What is the most uncommon key signatures that you have seen? What was the piece? By whom. I once saw a piece with E# minor, it was quite weird. Forgot what piece.
I would recommend checking out the wiki for Melakarta ragas, I'm sure you'll find it interesting/expansiveAre we only discussing unusual key signatures representing standard diatonic scales (like the E#/F example)? As long as the scale is diatonic, the only difference between common and less common ones (tonic aside) is the number of accidentals. For most performers, less is more when it comes to accidentals.
What I find interesting are the unusual keys that sometimes pop up in classical, avant-garde and folk music. Pentatonic, Hexatonic, Octatonic, double harmonic (Byzantine), the universe of ragas used in Indian classical music, and more
I was humming this the other day: C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C. (C major). Then I got bored and changed the B to a Bb, giving me C mixolydian, and finally I flattened the A too, ending up with something like this: C-D-E-F-G-Ab-Bb-C. You might call this a mixolydian flat 6 (sounds exotic/scary, I know) but wait a second... isn't it just the V of f melodic minor?
You can conclude several things from the above. 1. I have weird hobbies. 2. As long as you're working within the standard modes, there's always a way to rewrite and simplify the music to make it easier to learn and play. I wish more contemporary composers (and students of composition) would heed this basic professional courtesy
Sorry for hijacking this thread. You can have it back now
Well, the Ab Dorian mode has a raised sixth degree: Ab-Bb-Cb-Db-Eb-F-Gb-Ab, so it makes sense to use a Gb major key signature.Speaking of A-flat minor, Beethoven notates this key with six flats instead of seven in the "Arioso dolente" section of Op. 110. Using what basically amounts to a "Dorian" key signature, he omits the F-flat and writes it in as an accidental as needed.
When chords are built on the steps of the mode or scale, the chords which result are different. In Dorian, the IV chord is major; in natural minor, the iv is minor.I wonder why he chose to do this. He used seven flats for the Funeral March in Op. 26, so he obviously had no objection to a seven-flat key signature. So why the use of six flats instead of seven in this case? Is it to call particular attention to the sixth scale degree as a prominent melodic element? Or was it simply an oversight? No one will ever know for sure (unless a seance can be arranged...) but I would welcome any speculation on the topic!