Really? Change the key again?

[jmattbassplaya]

Thank you. That's my point exactly. If the poster had taken the time to read my earlier post in this thread he would would have seen that I had said that open strings are often an inherent parts of key riffs and lines, transposing doesn't always work very well. Hence my questioning of his claim to transpose on the fly by simply moving position.

I also resent the troll insinuation. Please research before throwing out insults, or I'll report this thread to the mods to get it closed.

Report it if you want. I already have

Sure, some songs require open position to work. Slither by Velvet Revolver is a perfect example of a song that 'needs' it. That said, I also said 99% of songs can be transposed with little trouble. Perhaps you should of read the post you quoted a bit more closer

 

[RDUB]

What difficulty I have is primarily one that involves a very quick learning curve for songs, that seems to be like a tape recorder in my head.
(Photographic hearing? )
So, when it comes time to transpose, I am hearing everything off by the interval of transposition. When I'm playing from memory, my memory is telling me that the tritone or minor second transposition I'm hearing must be wrong. I still play it, but fundamentally (no pun intended) it registers as wrong- always. That part can't seem to change in my brain.
However, it doesn't limit performance. Its totally an internal debate.

This is the part that I find very interesting. I've worked with a pianist who has perfect pitch, and it was always funny to watch him if he played on a transposed electronic keyboard. None of the notes he heard would match the keys he played, and it drove him crazy.

I also work with a drummer who sings backup vocals. It often really throws him off to try to sing a tune in a different key, whereas it makes very little difference to me, singing or playing.

I've never felt this myself, but I know others do.

As for the rest of the discussion, if the song works, it works. If the transposition makes a specific riff impossible, then maybe the song just won't work, or maybe someone else has to play the riff. If it loses too much punch from being lowered, then maybe it won't work.

There have been some pretty neat arrangements of songs done by singers of a gender opposite that of the original, too.

Artistic judgements...

 

[claytitan]

Got to make your singer sound good. I kind of like hearing a song in a new key. Different take on it and can make something stale sound new. It is music art after all so lighten up on the rules. BTW - I play Sweet Child of Mine with two bands one does it in the original key and one does it a full step down. They both sound really good. I think the dropped one sounds better only because the drummer grooves that song better in that band. That is way more important than the key being the 'right one'.

 

[Nev375]

Can't we all just get along?

I can't believe there are people getting their fur all ruffled up because of this.

Maybe if we dropped the egos and the insinuations that people are less able players because they have a differing opinion on something we could talk about the actual subject that was brought up.

I guess that kills the theory that bassists are a "support" role in the band both musically and interpersonally.

 

[Jeff Bonny]

I'm trying to picture Tony Levin and Sid McGinnis on a break whining about that hack singer Gabriel wanting to drop the key another whole tone.

 

[drpepper]

I don't have perfect pitch either, but I do notice it. It's weird because this sort of thing doesn't seem to bother a lot of people (as this thread shows), but it gets me every time.

There's certainly a spectrum of pitch recognition and persistence. If a half step off "bothers" you, then you're simply at the upper end of the spectrum.

Persistence is decent with me. I can grab an untuned bass and usually get the G string within some fraction of a semitone.

While I don't believe I could roll into a bar, listen to a band play a few songs, and tell you whether their guitars tuned E or Eb, I also have times where a half step difference is noticeable to me. I do some high backups. There's covers that I do with two bands where my singing feels "stuck" in one key, and when I hit my backup parts, it becomes completely apparent, some I can switch without even noticing, whether playing or listening. Lit - My Own Worst Enemy, I play in E and Eb, my singing feels stuck in E. U2 - Desire, I also play in E and Eb, and once into the song, I feel no difference. Eddie Money - Think I'm in Love, I don't notice the difference in listening, but playing tuned E (half up from recorded), I simply cannot hit the backup...just doesn't work, but a half step down, I'm fine.

 

[lfmn16]

If you can't play a song in any key that's your problem and work you need to do. Singers are more or less stuck with the range they were born with and you just have to deal with it.

+1

Also, is this hyperbole, or do you literally mean EVERY song? If it is every song, then you either need to replace the singer or suck it up and transpose the songs.