I know when I've tried to redo my songs in different keys and tunings it took away a lot of the emotional power to me. Maybe that's just because it's my piece and I may not be able to be completely objective.

    • @MaggaraMarine
      @MaggaraMarine 7 лет назад +10

      Playing something in D minor and A minor will sound different, just like transposing up an octave will sound different. If you transpose your D minor melody to A minor, it will be either lower or higher than the original melody and that will make a difference. It all comes down to timbre. Certain instruments sound better in a certain register and finding a key that fits your chosen instrumentation is important. This is also why singers usually transpose songs to different keys - their voice sounds best in a certain register.
      Of course the melody will still sound like the same melody and it will most likely not sound any "happier" or "sadder" when you transpose it to another key. But it may have a bit different kind of a character. For example if you write a piano part that uses a lot of chords played in the low register, you may want to find a key where the chords don't sound too muddy. If something sounds too muddy in D minor, transposing it a up to another key may make a huge difference. An octave up may be too much and it will sound too bright. So you may want to transpose it just a bit higher, so that it still retains the "low register" sound but it doesn't sound too muddy.

  • @unclestarwarssatchmo9848
    @unclestarwarssatchmo9848 5 лет назад

    I transposed one of my own songs from G-major to Ab-major and managed to achieve a lovely, much more dreamy sound. Super fun! Lovely video adam! Cheers from a first term music student at stockholm university!

    • @Draber2b
      @Draber2b 4 года назад

      With only 1 semitone? Either it's a very sensitive instrument to pitch or you're pitch perfect..
      Really impressive.
      In my experience to notice a (slight but real) difference in mood I need to shift 3 semitones. At least.
      Some bass* melodies sound a bit sadder/angrier in C1 than in A1 (or in C# than A#) but I can't feel any real difference when changing only 1 semitone. Even 2.
      *I'm talking about a softly distorted bass that I like to use

    • @SShrikke
      @SShrikke Год назад

      @@Draber2b Shifting something by one semitone gives it the biggest possible emotion change. The most notable example would be c major and c# major. C major is plain and innocent, while c# major is arguably the richest in feeling and imagery out of all the keys. No other interval shift has a more noticeable difference in mood than 1 semitone, at least in my ear. That's why minor 2nds sound so unsettled.

  • @OmniTorch
    @OmniTorch 5 лет назад

    @Adam Neely you're the best!

  • @Djsolaur
    @Djsolaur 7 лет назад +6

    Chord extensions also can make a huge difference.
    To me, minor 9ths add a heavily sentimental feeling.

    • @nathanmaxwell1195
      @nathanmaxwell1195 4 года назад +1

      Try Matcha by Elijah Who - the first note of the melody is a minor 9th,and it has some generally interesting chords throuought

  • @darraghtate440
    @darraghtate440 7 лет назад +21

    I feel this may be connected to the whole "colour hearing", perfect-pitch technique.

    • @frannbug
      @frannbug 7 лет назад +1

      I have always felt different colours attached to different keys, some more strongly than others - but I don't have perfect pitch - and when I talk to others who get this they have different colours! For me, D major is brown, E yellow, F red, G green and A blue. Those are the strongest and they are associated with my playing, not my hearing.

    • @darraghtate440
      @darraghtate440 7 лет назад +3

      That sounds like synesthesia, which sounds like it would be an interesting thing to have, but what I was talking about was the technique of hearing each different note having it's own unique sound, or "colour", which allows you to differentiate between pitches based on sound. This guy named David Burge made a whole system based on it, which when you look at it seems like snake oil, but it really does seem to work. I never really got into it - a friend burned me a copy of disc 1 of the series,and now I can hear the difference between Gb and Eb - but it does add a lot to the "keys having different emotions" concept.

    • @drewsmithbass
      @drewsmithbass 7 лет назад +3

      Darragh Tate
      I have perfect pitch and I definitely get different feelings from different keys. A piece in B minor will feel way more sad/dramatic to me than the same piece in C minor. Never been able to pin point exactly why I perceive this but I assume it's to do with having perfect pitch/synaesthesia

    • @YanaPineReflectorium
      @YanaPineReflectorium 7 лет назад

      Do you get the same feel from the same key but played on different instruments?

    • @DanielTompkinsGuitar
      @DanielTompkinsGuitar 7 лет назад +15

      Rimsky-Korsakov and Liszt had a famous argument about the color of different notes. They both had synesthesia and perfect pitch but disagreed on the colors they saw from music.

  • @smertonosnyibratni
    @smertonosnyibratni 5 лет назад +2

    Theres also an effect of some instruments' lowest notes. I've heard from some sources that the saddest key is Cminor because the Cello's lowest string is tuned to C. The instrument with the most "sad" sound to it, and the lowest instrument that you really hear a lot of is cello so it would make sense.

  • @versetylevty946
    @versetylevty946 5 лет назад +165

    The saddest key feels low but you don't notice it
    Cause hes lowkey

    • @Marino_evii
      @Marino_evii 4 года назад

      Duarte Oliveira high key a low key punny joke

  • @xartymusic
    @xartymusic 7 лет назад +20

    B Minor - I love this one

  • @Wheelly1
    @Wheelly1 7 лет назад +3

    Love your stuff

  • @sschmidtevalue
    @sschmidtevalue 5 лет назад

    Love the Spinal Tap reference! That was my first thought when I saw the title.

