I have been composing using a computer system for a little while now (about 5 months) and I am going to attempt to compose a funeral march, but I don't know what key to put it in. Any help would be great.
It may sound obvious but try a minor key to create a dark atmosphere. Maybe study some other funeral marches. Marche funebre by Chopin I believe is in C minor (anbody correct me if I am wrong). Hope it helps
Ah but we all know what Beethoven did...! The funeral march movement of the Eroica symphony (no 3) has passages in C major!!! Nobody really knows why he did it but if you listen to it it still sounds awesome. Well that just shows that there's never a 'right' key and it really is worth experimenting. I have to admit though if you're starting out, a minor key with slow tempo will guarantee you a typical funereal effect.
Don't worry too much about the key. Suppose it might work better lower but that's just my opinion! A minor would be sad but a major could still sound dark and mysterious. Also I think the tempo is more important in your case.
I compose music for the voice, piano, violin, symphony, and have a lot of experience with the different keys. For a funeral march I would strongly reccomend the key of C minor. This key sounds great with music in that catagory. Also, the key of F minor and the key of C minor go very well together if you place it correctly in the composition. I hope this helps!
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