Indeed. Just listen to the Led Zeppelin set from their reunion gig in 2007 at London's O2 arena. Numerous songs from that set were played in lower keys in order to accommodate Robert Plant's vocal range now.
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Transposing to adapt covers to singer OK?
- Thread starter Shardik
- Start date
Indeed. Just listen to the Led Zeppelin set from their reunion gig in 2007 at London's O2 arena. Numerous songs from that set were played in lower keys in order to accommodate Robert Plant's vocal range now.
1- "I'm too lazy and/or dumb to figure out how to transpose a song"
2- "Really, I'm just too lazy and/or dumb to transpose anything"
3- really.
4- I think that if you're not going to change at least two things about a known song (other than the performers), you may as well just plug in the cd and sit down and tap your feet and stare at the audience- that's what a jukebox is for.
5- end of story.
6- very important.
The guitarist/ singer and I both have whole step down guitars set up just for this issue. We do a whole set tuned down to d .... and no one knows the difference.
Ah... Doing the downtuning in sets... Good one! I'll suggest it. 
Thanks.
Like I said, I use a DGCF tuned bass all the time. I prefer it for different reasons. If I REALLY need to play open strings in EADG tuning, I can actually capo the bass(!).
Thanks.Like I said, I use a DGCF tuned bass all the time. I prefer it for different reasons. If I REALLY need to play open strings in EADG tuning, I can actually capo the bass(!).
There are thousands and thousands of songs to choose from. