In Between the Notes

[trinatrine]

So...what do you do when you play for a soloist or back up a preacher who let's say are between the keys of Bb and B.  Do you play the next half step up or down?  Sometimes they might be tone deaf....ewwww that's happened to me before and whatever key I played it in, they never adjusted to it because they couldn't hear it.  Annoying though isn't it?!?  Let me also throw this one in too...how about a preacher is hooping or a singer sings in D maj. and the musician plays it in Db maj. or Eb maj. because it's a "safe" key....EWWWWW!

[ddw4e]

roa soloist I probably say B just cause 8 times out of 10 when they get to the chorus they hear the key and match it.  I don't do safe keys...I go where ever they go. I play for several pastors and they hang right in B and D all the time. Con't bother me one bit.

[cas10a]

I was once told that it is better to just stop playing...If we (soloist, preacher, etc.,) cannot get on "1" accord then someone needs to lay out and since the message is most important than it should be the muscisian.  If the soloist is in between keys and stays there, even while you're playing in the correct key, it sounds terrible and will distract from the message; however if you stop and let the soloist continue acapella, I almost garuntee most will not notice that the soloist is singing between keys.  Of course some may think you just can't play the song...but the message of the song or of the preacher will at least be heard and conveyed...IMHO.

It has happened to me before and it's sounds a mess to continue throughout the entire song in different keys...I will usually stop somewhere in the first verse if we are not on the same page...

[cas10a]

In response to changing keys...I'm with ddw4...it doesn't really bother me, I'll just change to whatever key they are singing in, but again; If they not in any key (between keys) I will stop playing...

[trinatrine]

I was once told that it is better to just stop playing...If we (soloist, preacher, etc.,) cannot get on "1" accord then someone needs to lay out and since the message is most important than it should be the muscisian.  If the soloist is in between keys and stays there, even while you're playing in the correct key, it sounds terrible and will distract from the message; however if you stop and let the soloist continue acapella, I almost garuntee most will not notice that the soloist is singing between keys.  Of course some may think you just can't play the song...but the message of the song or of the preacher will at least be heard and conveyed...IMHO.

It has happened to me before and it's sounds a mess to continue throughout the entire song in different keys...I will usually stop somewhere in the first verse if we are not on the same page...

Oh I totally agree with both comments.  I stopped before so that it wouldn't sound a hot mess and some of the preachers got mad at me for doing it.  I let them know that the WORD has to be brought forth, not who has the baddest hoop all the time and if it's sounding a hot mess, I don't want to deter the message from the people of God receiving it by the preacher being in one key and me in another!

[lockslie1]

I was once told that it is better to just stop playing...If we (soloist, preacher, etc.,) cannot get on "1" accord then someone needs to lay out and since the message is most important than it should be the muscisian.  If the soloist is in between keys and stays there, even while you're playing in the correct key, it sounds terrible and will distract from the message; however if you stop and let the soloist continue acapella, I almost garuntee most will not notice that the soloist is singing between keys.  Of course some may think you just can't play the song...but the message of the song or of the preacher will at least be heard and conveyed...IMHO.

It has happened to me before and it's sounds a mess to continue throughout the entire song in different keys...I will usually stop somewhere in the first verse if we are not on the same page...

Very true! I've actually had it happen to where the singer or preacher will be in the key of Z and I would not play and then they would turn around and say,"Come on...Help Me out Bruh!!" ...Normally that's when I will lead them into the closest possible key and usually it's ok after that.

God Bless

[h313w]

Very true! I've actually had it happen to where the singer or preacher will be in the key of Z and I would not play and then they would turn around and say,"Come on...Help Me out Bruh!!" ...Normally that's when I will lead them into the closest possible key and usually it's ok after that.

God Bless

Been there chief, doing that. usually in the key of L, for "lost key", I will stop until they come back to the rest of us. Preacher, wanna-be's, solos (??), and the like. They could REALLY mean what they're singing about, but the sound isn't sweet or right. It's rightly divided and I can't provide it (playing behind them, that is)

[T-Block]

I don't jump with anything unless I'm sure of the key first.  Even if they get mad, ain't no need in both of us sounding bad, u betta go at it acapulco, as I call it.

[Metronome]

How about a tone-deaf MUSICIAN!!!!!!!!  Honest to God Story.  I went home (Syracuse.....holla) for a weekend.  I played most of the service but i had to leave at 1:45, the exact time my uncle tunes up.  So the other organist gets on, hes like 11 but still, he knows all of his keys. The band knows that he starts off in Db.  My Uncle is in Db (perfect pitch, I heard him).  The organist went to A!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THEN he looked at my uncle like he was in the wrong key.  IT got so bad that my uncle stopped preaching, got on the musicians, and then kept on like nothing had happened

[amandaag]

yeah i had experiences with tone-deaf musicians...as a matter of fact i used to have on in my church. He just consistently plays in Bb, C and F. No offense, it was so annoying on how he played the organ/piano.
He is SO TONE-DEAF, that he doesn't know that he's in the wrong key. I assume that he also doesn't know how to transpose (without using the button). I appreciate his faithfulness to play the organ, but i really dislike his playing. Luckily, i never told him that.

But now he is in Philadelphia, while i am still in New York.

