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In this chapter, we shall look at the note names being used in Chopin’s Prelude No. 3 in G major with the goal to divide it into passages that are written in different keys.
This composition is written in the G major key. We can see this from the title of the composition. Also, its key signature is G major/E minor. We can see this by looking at the score. Thus, we can expect that most of the composition (or even all of it) is written in the G major key.
The first passage (6 measures) consists only of the diatonic tones of the G major key.
Figure: The first passage
The second passage (3 measures) consists only of diatonic tones of the D major key. We have the G major/E minor key signature but every occurrence of the note name C is altered into C#.
Figure: The second passage
The third passage (6 measures) consists only of the diatonic tones of the G major key.
Figure: The third passage
The fourth passage (6 measures) uses the diatonic tones of the C major key. We have the G major/E minor key signature but every occurrence of the note name F# is altered into F. However, we have a note name D# in measure 17. It is used here very temporary. It leads to the following E.
Figure: The fourth passage
The fifth passage (12 measures) consists only of the diatonic tones of the G major key.
Figure: The fifth passage
Based on this, we may conclude that this composition, besides the G major key, uses two other keys: the D major key and the C major key. However, in chapter Modulation compared to tonicization we shall show that these two passages are tonicizations (created by the usage of secondary chords) and that the composition does not change its key at all. That is, from the beginning to the end, it is written in the G major key.
This does not mean that the method used in this chapter is wrong. The method represents the basis for finding keys in a composition. However, as we already said, only when we perform the analysis of harmony, we can determine definitely keys in a composition.
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