[Dixielandjazz] Standard Keys

[Robert Ringwald]

 Ken Mathieson wrote:

 > In a lot of cases, standard keys for instrumental performances have been arrived at simply on the basis of the ranges of the principal instruments. For instance, the original song sheet of Body and Soul is in C, but it's now pretty well universally played in Db, following Coleman Hawkins's famous recording, as it sits comfortably for saxes and trumpet in that key (i.e. it avoids going too low or too high, so instrumental timbres are optimised).  
(snip)

I read recently that Stardust was written in the key of C by Carmichael.  Most everyone now plays it in the key of D flat.  

--Bob Ringwald



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