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| 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 |
| Db 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 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 |
| D# 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 |
| Eb major: |
The key of love, of
devotion, of intimate conversation with God |
| E major: |
Noisy shouts of joy,
laughing pleasure and not yet complete, full delight lies in E Major |
| F major: |
Complaisance and calm |
| F minor: |
Deep depression,
funereal lament, groans of misery and longing for the grave |
| F# 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 |
| F# 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 |
| Ab major: |
Key of the grave.
Death, grave, putrefaction, judgment, eternity lie in its radius |
| Ab 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 |
| Bb major: |
Cheerful love, clear
conscience, hope aspiration for a better world
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 |
| Bb 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. |
| B 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 |
| B minor: |
This is as it were
the key of patience, of calm awaiting one's fate and of submission
to divine dispensation From Christian Schubart's Ideen zu
einer Aesthetik der Tonkunst (1806) translated by
Rita Steblin
Copyright Kevin Lessmann
2004 |
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Though not ubiquitous, the emotions induced by
different keys in music is usually similar for most listeners. Some
common emotions usually related with the different keys are listed aside. Although not everyone has the same reaction to every key, in general,
these classifications of key relate to most people. When compiled,
major keys usually relate to love, hope, joy and pleasure while minor keys
relate to
mostly gloomy, sad and anxious emotions. Therefore, if Bush's
commercial were to use a minor key, usual associated with sad or melancholy
feelings, the upbeat and enthusiastic mood the commercial tries to set would
be undermined by the music. Similarly, the negative commercials' use the grave and obscure emotions usually associated with
minor keys, thus encouraging the viewer to associate sad or threatening
emotions with the apposing candidate and the pleased, encouraged emotion
with their own candidate. For more information on musical theory, visit
music theory online
or read The Psychology of Music: second edition, by
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