  • @d4ben
    @d4ben 4 года назад

    Hi Adam, Thank you for another informative clip. You have a great knack of taking such a subjective thing, music and objectively revealing the facts. I guess some would suggest that applying such a knowledge based study destroys the mysticism of music but l for one really appreciate it and drives be into experimenting more in playing.

  • @Megabobster
    @Megabobster 7 лет назад +83

    I'm not gonna lie; I love the sound of the meantone F#.

  • @agent45267
    @agent45267 7 лет назад +3

    i can smell the steady increase in quality. you are my favorite content producer.

  • @nicklittle8399
    @nicklittle8399 5 лет назад +3

    The saddest key to me, is based on context. Recently I finished writing a war memorial song in Eb major, and it brings me to tears much more often than any other song simply because of why it was written, as opposed to what it is written in. Wish he would have touched on context more here.
    Although I love the video lol :)

  • @marrk643
    @marrk643 5 лет назад +1

    Your channel is like Vsauce for music theory and I love it lol

  • @amyrogers7628
    @amyrogers7628 6 лет назад +7

    A friend of mine who has perfect pitch says that he always hears E major as partially minor because he is so used to the I chord being used to resolve to A minor.

  • @oneandrew7767
    @oneandrew7767 6 лет назад +116

    Ok, understand about keys but what about the saddest scale? I claim it is the Hungarian minor. C D D# F# G G# B C

    • @mrmoinn
      @mrmoinn 6 лет назад +42

      Ummm, no. It is not D# or G#, but rather Eb and Ab(in this case the difference actually matters. Saying it your way isn't completely wrong, but it's still wrong)

    • @ricomorasata3227
      @ricomorasata3227 6 лет назад +12

      Yeah. 1-2-b3-#4-5-b6-7

    • @PrinceSwaggy
      @PrinceSwaggy 5 лет назад

      Wrong video

    • @keescanalfp5143
      @keescanalfp5143 5 лет назад +2

      @dghi, in our region: gipsy scale. gipsy minor

    • @Murcielag0scuro
      @Murcielag0scuro 4 года назад

      @@mrmoinn Dude, he said the same thing. It doesn't really matter.

  • @Junkyard_Shaman
    @Junkyard_Shaman 4 года назад +3

    I say either C minor or F minor (or rather mixing those because they are "within a same system"), but that might be mostly to my synesthetic impressions of those particular chords; BUT every time I make a song in them, I know it hits the goal with most listeners. And that is probably only because I enjoy playing them the most, therefore I make better music when I feel more comfortable, therefore it works for others too.

  • @thebreakfastmenu
    @thebreakfastmenu 5 лет назад +8

    Bbm obviously.
    Have you heard Adagio for Strings?

    • @LTDLimiTeD1995
      @LTDLimiTeD1995 4 года назад

      As I recall, that's not technically Minor/Aeolian but Phrygian.

  • @derrickswinney2297
    @derrickswinney2297 7 лет назад +36

    Great work as always. I'd like to comment that when I was a kid writing in "Drop D" Tuning that I noticed when I transposed the notes onto standard tuning exactly, I still wouldn't get the powerful sound I wanted that comes from the 1 finger power chord of drop tuning.
    I always wondered what the difference is if it's all the same notes. I figured it must be primarily in my head, and if anything, was slight and just a way that the chord was ever so slightly easier to form (or bar down) had something to do with it.
    I bring this up because even if there is any sort of objective answer to this question, it's convoluted endlessly by even the tiniest details about how that note is played.
    interesting stuff keep up the good work.

    • @thegreatgambeeno
      @thegreatgambeeno 7 лет назад +11

      Derrick Swinney You are correct. You're using a different finger to fret the notes, stretching more or less, depending on the chord, and just the timbral difference of the string being a different tension since it's tuned down and reverberating through the neck and string in different areas.

    • @CyberChrist
      @CyberChrist 7 лет назад +3

      No guitar being perfectly intonated all around, it's also worth mentioning that chances are the intonation errors between notes are more similar when using the same fret for a chord, making it sound measurably better.

    • @thenotsoguitarguy9429
      @thenotsoguitarguy9429 6 лет назад

      thegreatgambeeno - I agree: string tension likely has a lot to do with it.
      In fact, try the same chords, but with the guitar tuned to D standard, and you'll likely notice the effect to be more pronounced than with the guitar tuned to drop D.
      That has been my experience, anyway. I switch between drop C and C standard quite a bit. Even though the low C is technically the same in both tunings, something about the low C power chord in the standard C tuning feels like it has more girth than in the drop C tuning. The one main difference is that the A and D strings have less tension in the C standard tuning (as do the rest of the strings). This changes the overtone series, which changes the sympathetic resonances, which alters the timbre, etc.

  • @TheMarkushugo
    @TheMarkushugo 7 лет назад +5

    who needs music school when we have this channel

  • @08JSBeats
    @08JSBeats Год назад +1

    all is about tension, the center of all notes is A, going upper from A to D (with a minor key) results in a more tensional scale, and going down from A to D# results in a more neutral scale, or atleast less sadder
    (remember that after an octave all just starts to repeat, the only change exists in relation of the 12 notes)

  • @-ff958-4
    @-ff958-4 5 лет назад +1

    i love this channel