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5.3.2 What Is a "Key" In Music? And What Does "Change Key of a Song" Mean?
Sometimes you find yourself playing or singing a tune that, for one reason or another, is “too high” or “too low.” So what do you do? Change keys, of course.
But what does “change keys” mean?
First, the word “key” in the following discussion has nothing to do with the 88 black and white mechanical devices on a piano called “piano keys.” So, from now on, to avoid confusion, the term “note” or “notes” will refer to the tones associated with the 88 black and white mechanical devices on the piano.
The term key refers to a given tonic note (key note) and the rest of the notes of its associated major or minor scale. (As you’ll see in a bit, “key” encompasses the tonic note, the related scale, and the related chords.)
For example, if you’re playing or singing in the key of C major, the tonic note is C, and the scale you use is the C major scale (corresponding to the white notes on the piano beginning and ending with C).