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Author Topic: Choosing keys  (Read 2870 times)

Offline madetoworship

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Choosing keys
« on: June 08, 2008, 03:05:40 PM »
How do you choose the key for a song?

Do you use the same key as the original? or you change it to the best key for your singers?

What happen when you have several singers with diferent registers? This is my case, I never know what key to choose.

Offline bishopcole

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Re: Choosing keys
« Reply #1 on: June 08, 2008, 09:46:11 PM »
How do you choose the key for a song?

Do you use the same key as the original? or you change it to the best key for your singers?

What happen when you have several singers with diferent registers? This is my case, I never know what key to choose.


Doc, you are really answering your own question. To really sum this up, you need to be able to play in all your keys to solve your problem.  Bishop Cole 8)
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Offline madetoworship

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Re: Choosing keys
« Reply #2 on: June 09, 2008, 03:48:04 AM »
You didn't understand me.

I am able to play in all keys, I play guitar, and when a song is too dificult in one key or I want to keep the inversion of the chords I use a capo. So that is not the problem.

The problem is that no one of the people who sings in the church (me and a woman) is a good singer. Generally, we can not sing in the same key as the original recording of the songs. Besides, I am able to sing a bit higher than her. Thus, when I use a good key for her is too low for me and when I choose a good key for me is too high for her.

What can we do?

Offline Fenix

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Re: Choosing keys
« Reply #3 on: June 09, 2008, 07:28:49 AM »
I understand your pain. My choir has this issue where some of the singers cannot sing in some keys because its too high. How do we deal with this? The P&W leader tells them to suck it up cuz its too bad!  ;D

But in all seriousness, what we do when a song is in a difficult key is that we find a "middle ground" key. G is a pretty middle key IMO; its not too high, nor is it too low.

Another thing you can do is just practice singing in teh key of the original song. If its too high for you, sing an octave lower and let her take the lead in the song. If the song is too low for her, take the lead in the song and let her back you up.

Unfortunately i am not a singer so i am just suggesting what happens in my choir.
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Offline sjonathan02

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Re: Choosing keys
« Reply #4 on: June 09, 2008, 07:55:51 AM »
Sing everything in D.  ;D

To a degree, I'm serious. Depending on the vocal range of you and the woman, finding a 'middle ground', as was suggested, is the best way to go. And, since you play guitar, I'd say sing everything in the key of D. The key of G may work, as well. The key of 'A' may be too high for you.  :-\


Or, between the two of you, work out the harmony so that when it's too low for her, you sing that note while she sings another; and when it's too high for you, she sings that note, while you sing an accompanying harmony note.

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Offline Shadow_

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Re: Choosing keys
« Reply #5 on: June 09, 2008, 08:01:03 AM »
Sing everything in D.  ;D

To a degree, I'm serious. Depending on the vocal range of you and the woman, finding a 'middle ground', as was suggested, is the best way to go. And, since you play guitar, I'd say sing everything in the key of D. The key of G may work, as well. The key of 'A' may be too high for you.  :-\


Or, between the two of you, work out the harmony so that when it's too low for her, you sing that note while she sings another; and when it's too high for you, she sings that note, while you sing an accompanying harmony note.


That part in bold is some mighty fine logic. Thanks sir.
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Offline sjonathan02

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Re: Choosing keys
« Reply #6 on: June 09, 2008, 08:03:07 AM »
That part in bold is some mighty fine logic. Thanks sir.

You're welcome, sir.
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Offline Fenix

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Re: Choosing keys
« Reply #7 on: June 09, 2008, 08:04:16 AM »
That part in bold is some mighty fine logic. Thanks sir.

Yeah Sjon is smart that way.
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Offline under13

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Re: Choosing keys
« Reply #8 on: June 09, 2008, 08:06:20 AM »
Or, between the two of you, work out the harmony so that when it's too low for her, you sing that note while she sings another; and when it's too high for you, she sings that note, while you sing an accompanying harmony note.



Are you saying that they should switch between singing melody and harmony in the same song?

I'd say if every key is too high or too low for the singer, then they need to work on thier vocal range.

Offline madetoworship

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Re: Choosing keys
« Reply #9 on: June 09, 2008, 08:58:22 AM »
Thank you for your answers,

My conclusions are:

If the melody has a short range -> try to find a key where all can sing.

When the melody has a large range -> 2 solutions:

  - Practice to improve our vocal range.
  - Make different voices singing accompanying harmony notes.

Finding a middle key is easy. But, what type of exercises could we do to improve our vocal range?

And, how could we do different voices? It seems dificult, do you know a technique for building this melodies?

Offline sjonathan02

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Re: Choosing keys
« Reply #10 on: June 09, 2008, 09:35:51 AM »
Are you saying that they should switch between singing melody and harmony in the same song?

I'd say if every key is too high or too low for the singer, then they need to work on thier vocal range.

Essentially, yes. It occurs in choral music all the time.
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Offline Ladyn

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Re: Choosing keys
« Reply #11 on: June 09, 2008, 12:32:38 PM »
Essentially, yes. It occurs in choral music all the time.

This works quite well at my church.  It solves the issue of different registers, and gives us time to work on vocal range.

I suggest everyone that teaches vocals try to get the local university or even High school voice teacher to give you some examples of these techniques.  It is very important  that you receive good instruction because doing the right exercise the wrong way will do more harm than good.  I took voice for many years so many of these exercises are ingrained into my head, but teaching others to do them correctly is a bit of a challenge. 

I also find a middle ground for a song for example:

Offline musallio

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Re: Choosing keys
« Reply #12 on: June 09, 2008, 03:50:14 PM »
 :o
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Offline T-Block

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Re: Choosing keys
« Reply #13 on: June 09, 2008, 04:00:25 PM »
Sometimes, the leader has to make a tough decision that won't please some people.  Not every song is gonna be comfortable for everybody, even if u change the key, so just try to accomodate as much as possible.  If no agreement can be made, I say scrap da song until your singers can pull it off.

I think that Eb is a middle key, well anywhere between D & G.  Sometimes, u can sing lower inversions or like sjon said switch parts for certain portions of the song.
Real musicians play in every key!!!
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Offline musallio

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Re: Choosing keys
« Reply #14 on: June 10, 2008, 03:37:18 PM »
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Offline Ladyn

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Re: Choosing keys
« Reply #15 on: June 11, 2008, 09:52:51 AM »
This works quite well at my church.  It solves the issue of different registers, and gives us time to work on vocal range.

I suggest everyone that teaches vocals try to get the local university or even High school voice teacher to give you some examples of these techniques.  It is very important  that you receive good instruction because doing the right exercise the wrong way will do more harm than good.  I took voice for many years so many of these exercises are ingrained into my head, but teaching others to do them correctly is a bit of a challenge. 

I also find a middle ground for a song for example:

Mus
:o

I am sorry!  I must have hit the post button before I finished!  I am not sure where the rest of this post went! LOL I'll try to re-post the example when I have time later! 

Offline musallio

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Re: Choosing keys
« Reply #16 on: June 11, 2008, 12:03:12 PM »
Mus
I am sorry!  I must have hit the post button before I finished!  I am not sure where the rest of this post went! LOL I'll try to re-post the example when I have time later! 

 ;) 8)
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