Most Popular Keys

[skymegatoronto]

I have 500+ gospel CD's and about 6600 MP3's on my computer, and a few years back I did a survey of hundreds and hundreds of gospel songs to see what key they were in. This is what I found (I thought it was interesting). The keys are list in order from most popular to least popular.

1. Ab
2. C#
3. Eb
4. F#
5. Bb
6. F
7. C
8. G
9. D
10. B
11. E
12. A

Notice that the BLACK keys are the top five, and the keys of D, B, E, and A are the bottom four. Also, F is the most popular WHITE key, and what was interesting to me is the the key of C is not nearly as popular in black gospel recordings as one might think.

I'm Surprised that you were able to find any gospel song in the Key of A,B or E

[Benjamin1011]

I'm Surprised that you were able to find any gospel song in the Key of A,B or E

I agree that is surprising.

[Benjamin1011]

If it was up to me C# would be on top.....      

PianoWiz...

I'm with you PianoWiz

[sjonathan02]

I'm torn between Eb and Db as keys that I prefer.


And, actually, I like F and Ab, too!

[Loopy]

Interesting, interesting.  I love the black keys.  I personally think songs sound better in those keys.  But that's probably because, as Loopy's research proves, so many songs are in those keys.  Man, Loopy, you have a lot of time on your hands!

LOL!! Nah I actually did this over a period of a few days, and I just scanned the songs to see what the MAIN was that they were in. It didn't take me too long.

[Loopy]

I'm Surprised that you were able to find any gospel song in the Key of A,B or E

Believe it or not there are a few!

For example, James Hall has several songs in the key of B ("Blessed Be the Name", and "When He Comes Back in the Clouds")
and he also has songs in the key of E. Isreal and New Breed does the majority of his songs in E, and one very popular song, Vickie Winans' "Long As I Got king Jesus, is in the key of E. I can't remember which songs were in A but I know there were a few. As you can see, A was the least popular key.

[Loopy]

I'm torn between Eb and Db as keys that I prefer.


And, actually, I like F and Ab, too!

I can DITTO this statement, SJON! I also love Bb though.

[T-Block]

Here are a few gospel songs in the key of A:

Kurt Carr - "Oh My Soul Loves Jesus" (Awesome Wonder CD)
Kurt Carr - "Jesus Can Work It Out" modulates to the key of A (Awesome Wonder CD)
William Murphy - "Pure And Holy Passion" (All Day CD)
The Winans - "The Question Is"

Here are some songs in the key of B:

Bishop Paul S. Morton - "I Need Thee" (Let It Rain CD)
Bishop Paul S. Moron - "Bow Down" (Bow Down and Worship Him CD)  *it's really in the key of G# minor, but uses the key of B notes/chords
Byron Cage - "Lift Him Up" (Invitation CD)
Hezekiah Walker - "What A Mighty God We Serve" (Family Affair II CD)  *most of it is Bm, but it switches to B major in the song, and back to Bm

[bishopcole]

I definitely agree with the list Loopy did cause I have about that many mp3s and majority of the songs are in Ab. But I say Eb would probably be #2 because a lot of songs that are played in minor keys is played in Ebm.

The reason why so many songs are in these keys because they are what we call natural talktone keys.  Bishop Cole

[berbie]

Hey, Loopy

You know, it is not really a racist question, as I am black, and percieve the white keys to be easier to play, and if asked to play a song, would automatically start to play in "g".  If Black voices tend to range in the area of the black keys when singing gospel, so what?  I am just curious.  Since I read this thread, I started paying more attention to the flat keys, and discovered that the more I played them, the easier they got. (surprise)   In my mind, though, they will never be as easy as c, f, g, d, aw, ok, bflat. As far as reading music is concerned, though, I will not attempt to read any music that has more that two sharps in the key signature.  The number of flats don't matter. It  is easy to remember beadgc, and that I am always going to be flatting.  Hey, maybe I answered my own question.

Berbie

[under13]

Bump. I thought this thread was very interesting....

[jude63]

Eb is the king, the hands just fit nicely there

[under13]

Eb is the king, the hands just fit nicely there

thats exactly why I like the Black keys

[musallio]

The reason why so many songs are in these keys because they are what we call natural talktone keys.  Bishop Cole

I think this best explains it!
You will find that most songs in these keys are by people who like to talk in the songs (plz correct me if I'm wrong).

I learn' my first song in F# without even knowing it, so for a long time it was my default key (even now).

But A & D have a nice feel & I plays some nice stuff that doesn't come so easy in other keys.

I think C is my least preferred key to play any song in, unless if it's in Am,

[kmccray]

C# and Eb are the preferred keys by me.  I use to shy away from the black keys but they are easier for me to play than the white keys now.

[musallio]

I don't really have any best preference now in terms of the key. My only preference is that the song is simple enough to play
I found that most of the black keys have a natural feel about them. Db is my 2nd favorite black key when practicing but my least preferred black key when playing songs in a church setting (I don't know why).

Eb is the best for runs!
F# is the best for song's I've never heard before/ I don't know and everything else.
A,D,E,B  have a nice feel in slow worship songs.
F, Bb, Db, G, Ab are nice to play fast groovy songs in.

That's just me.

[ferrente]

Good Post!

[Mrandrew]

This sheds some light on why we like to play in the black keys. This may have been posted before, but is significant.

Amazing Grace History/"Amazing Grace" By Wintley Phipps