[cas10a]

yeah i had experiences with tone-deaf musicians...as a matter of fact i used to have on in my church. He just consistently plays in Bb, C and F. No offense, it was so annoying on how he played the organ/piano.
He is SO TONE-DEAF, that he doesn't know that he's in the wrong key. I assume that he also doesn't know how to transpose (without using the button). I appreciate his faithfulness to play the organ, but i really dislike his playing. Luckily, i never told him that.

But now he is in Philadelphia, while i am still in New York.

Why would he know how or even use the transpose button if he always believes he's in the correct key?...lol

j/k...I know what you mean.

[trinatrine]

How about a tone-deaf MUSICIAN!!!!!!!!  Honest to God Story.  I went home (Syracuse.....holla) for a weekend.  I played most of the service but i had to leave at 1:45, the exact time my uncle tunes up.  So the other organist gets on, hes like 11 but still, he knows all of his keys. The band knows that he starts off in Db.  My Uncle is in Db (perfect pitch, I heard him).  The organist went to A!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THEN he looked at my uncle like he was in the wrong key.  IT got so bad that my uncle stopped preaching, got on the musicians, and then kept on like nothing had happened

WOW, a tone deaf musician!

[BimmerFan99]

How about a tone-deaf MUSICIAN!!!!!!!!  Honest to God Story.  I went home (Syracuse.....holla) for a weekend.  I played most of the service but i had to leave at 1:45, the exact time my uncle tunes up.  So the other organist gets on, hes like 11 but still, he knows all of his keys. The band knows that he starts off in Db.  My Uncle is in Db (perfect pitch, I heard him).  The organist went to A!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THEN he looked at my uncle like he was in the wrong key.  IT got so bad that my uncle stopped preaching, got on the musicians, and then kept on like nothing had happened

Awhile back I visited this church and the organist and pianist were so out of sync that they played a hymn (all verses) in two separate keys!!  They had part of the congregation in one key, part in another and the rest confused!!!

[h313w]

tone deaf musicians need a playing job too huh?

[B3Wannabe]

So...what do you do when you play for a soloist or back up a preacher who let's say are between the keys of Bb and B.  Do you play the next half step up or down?  Sometimes they might be tone deaf....ewwww that's happened to me before and whatever key I played it in, they never adjusted to it because they couldn't hear it.  Annoying though isn't it?!?  Let me also throw this one in too...how about a preacher is hooping or a singer sings in D maj. and the musician plays it in Db maj. or Eb maj. because it's a "safe" key....EWWWWW!

See, like I said before, that's when you hit the tune knob! Then you can play those in between keys....


No!...I go up. It sounds better to go up than down.

[musallio]

Ok..i get U guys really well..I cnat play all keys yet, but am fighting 4 it.
I play 0.05% of the time @ church, but in the 2 times I played as a main player, i found something shocking :

The songleader/ preacher & the congregation are all in diff keys..If it is packed, all sort of keys are heard from the pews (wel chairs 4 us) & a diff key from the singer & the backer is struggling like the player.

finally when I pick up the key, the singer changes keys in the next verse & all red eyes are looking @ me, some1 signals that I should stop playing (@ this stage I really believe that I am tone-deaf & turn to my 16yr old sis to tell me what change of key i should make coz i trust her ear..i get the key, i just put the volume up coz the congregation & leader are not in accord.

really, the best thing in our case is 4 the player 2 lead & lots of improvisation..but with a good singer, it's all cool

So, after my nightmare with being the main player, I listened to the ada players the following day & i realized that they actually get the key the 1st time & just put the volume up & that forces the singer 2 pick up the right key

summary: our singers need some crash course on the 12 "Do-re-mi"s

[cas10a]

See, like I said before, that's when you hit the tune knob! Then you can play those in between keys....


No!...I go up. It sounds better to go up than down.

There's no tune knob on a piano...LOL!...

and

It sounds just as bad to go up as it does to go down if the soloist is in between...LOL!!!

j/k B3... but not about the knob on the piano...

WOW, a tone deaf musician!

Exactly!!!

[cas10a]

A tone Deaf Musician!

Being serious...There are musicians/composers, far but rare, that can play just by feeling the vibrations of the notes on a piano...if my music history serves me correct some are quite legendary...

[musallio]

That is so amazing Cas10a...
But it is believable coz when the piano is tuned, it's all about getting the right frequency {Hz}, so it makes sense that some composers had been so exposes 2 da piano & were so bored they learned to identify  frequencies for all the notes!!!

[rpking]

I was once told that it is better to just stop playing...If we (soloist, preacher, etc.,) cannot get on "1" accord then someone needs to lay out and since the message is most important than it should be the muscisian.  If the soloist is in between keys and stays there, even while you're playing in the correct key, it sounds terrible and will distract from the message; however if you stop and let the soloist continue acapella, I almost garuntee most will not notice that the soloist is singing between keys.  Of course some may think you just can't play the song...but the message of the song or of the preacher will at least be heard and conveyed...IMHO.

It has happened to me before and it's sounds a mess to continue throughout the entire song in different keys...I will usually stop somewhere in the first verse if we are not on the same page...

I agree too......If the soloist/preacher leans toward a key, then I'd continue, but if he/she is stuck in between two keys, then I'll stop....