Singers changing key: how much is too much?

[JW56789]

Once it dawned on me that basses didn't have black keys like a piano, it just didn't matter any more. Then later, even keyboard players could slide by with that little 'Transpose' button: I knew one guy that transposed EVERYTHING to C.

 

[halcyo]

Maybe it's because I'm a singer, as well as a pianist/keys and bassist, but I've ALWAYS felt that your band should be doing the song in whatever way makes the vocalist(s) sound the best. The vocals are typically the element that bridges the gap between the audience and the musicians on stage. It's the one instrument that everyone has, so it's also the one they most immediately notice not sounding great.

As a bass player, it's super important to develop enough fretboard mastery to at least SOMEWHAT quickly transpose parts around. Even if you can't do it on the fly, you should at least be able to work out parts in any key within a couple minutes at a rehearsal. Now, CHOOSING the right key for a singer is not as simple as having them sing where it's perfectly easy and comfortable. Often, singers hit notes when they are rocking out and feeling the emotion of a song, (and are warmed up enough), that you sometimes have to experiment in the rehearsal room to find the right spot.

It was a "guitar player's world" for so long in the past, and I've always known that guitar players HATE transposing songs the most, because their "precious chord shapes" and their "perfect tone/timbre" gets disturbed by transposition, but the audience doesn't care that much about guitar, so why in the world should we care what they think?!

 

[darwin-bass]

Forcing a singer into a key that does not work for them is dumb. Just dumb.

Put all songs in singable keys. Players must adapt. If it sounds bad because the instrumentation is off then dump the song.

 

[AlexanderB]

For jazz standards or generic blues, I think working together with the singer is the best.
For well known songs, done in a certain way by high profile artists or band, big changes WILL be audible and sound odd. Especially for riff based music.

Transposing really high pitched or low pitched songs is also a "no" for me. Michael Jackson or Chris Rea songs sung in "middle of the road" register? Why?

 

[baileyboy]

We usually don't play a song if the vocalist tells us it's out of his range, with a few exceptions. If we really want to play a tune that is going to give him trouble, he will ask us to learn it a half or whole step down. We've played some Toto and Foreigner this way.

 

[whero]

My first real band, our singer had a pretty good vocal range and I don't remember transposing anything. We'd all learn songs off the record and that's the key we'd play 'em in. My next band, the singer had a pretty good voice but more limited range so (although we did mostly originals) about 75% of the covers had to be transposed. Sometimes we'd use a different key to suit our sax player too.

 

[ga_edwards]

We have two lead singists, a pink and blue one. Generally, everything is in the key as recorded (unless it was originally dropped by a semitone that we play it in concert pitch). There's a couple of songs that knacker our female lead so we've dropped them done a step or too. It isn't just the pitch on these songs, but a combination of high notes, phrasing and stamina that gets her out of breath (song like Pink's "Just like a Pill" that the chorus seems to go on and on at the end).

Having to relearn songs when I've gotten used to playing them a certain way can me a PITA, but it's usually worth it for a better performance. Sometimes, it makes it easier to play, like "Locked out of heaven" for example.

I do get concerned that some songs will lose their mojo, but half a step is barely noticeable in a live performance unless you have perfect pitch.

 

[two fingers]

It depends on the song. For some songs, the high vocal is part of the song's appeal.

Don't go dropping the keys of Journey, Whitney, Michael Jackson, Outfield, Police, etc. The vocal tone makes the song.

With others, it's not a problem at all.

@Rottie Roo Roo what songs are we talking about?

 

[cnltb]

I work with many singers and if they need to change the key of any given piece, so be it.
Not even worth mentioning. A non issue, if I've ever seen one.

 

[brianrost]

Changing in the middle of the song while on stage is where I draw the line

What drives me nuts is different singers in different bands using different keys.

 

[darren1970]

As well as handling bass duties I also share lead vocals ( about 60% of the songs I sing ), so we do alter the key from time to time.
Generally it's no issue, occasionally we have to compromise.

 

[sonic 7]

It pretty much comes with the territory if you’re playing a wide variety of covers. On the other hand if you’re in a tribute type band I think your singer should be able to handle all of the material in the original key.

 

[Nanaki]

Our singer try's to sing in the original key. If its not working or straining his voice we change it. Its not a big deal and not many people could tell any difference unless its a massive change. We really don't have much room to complain these days with the software available to transpose original recordings to learn from. My biggest annoyance is I sold all my five stringers a few years ago and recently had to buy a new one....shame

 

[lark_z]

I'm amazed how different songs sound when I shift them (usually just 1 step down) for my guitar/singer practicing partner. I was practicing "Peaceful Easy Feeling", playing along with the mp3 shifted down to D (from E) and my spouse walks in and says "That sounds odd". Meaning Grenn Frey's voice.

Then he find printed music of "Take It to the Limit" in G, while it's recorded in B. I shifted Meisner's voice all the way down to G. Wow. BTW - He had missed the small "capo at 4th fret" "on the printed version.

 

[lfmn16]

You can play any song in any key. BUT, every song does sound good in every key. Particularly classic rock tunes that take advantage of open strings.

There are thousands of great songs out there, why play any that don’t sound good?

 

[Johnny StingRay]

With the lead singer/guitarist of our praise group sometimes forgetting to move his capo, I learned to transpose on the fly. That was actually a great way to improve my ear, technique, and musicianship.

 

[Ekulati]

When you said how much is too much I thought you meant how far away from the original key. Like a whole step, major third, fourth or fifth. Silly me, thinking musically...

Actually I am "my singer" and I also play some guitar. If critical guitar parts can be adapted, I do it. If not then occasionally the vocal can be adapted without losing the vibe. If that can't be done then I don't sing the song.

 

[sxaxsx]

Depends on the song and situation. It might be kind of weird to play Come Together or Sunshine of Your Love in a different key, wouldn't sound right.
For me it's always more difficult to learn a song when I can't practice it with the recording because the key is different. If these are simple songs, or you can get a recording of the singer and guitar playing in the right key then it makes learning the songs easier. If it's a song with a lot of fills and they want you to play it note for note but in a different key that could be frustrating to learn.

 

[john_g]

In a previous short lived cover band, the singer would automatically say "we have to drop that song down"...every single song. She was a great singer but didnt want to push too much, which is fine I guess, but she wouldnt even have tried the song yet and she wants to drop the key. So for a few of them we would just play in the original key, she would do great, then she would turn around and say, "that sounded great in the lower key". We would snicker.

I dont mind dropping to make it fit the singer better, but some songs just dont sound right in different keys IMO.

 

[fishdreams]

Depends on the music I guess. I work from a jazz angle so I just go wherever the singer goes, and then the challenge is to reimagine and refurbish the tune to make it say something meaningful - which may (or even should) be something very different from the original. For me it's part of the fun of being a musician