As an offshoot from Aaaagh thread, I have always liked the challenge for playing in 5,6,7 sharps/flat keys.
Once you do sort out the notes, its no different from any other key, but some people just shy away from those keys. Having said that I always have some trouble with G#minor for some reason , the others dont faze me.
What does everone else think ?

I don't think I'm too bothered by how many sharps and flats there are in the key signature. What threw me once was when I had learned number 3 from WTC book 1, in C sharp major. My then piano teacher suggested that I try playing from his Orlando Morgan edition, which had number 3 in D flat major. He thought it was much easier in D flat

Being made to sight-read in Ab minor was a bit of a pig, but my teacher said I did not too badly (evidently all his students get this joy at some stage!!) It did make the following new piece in Eb minor seem somewhat easier.

For preference I'd currently take flats over sharps, but probably only three of them for choice Hmm, perhaps some time for extreme key learning - probably useful as these are always the scales I find hardest, minor extremes (thinking of G# minor as Ab minor doesn't help me!!) Then those moderate ones with only 4 or 5 will seem much easier, I'm sure.
Mind you, I'm struggling with a D major piece at the moment, so unused to sharps, and suddenly you've got to remember C# every time...and as for that bloomin' top F#, makes me fall over (treble recorderists generally knee stop this note, i.e. cover end of recorder with leg, leading to wobbly balancing act).

Perhaps I should share this, which has been doing the rounds on FB:

On violin (begun aged 9, so early enough to just absorb what went where) and piano (where you can see the sharps/flats) I wouldn't be too bothered. But flute is another matter altogether. Lots of flats/sharps in scales are okay, because one learns the pattern and then it's sorted. But in pieces, I shy away from anything in more than three of either variety, because I have to think, before I play it, where to find it. I think this is something to do with having been an adult learner on this instrument; it's probably never going to feel as "natural" as violin.

Oh wow - just seen Maizie's post!!


Agree about the number - but I would take sharps over flats. For some reason, it seems easier to think "more" rather than "less". Does that make sense?

By the way, Maizie, how big is the recorder?

Saw it on FB too, please play it for me tomorrow !

I don't mind up to six #'s and b's on piano but HATE it on clarinet / saxophone!

Thank you Maizie - I now have the utlimate in sight reading torture for any pupil who has annoyed me!
I wonder how long it will take them to realise what the tune is!!!

Yep, thanks from me too - never seen that before.

It's actually quite fun (in a twisted sort of way).

I have one very maths-y 15 year-old who'll proabably quite like that.

It's actually quite a good piece to show eo explain why we might say Ab sometimes and G# at others - the tune in seen to go up when actually it goes down, and vice versa!

Blimey? Do I have Kryptonites for friends!!!!!!!

I do OK with C# major: the problem is with double flats and double sharps. I worked really hard on WTC book I No. 3 - the Fugue was such a pig to read, it took months of reading to get it into my head because of the double flats and double sharps. It still isn't quite there yet.

I'm not a huge fan either way, but these key signatures are definitely much easier to deal with on piano than other instruments. Up to 5 flats or sharps is no problem, 6 is annoying but doable, and 7 is just unnecessary I think this is the main reason I never bothered to learn Evocacion from Iberia (Ab minor)...

I do like playing the A flat minor bit in Beethoven Op26! I dont think I know another piece in that key.
As I said earlier the Bach WTC's in G# major I do find difficult. The 'Shost' P & F Op87 in that key is nigh impossible, even the lady for whom it was written (Tatyana Nikolayeva) died whilst playing it in New York !

I prefer lots of flats to lots of sharps. My brain has always worked this way for some reason.

that's impressive... music so difficult it kills you. Starting to worry about looking at grade 6 pieces now

Not a fan of too many sharps or flats on any instrument. 4 of each is about my comfort limit! However, since my favourite composers for piano (Chopin; Debussy etc) all seem to favour about a zillion flats in most pieces, I can see I'm going to have to get better at coping with the 5+ level....

Nah! You're safe with grade 6.

I don't so much find myself drawn to keys with a large number of accidentals - I just find myself drawn towards certain keys. I really, really love Gb major, Ab major, Bb minor, B major and Db major, but I just hate hate hate F# major, C# major, E major and C# minor! And YES, I am aware that Gb major and F# major are basically the same, as are Db major and C# major! I just hate the sharp ones!

I was playing piano in my school choir yesterday and my teacher (conductor) recoiled in horror when I professed my undying love for Gb major, the key in which I was playing.