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Gospel Instruments => Bass Guitar => Topic started by: DWBass on October 10, 2007, 03:57:16 PM

Title: Transposing help needed.
Post by: DWBass on October 10, 2007, 03:57:16 PM
Hello LGM brethren,

           My mom, who is the pianist for our church is in need of transposing help. She's not as young as she used to be and is having problems with a particular piece. The song is titled, 'He Came To Me' written by Squire Parsons, and it's in the key of G. She says the sopranos say it's too low and she wants to transcribe it up to Ab(A flat). She also says there is a section where it modulates but she just wants to keep it in Ab. Is this something someone here can help with? I can fax the music she sent to me. Please let me know.

Thanks in advance. Be blessed.
Title: Re: Transposing help needed.
Post by: floaded27 on October 10, 2007, 04:03:43 PM
thats not a tough transposition. just take every note up a half step.

is it sheet music? how soon does it need to be done? because i have rehearsal to go to today and its almost time to leave, so i wont be able to fax it back until tomorrow.
Title: Re: Transposing help needed.
Post by: dhagler on October 10, 2007, 05:58:04 PM
In G the notes are G, A, B, C, D, E, F#, G.  floaded27 is right in that every note would be taken up a half step:  A-flat, B-flat, C, D-flat, E-flat, F, G, A-flat.

Hope this helps.
Title: Re: Transposing help needed.
Post by: ddwilkins on October 10, 2007, 06:36:17 PM
This is something that I battle with all the time at my church. I'm the keyboardist so he's my take on the situation. I'm always told by the singers, "the song is too low, or too high." Here's my response, "you'll never train your voice properly, if you don't give it a try." So basically, I push them to step outside of their comfort zone, and sing in the key that I'm playing in.
Title: Re: Transposing help needed.
Post by: BimmerFan99 on October 10, 2007, 09:13:12 PM
This is something that I battle with all the time at my church. I'm the keyboardist so he's my take on the situation. I'm always told by the singers, "the song is too low, or too high." Here's my response, "you'll never train your voice properly, if you don't give it a try." So basically, I push them to step outside of their comfort zone, and sing in the key that I'm playing in.
+1 The choir needs to get out of their comfort zone just as much as the musicians do.

For the choir to do this, you need strong leadership from the choir director to have the choir do this.  Our choir director got tired of the choir complaining, so the last time the choir sang "Faithful is Our God," she took them from Bb to D instead of stopping at Db during the performance.  They only rehearsed to Db and it caught me off guard, but it pushed the choir without them having a chance to  complain.

If the circumstances don't allow for this, then it'll be best for the keyboardist to take a couple hours of time alone to slowly transpose the piece note for note.  I've done this before, and if you do it enough, you do it faster each time.
Title: Re: Transposing help needed.
Post by: DWBass on October 11, 2007, 06:27:59 AM
Normally she would do the transposing herself but it seems it's becoming a task for so she asked me for help. She needs the actual music notes on the staff transposed as opposed to just the written chord changes. I've tried to find a midi file for which I could just load it into my music program and do it that way but no luck in the midi department. There are also a few online resources that can also transpose just the written changes.
Title: Re: Transposing help needed.
Post by: ddwilkins on October 11, 2007, 08:02:40 AM
Hope you have some luck getting the song transposed. If not, seriously push the choir.
Title: Re: Transposing help needed.
Post by: floaded27 on October 11, 2007, 10:38:26 AM
i dont have anything that writes sheet music. i usually just hand write the chord changes. sorry i couldnt be of any help here.
Title: Re: Transposing help needed.
Post by: DWBass on October 11, 2007, 02:18:12 PM
http://download.yousendit.com/63442C5C476D7F98 This link is for a .pdf I made of the sheet music. I'm wondering if you (or anyone) can maybe play it through a midi program, transpose it and print out the resulting sheet music.............