light weight so they can be easily transported to and from engagements by only two
persons. Because their harp is longer than that of a spinet or console piano they have a
stronger bass sound which to some pianists is well worth the trade-off in range that a
reduced key-set leaves them.
KEY IN MUSIC
A key is the centre of gravity of a piece. It identifies the tonic triad, which is the chord,
major or minor, which represents the final point of rest for a piece, or the focal point of a
section. Although the key of a piece may be named in the title, for example, Sonata in
C major, or inferred from the key signature, the establishment of key is brought about
through functional harmony, that is, a sequence of chords leading to one or more
cadences. A key may be major or minor. Music in the Dorian or Phrygian, and so on, is
considered to be in a mode rather than a key.
A scale is an ordered set of notes typically used in a key. A key is the centre of gravity
established by particular chord progressions. The chords used within a key are generally
drawn from the major or minor scale associated with the tonic triad, but may also include
other chords used in conventional patterns which establish the primacy of the tonic triad.
Cadences are important in establishing a key. Even cadences which do not include the
tonic triad establish the key because those chord sequences imply a context.
Short pieces may stay in a single key throughout. A short piece may start with a phrase
which ends on the tonic, then a second phrase may end with a half cadence, and then a
final, longer phrase may end with an authentic cadence on the tonic. More elaborate
pieces may establish the main key then modulate to another key or series of keys and then
return to the original key. In the baroque era it was common to repeat an entire musical
phrase, called a ritornello, in each key once it was established. In classical sonata form
the second theme was typically marked with a contrasting theme. Most pieces begin and
end in the same key even if in some romantic era pieces the key is deliberately left
ambiguous at first.
Many composers use the piano while composing and the key chosen may have an
influence. This is because the fingering is different for each key and the composer may
intentionally write certain chords in preference to others so as to make the fingering
easier, or the hand position more comfortable, if the final piece is intended for piano. An
example of this is the the commencement of the main theme in Chopin’s Ballade in G
minor.
KEY SIGNATURES
In musical notation a key signature is a series of sharp symbols or flat symbols placed on
the staff indicating notes that are to be consistently played one semitone higher or lower
than the equivalent natural notes (the white notes of a piano keyboard) unless otherwise
altered with an accidental. Key signatures are written immediately after the clef at the