Keys in baroque lute music

Just for pure "academic" interest I made some "data mining" using Peter Steur's wonderful and extremely useful pages Music for the Baroque Lute – A Database of Manuscripts and Prints for the Baroque Lute.

I filtered the database by the keys of pieces. Of course there can be some errors in such a big database, but I think these numbers still give quite good approximation of the situation. The database includes also pieces in "accords noveaux" and in the d-major tuning, etc.

Peter wrote today (19.12.2011): "As far as I know, the program running the website filters the whole database, but it doesn't take any 'doubles' into account, and some pieces were very popular and are cited in many, many manuscripts, e.g. Gaultier's Canon or La belle homicide. These surely skew the results you obtained." My answer was: "Oh yes! But in that case doesn't it anyhow tell something of the popularity of the keys!"

Below I use Peter's filter names for keys. In his words: "Major keys use upper case and minor keys lower case, that can be followed by "b" or "#" (e.g. f# for f sharp minor or Eb for E flat Major). Unfortunately, as some keys different denotations (e.g. D# and Eb), at the moment possibly not all entries will be found."

The raw data

C    1764
c     869
C#      0
c#      0
Db      0
db      0
D    1599
d    2453
D#     56    
d#      0
Eb     78
eb      0
E       3
e     224
F    2437
f      98
F#      0
f#    419
G    1488
g    1843
G#      6
g#      0
Ab      0
ab      0
A    1254 
a    1677
A#      0
a#      0
Bb   1671   ("B"+"Bb": 47+1624, Bb-major )
bb     27   ("b" and "bb" give the same 27, Bb-minor)
B       0   (given by "H", B-major)
b     130   (given by "h", B-minor)

total number of pieces: 18096

The %'s in the order of the keys

             %
C    1764   9.75
c     869   4.80
D    1599   8.84
d    2453  13.56
D#     56   0.31
Eb     78   0.43
E       3   0.02
e     224   1.24
F    2437  13.47
f      98   0.54
f#    419   2.32
G    1488   8.22
g    1843  10.18
G#      6   0.03
A    1254   6.93
a    1677   9.27
Bb   1671   9.23
bb     27   0.15
b     130   0.72

total number of pieces: 18096
total number of %'s: 100.1 % (just for checking...)

The %'s in the order of the %'s

             %
d    2453  13.56
F    2437  13.47
g    1843  10.18
C    1764   9.75
a    1677   9.27
Bb   1671   9.23
D    1599   8.84
G    1488   8.22
A    1254   6.93
c     869   4.80
f#    419   2.32
e     224   1.24
b     130   0.72
f      98   0.54
Eb     78   0.43
D#     56   0.31
bb     27   0.15
G#      6   0.03
E       3   0.02

total number of pieces: 18096
total number of %'s: 100.1 % (just for checking...)

by WebCounter
(19.12.2011)