Notation in Irish Music Part 4: Why are certain keys used in Irish music?

In this blog, I offer some possible reasons why keys like D and G are so popular in Irish music, while other keys are largely ignored.

Perhaps a combination of factors:

The tuning of violins, banjos and mandolins is GDAE. Therefore, it would only be expected that keys which centre around the open strings of G, D and A to be popular for a group performance of these instruments. E would be a little more limiting, given its position as the highest string on these instruments.

Similarly Irish traditional music is modal, and the modes on G and D are quite simple to play and understand (requiring only a few accidentals). For a music that was rooted in the aural tradition, the less theoretical knowledge required, the easier it would have been to teach/transmit the music to others. For example, it’s easier to think of a tune in G (which uses the notes G-A-B-C-D-E-F#-G) rather Gb (Gb-Ab-Bb-Cb-Db-Eb-F-Gb) – there could be many more potential theoretical hurdles to overcome if you tried to teach/learn a tune in Gb major.

This is also true in classical music – in the Baroque period, keys with fewer accidentals were favoured by composers for ensemble playing, especially due to tuning issues that appear with keys that use many accidentals. Apparently, it wasn’t until Haydn in the 1770s that the first symphony in F# minor was composed (tuning for Horns being the main barrier). Even to this day, the vast majority of tonal/modal music we listen to and perform (in any style: Classical, Pop, Folk, Jazz), usually uses keys that have, at most, up to 3 or 4 accidentals. Pieces in Gb or C# are simply not as common, because historically they were harder/impossible for many instruments to play in.

D is also a louder key for whistles, flutes and uilleann pipes, which was an important feature for any performance in a large space before the invention of electronic amplification.

Also, it’s possible that physical size played a role: the size of D whistles, flutes and chanters for the pipes are perhaps the most comfortable size for adult performers, with C, Bb and A whistles requiring a little more stretch, and Eb, F and G (especially for tin whistle) being too small for larger fingers.

If you're interested in learning how to read music for Irish traditional music, but are unsure where to begin, check out my Tin Whistle Mini Course for just a one-time purchase of £19. No subscription fees, just pay once, and own forever! The course will introduce you to the notes (pitches) used in Irish traditional music, the treble clef and staves, note values (from whole notes/semibreves to sixteenth notes/semiquavers), note groupings, and jig rhythms - this is the perfect introduction to the topic of notation in Irish traditional music!

📋 Other posts in this series:

Part 1 Why We Should Scrap the ABC Method!

Part 2 The Benefits of Standard Notation for Learning Irish Music

Part 3 Challenging Outdated Beliefs in Learning Irish Music

Categories: : Irish Traditional Music