You just can’t trust online information

This is the same argument on a different subject. I guess we just define things differently. What i mean is it’s not makeshift, it’s purposeful and methodical.

I guess I just don’t get how it’s easier to communicate by saying this song is in A major but there’s an Em⁷. My way for the verse would be 5 2-⁷ 1⁹ in D. I think everyone would know what that means. I will accept the admonishment and further explanation though.

I don’t mind being wrong, but I’d like to learn why.
I already told you a key has a tonal center which here is not D. It’s A

Chords have a function.
On top of it the chord rhythm is one bar A, half bar Em7 to D7
It’s a two bar vamp repeating. The Em is nothing more than a passing chord so the vamp really is just I IV in A just the the 7th of the chords are flattened. Very much like in Blues.

You play major lines over D major, those same lines won’t happen here, because you’re in A.

And most guys playing over will be likely to step into shit trying to play lines out of D.
And all of it is before I point out the only D is a D7 so it’s in D is even weirder.
 
My way for the verse would be 5 2-⁷ 1⁹ in D. I think everyone would know what that means.

No.
- Roman numbers are what people are familiar with.
- There's no II-7. It's G, so IV in D.
- Using A major regardless of whether it's mixolydian (or even aeolian later on), while pretty stupid, is international common sense. Think "tonic is king".

You don't say a blues in A is in D. And G. And A. But that's what your system would ask for.
 
No.
- Roman numbers are what people are familiar with.
- There's no II-7. It's G, so IV in D.
- Using A major regardless of whether it's mixolydian (or even aeolian later on), while pretty stupid, is international common sense. Think "tonic is king".

You don't say a blues in A is in D. And G. And A. But that's what your system would ask for.
He’s talking verse which is the A Em7 D7
You’re talking the A G D F/G right
 
… And all of it is before I point out the only D is a D7 so it’s in D is even weirder.
That’s 5of4. 🤓 He does do G/A … sometimes (once? Actually, i’d have to listen in context, in just arguing with you now, IOW source: i made it up).

I’m not saying you have to do it my way, I’m saying my way is less ambiguous.

You would be able to play what i wrote. I believe in you! 😄
 
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You would be able to play what i wrote. I believe in you!

Yes, but I'd had to take quite some time to decipher it.

Seriously, if you want to communicate about any of this stuff, you need to stick to certain "conventions".
As much as I don't like it myself, there's just two ways to set up a key signature based on the tonic chord: Major and minor. That's it.
If I was to "correct" some things regarding all that, it'd be a new "class" of, say, "modal tonics" which would make it into key signatures.
In the case of "We Are Family" you'd use 2 sharps and possibly add a little "G mixo" index.

However, your approach falls apart on this very tune already. When that F/G comes up, there goes your D major. So you'd have to deal with "deviations" from a main key signature anyway.

And fwiw, when actually writing some melodic stuff, it annoys me as much as it gets having to constantly use additional flats or naturals because the friggin' thing is in mixolydian. Hence my idea of "modal tonic key signatures". An idea that - unfortunately - will very likely never take off.
 
Wow, this thread went way over my head fast.
Me like riffs and chugz

gorilla hurrying GIF
 
In the case of "We Are Family" you'd use 2 sharps and possibly add a little "G mixo" index.
If someone said “this is in A Mixolydian” I’d have never started this thread. 😄
However, your approach falls apart on this very tune already. When that F/G comes up, there goes your D major. So you'd have to deal with "deviations" from a main key signature anyway.
But it doesn’t fall apart at all.
And fwiw, when actually writing some melodic stuff, it annoys me as much as it gets having to constantly use additional flats or naturals because the friggin' thing is in mixolydian. Hence my idea of "modal tonic key signatures". An idea that - unfortunately - will very likely never take off.
It should take off though because it makes sense.
 
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