Why are B-flat major and E-flat major the most common keys in music for brass and woodwinds?

Question

Why is music for brass instruments and woodwinds usually written in flat keys such as B-flat major and E-flat major and sometime F-major? Does it have something to do with the instrument itself?

Answer 1

For most instruments, Bb concert and Eb concert are the two *easiest* keys to play in.  For flute, piccolo, oboe, bassoon, trombone, euphonium/baritone, tuba, string bass, and bells, the keys consist of 2 flats and 3 flats respectively.  For instruments such as clarinet in Bb, trumpet in Bb, tenor saxophone, and baritone saxophone, the keys consist of 0 sharps or flats and 1 flat, respectively.  For instruments such as alto saxophone, the keys consist of 1 sharp and 0 sharps and flats, and for the French Horn, 1 flat and 2 flats.  Ultimately, these keys are easier to play in (less to figure out, as the instruments "sit" in these keys fairly easily), and all keys are within 0 to 3 flats and upwards of only 1 sharp.

As for F major concert, again, for the first set of instruments, there is one flat.  For the second set, 1 sharp; third set d sharps; and for the fourth set, 0 sharps and flats.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

i play a Bb clarinet, so i understand what you mean.  these 2, sometimes 3, scales, are the least complex.  for the clarinet & trumpet, the Bb major scale has no flats or sharps.  the Eb major has 1 flat on B,  and the F major has 1 sharp on F.  these scales are easy to play and not hard to learn.

when you start putting 3 or 4 sharps in there, it gets real hard to play actual music.  that's why the music is written in the B, E, and F major scales so frequently.  :]