Changing keys for choir

[memphismotifman79]

Just wondering how many of yall change the original key of a song to make it comfortable for your choir? I try to teach every song we do in the original key and just make my choir push and help them strengthen their range.

[under13]

we do it for the choir and Praise team when needed. Sometimes the PnW singers will choose the key, and we just follow.

[Ramar]

it depends... some songs dont sound good in other keys... usually its not a problem to drop from E natural to Eb or from C to pretty much any key, for instance. But for some reason, in my opinion, certain keys have their own "flavor", and changing them would be like substituting sugar with splenda... there would be a huge difference, for example, i think that Ab is one of those keys.

[T-Block]

Only if they struggling after the 3rd day of practicing the same song.  Some choir people have to be pushed to bring out talents they didn't even know they had.  You can't get it out by always catering to them.

There is always a reason why these gospel artists pick the keys they pick.

[ssbrew7]

Another factor that i have seen is that many choir members always surrender to "I cant do it" or "Its too high"....That bothers me when I hear that because people do not like to try and Your right T-block you cant cater to the choir members all the time.

[sjonathan02]

Another factor that i have seen is that many choir members always surrender to "I cant do it" or "Its too high"....That bothers me when I hear that because people do not like to try and Your right T-block you cant cater to the choir members all the time.

Lazy IS one thing; but, there ARE times when the choir is ABSOLUTELY right and they shouldn't be tryin' that John P. Kee or Kurt Carr joint. 

[Fenix]

Lazy IS one thing; but, there ARE times when the choir is ABSOLUTELY right and they shouldn't be tryin' that John P. Kee or Kurt Carr joint. 

Tell me about it! Sometimes i suspect Kurt doesn't use real singers...they go way too high to be real people.

[NJDBalla]

Tell me about it! Sometimes i suspect Kurt doesn't use real singers...they go way too high to be real people.

Now when you think about it.....
One of my choirs wanted to sing I Made it Through and I just simply told them to choose another song cause hey, you are not G.A.

Most of the time, in practice, I let the leader start in a key and just stick to it...

[sjonathan02]

Tell me about it! Sometimes i suspect Kurt doesn't use real singers...they go way too high to be real people.

You know, that almost makes sense. Cause, even when you see Kurt live, you can hear the track he's using along with his 5-6 singers. Ya'll voices ain't THAT strong. 

[Fenix]

You know, that almost makes sense. Cause, even when you see Kurt live, you can hear the track he's using along with his 5-6 singers. Ya'll voices ain't THAT strong. 

You can? I'll go check out his videos now. I suspected as much. Thanks for the heads up and alerting me to the fact that these gospel artists are using dubious means and defrauding us by making us believe they use real singers whereas they are using computer generated voices that can simulate the human voice to such an extent that the human ear cannot discern the difference.

Thanks. 

[sjonathan02]

You can? I'll go check out his videos now. I suspected as much. Thanks for the heads up and alerting me to the fact that these gospel artists are using dubious means and defrauding us by making us believe they use real singers whereas they are using computer generated voices that can simulate the human voice to such an extent that the human ear cannot discern the difference.

Thanks. 

Whoa; pull the reins, Conspiracy Theorist. I said he uses a track.....a vocal track; you know, a performance CD. 

You mean to tell me, you've NEVER seen/heard a performance track; or, you've never watched a, say, Byron Cage, singing on stage BY HIMSELF but there are background vocals? 

They are NOT computer generated voices. They're just recorded voices/instruments used for performances when the artist can't bring his people  (i.e. a Bobby Jones show).

[T-Block]

Lazy IS one thing; but, there ARE times when the choir is ABSOLUTELY right and they shouldn't be tryin' that John P. Kee or Kurt Carr joint. 

I concur.  And usually the director knows (or is supposed to know) better than the choir what they are capable of so when they start complaining it won't be a shock.  I deal wit a lot of "lazy" folk in my choir and I gotta work em hard to get their true potential out.

[ferrente]

Most times it depends on my Leaders. But, I always try to teach in the original keys first. If I teach 10 songs I may have to change keys for 2 of the 10 songs. I would say only about 20% of the time will I have to change keys.

[ferrente]

Just wondering how many of yall change the original key of a song to make it comfortable for your choir? I try to teach every song we do in the original key and just make my choir push and help them strengthen their range.

This is a very good question. I think it important for the new musicians to understand how and know when to change.

[jgause2]

I concur.  And usually the director knows (or is supposed to know) better than the choir what they are capable of so when they start complaining it won't be a shock.  I deal wit a lot of "lazy" folk in my choir and I gotta work em hard to get their true potential out.

thats the issue i see.  The group i'm teaching now...are used to just singing where they feel like it...as soon as i came in and starting putting them in their correct parts, they started acting out...probably because they just aren't use to it.  They don't have much confidence in themselves. 

I will change a key as needed....but like what was said before, the director knows (or should know) the limits of the group....and should know what they can sing, and what they can't sing, and let the group understand what they can and cannot sing.  I have ppl wanting to sing songs in ranges that they have no business being in.

[PianoWizard]

we do it for the choir and Praise team when needed. Sometimes the PnW singers will choose the key, and we just follow.

We generally do the same thing, teach the song in it's original key and if the choir is really struggling we change the key. The decision is up to the choir leader and from then it's up to us as musicians to follow.

PianoWiz... 

[jjegede04]

it depends... some songs dont sound good in other keys... usually its not a problem to drop from E natural to Eb or from C to pretty much any key, for instance. But for some reason, in my opinion, certain keys have their own "flavor", and changing them would be like substituting sugar with splenda... there would be a huge difference, for example, i think that Ab is one of those keys.