A Key Question

Here is a key question.

The subject came up at a meetup when our friend Jim, an accomplished guitarist as you know, asked about the French translation for the word “key” used in a musical context.
The basic translation for that word in French is “clé”, with the particularity of having an alternate spelling: “clef”. Both forms are pronounced exactly the same way, as in “clay”.
For a musician, however, the key in which a piece is written or played is, in French, “le ton”. For example, singing out of key is “détonner”, which, of course, is a nightmare for the guitarist accompanying that singer! And how about the pianist, I hear you ask? Well, the keys on her instrument are, in French, “des touches”, as they are called also on a typewriter and all keyboards in general, including those of a computer.

Some expressions with the word “clé”
• Prendre la clé des champs. Word for word: “to take the key of the fields”. This is to head for the hills, escape, flee, run away.
• Mettre quelque chose sous clé is to place something in an enclosed and locked container, box, safe and so forth. Word for word: “to put under key”
• Clé plate: wrench.
• Clé en croix: A tool in the shape of a cross.