[WikiEN-l] The boundaries of OR (contd)

[Daniel P. B. Smith]

> From: Ray Saintonge <saintonge at telus.net>
> The Cunctator wrote:
>
>> In all seriousness, I think the policy should be that any special  
>> knowledge
>> needed to understand the article should be included somewhere in  
>> Wikipedia.
>> For example, the above knowledge is included at [[key signature]]  
>> and at
>> [[E-flat major]].
>>
>> Thus if the example article read
>>
>> "The [[key (music)|key]] of the score is [[E-flat major]]<ref> 
>> [link to
>> score]</ref>..."
>>
>> Any person with the knowledge contained at those links would be  
>> able to
>> understand the reference.
>>
> That's perfectly sensible.  Instead some people are intent on
> reinventing the wheels that they are already spinning too fast to see.

The essence of the matter is that a reader be able to verify that  
there is a source that confirms the statement.

Nit-picks/genuine questions (my musical literacy is almost nil): what  
is "the" key of a piece of music which modulates into many different  
keys and has different key signatures marked within the score? Is it  
a general rule or custom or convention that the first key signature  
which appears in the score is "the" key signature?

Nit-pick number two: how do you tell by looking at the music whether  
it is in C Major or A Minor? That is, can you always unequivocally  
tell the key of a piece of music by glancing at it, or is judgement  
sometimes involved?