If a piece centers on a pitch of G as its home base, the key is

If a piece centers on a pitch of G as its home base, the key is

• A. G flat
• B. D
• C. G
• D. C

Answer: (C)

When a piece centers on a pitch as its home base, that pitch is the tonic and the key is named from that tonic. If G is the focal pitch and acts as the home base, the key is G major by default (unless the music clearly signals a minor or modal feeling). The other roots would point to different tonics—Gb, D, or C—so they don’t fit the idea of G as the tonal center. Therefore, the choice that reflects G as the tonic is the best answer.

When a piece centers on a pitch as its home base, that pitch is the tonic and the key is named from that tonic. If G is the focal pitch and acts as the home base, the key is G major by default (unless the music clearly signals a minor or modal feeling). The other roots would point to different tonics—Gb, D, or C—so they don’t fit the idea of G as the tonal center. Therefore, the choice that reflects G as the tonic is the best answer.