Does Your Soloist Sing In A Different Key That You're Playing?

[rpking]

What do you all do if one of your soloists sing a song in a different key that you're playing?  Do you all have someone sing it in his/her ear correctly during a break in the song?  Do you all cut the song completely and start over?  Do you cut the soloist off for the rest of the song?  Do you have someone else take over the solo in the middle of the song? 

I let my soloist sing all the way through, hoping that he would find the right note during the breaks, but he never did. Even though soloists don't realize what they are doing musically, I think that it is remarkable that they can sing a song in different key all the way through flawlessly.  As a musician who plays by ear (and sheet music), I would have to really concentrate on doing that, and I would probably mess up the first few takes.

Has this ever happened to you?  Please let me know your thoughts........

[elio]

I follow them. No other option for musicians at my church, unfortunately  .

What I mean is that (at least at churches in my denomination) the singer is "the talent" and we, as musicians, have to support them. If we start the song in F and they sing in F# it's considered our job to go there and stay with them. If the singer is one of those who sing in the key of Z flat (you probably know at least one!) then we have to follow them.
And if we have learned all the fills and licks in F, well, tough.

But it's good musical education - more than once being able to jump across keys has saved my musical backside 

[rpking]

I would totally agree if the soloist was singing by himself, but we were doing Hez. Walker's "I'll Make It" in Ab, and he started out and finished the song in Db.  If I would have went to Db, then the choir would not have known where to go, and everyone would have been off.   This Sunday, only the soloist went off, so we kinda got away with it since he was singing in a 4th of Ab.  Would you still go to Db in this case?

[4hisglory]

Personally, I think this is a two way street.  Sometimes singers need to be able to change there key to fit the song.

[gtrdave]

Barring all technical difficulties that could cause a singer to not hear the accompanist, if I had a singer that was not singing in the right key, they would not be singing on the platform any more.

Seems to me that you'd know beforehand...before service...if the musicians and singers are going to be of one accord (or one voice as the Bible says).

If the musician can adjust on-the-fly and make the unexpected key change work, more power to 'em, but if it was a regular thing or the singer was just in the key of Q or the musician was too stiff and oblivious to the chaos that occuring, I'd be pulling people aside and having some heart-to-heart talks with them about their musical abilities and their joyful noise making.

[elio]

This Sunday, only the soloist went off, so we kinda got away with it since he was singing in a 4th of Ab.  Would you still go to Db in this case?

Ok - if you're playing for a choir that's different. Sometimes singers end up singing a 4th or a 5th off (they can probably hear the harmony in their head).
We did do that a few weeks ago. The soloist started the song a 5th off, musicians climbed up, choir came in and they sounded like they were on helium  .
I'll save you the fingerpointing and the barroom brawl that ensued  .

[Big T.]

I follow them. No other option for musicians at my church, unfortunately  .

What I mean is that (at least at churches in my denomination) the singer is "the talent" and we, as musicians, have to support them. If we start the song in F and they sing in F# it's considered our job to go there and stay with them. If the singer is one of those who sing in the key of Z flat (you probably know at least one!) then we have to follow them.
And if we have learned all the fills and licks in F, well, tough.

But it's good musical education - more than once being able to jump across keys has saved my musical backside 

Many congregations seem to feel that if the musician and the soloist are in two different keys, that it is the musicians fault. This is why we need to be flexible.

[chosenandcalled]

i just follow the soloist yes they sing in the wrong key but the musicians have to always be prepared to play the songs in different keys.

[B3Wannabe]

I would totally agree if the soloist was singing by himself, but we were doing Hez. Walker's "I'll Make It" in Ab, and he started out and finished the song in Db.  If I would have went to Db, then the choir would not have known where to go, and everyone would have been off.   This Sunday, only the soloist went off, so we kinda got away with it since he was singing in a 4th of Ab.  Would you still go to Db in this case?

Did you guys start the song before the singer came in or was the singer talking, started singing, then you guys came in? If it was the former then something is wrong with the person's ears, unless they weren't paying attention to the music.