Off-key is musical content that is not at the expected
frequency or
pitch period, either with respect to some absolute reference frequency, or in a ratiometric sense (i.e. through removal of exactly one degree of freedom, such as the frequency of a keynote), or pitch intervals not well-defined in the ratio of small whole numbers.
The term may also refer to a person or situation being out of step with what is considered normal or appropriate.
A single note deliberately played or sung off-key can be called an "off-note". It is sometimes used the same way as a
blue note in jazz.
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Explanation of on-key
The opposite of off-key is on-key or in-key, which suggests that there is a well defined keynote, or reference pitch. This does not necessarily have to be an absolute pitch but rather one that is relative for at least the duration of a song. A
song is usually in a certain key, which is usually the note that the song ends on, and is the base frequency around which it resolves to at the end.
The base-frequency is usually called the
harmonic
A harmonic is a wave with a frequency that is a positive integer multiple of the ''fundamental frequency'', the frequency of the original periodic signal, such as a sinusoidal wave. The original signal is also called the ''1st harmonic'', the ...
or
key
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
center. Being on-key presumes that there is a key center frequency around which some portion of notes have well defined intervals to.
Deliberate use off-key content
In jazz and blues music, certain notes called "
blue notes" are deliberately sung somewhat flat for expressive effect.
Examples include the words "Thought He Was a Goner" in the song "
And the Cat Came Back" and the words "Yum Yum" in the children's song "
Five Green and Speckled Frogs."
See also
*
Melody
A melody (from Greek language, Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a Linearity#Music, linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most liter ...
*
Tonality
*
Blue note
*
Tonic (music)
Notes
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Musical tuning