Should singers who front a band know chord progressions?

[Pork_Chop]

Is it normal for a dedicated singer in a band not to know chord progressions? I’m filling in this Friday for a band whose bassist moved away unexpectedly. The guitarist is in Brazil, not getting home until Thursday night and can’t be reached. I got the set list and asked the other two members (drummer, and singer) what the chord progressions were on a few of their songs. The drummer understandably didn’t know, but I assumed the singer would. When I asked her, she became kind of angry and said she didn't know. I thought a voice was considered an instrument.
This is my first time playing in a band with a dedicated singer. All the other bands I've been in were either instrumental, or one of us took care of the vocals.

 

[RoadRanger]

Yup, quite normal.

 

[Furious_Man77]

Yup, quite normal.

+1

 

[lfmn16]

I got roasted on TB for just suggesting that a singer should know what key they sing a song in. Even I would never expect them to know the chords to a song.

 

[Winfred]

It is quite common, yes. Should it be? No.

Count your blessings if you find a singer that comes in at the right time, nails the phrasing, and sings in key. And if they're also a good front-person, you've hit the jackpot.

 

[catcauphonic]

It's totally normal.

Same thing happened to me before my first band audition, only it was the drummer and rhythm guitar player (who wrote the songs) not knowing the chords or even note names! Fortunately they didn't write too complicated music and I got the spot

 

[s2bs2]

YES
is my answer to the title.
do they often? no.

 

[Clef_de_fa]

well ... this is disapointing ... no Wonder so many musicians and music is considered amateur and a joke in the eye of jazz and classical musicians

 

[Hahaha]

I guess most of the singers I've worked with didn't know the chord progressions. Many didn't know what keys the songs they sang were in. I work with a female drummer at times who sings hundreds of songs. Seems like she knows the lyrics and melody to nearly every song that's been on the radio since 1955. She knows the keys to all of them, and can sing the bass lines to songs that I don't know. That's handy. She's the female drummer in the nightclub scene in the movie The Creeping Terror. That makes her even cooler.

 

[bolophonic]

As long as everyone sounds good, I no longer care who knows what about anything.

 

[RustyAxe]

Is it normal for a dedicated singer in a band not to know chord progressions? I’m filling in this Friday for a band whose bassist moved away unexpectedly. The guitarist is in Brazil, not getting home until Thursday night and can’t be reached. I got the set list and asked the other two members (drummer, and singer) what the chord progressions were on a few of their songs. The drummer understandably didn’t know, but I assumed the singer would. When I asked her, she became kind of angry and said she didn't know. I thought a voice was considered an instrument.
This is my first time playing in a band with a dedicated singer. All the other bands I've been in were either instrumental, or one of us took care of the vocals.

Sounds like a train wreck in progress. Keep us posted.

 

[sparkyfender2]

I guess most of the singers I've worked with didn't know the chord progressions. Many didn't know what keys the songs they sang were in. I work with a female drummer at times who sings hundreds of songs. Seems like she knows the lyrics and melody to nearly every song that's been on the radio since 1955. She knows the keys to all of them, and can sing the bass lines to songs that I don't know. That's handy. She's the female drummer in the nightclub scene in the movie The Creeping Terror. That makes her even cooler.

Whoa. Wait.

She was in "The Creeping Terror?" The low budget movie from 1964 that had the monster made from a roll of carpet?
Too cool! I love that crazy film.

 

[ddnidd1]

Realistically they should know what key they sing a song in.

However, by OP's rationale in order to play bass in the band, you perhaps should know how to sing - just to play bass.

 

[cnltb]

Should singers who front a band know chord progressions?
It certainly won't hurt if they do.

 

[Krystal Childs]

Unless they play an instrument they usual don't know what a chord is. And sometimes even if a person plays a instrument they can't tell you the chord progression on the song. That used to really frustrate me. It's like man you don't even know the name of the notes on your instrument. Next..

 

[Kmonk]

Why would a singer who doesn't play an instrument know chord progressions? Most of the time, they don't even know what key the song is in. They just know whether or not they can sing the song.

 

[ZachariahLee]

No

 

[buldog5151bass]

Unless he plays an instrument or involved in arrangements, who cares? Would be nice, but hardly necessary.

 

[mcarp555]

well ... this is disapointing ... no Wonder so many musicians and music is considered amateur and a joke in the eye of jazz and classical musicians

Do you really think Ella Fitzgerald or Kiri Te Kanawa could roll off the chord progressions to what they're singing?

 

[FretNoMore]

Nah, I think they should know the key so they can tell the band, the chord progression is hardly necessary.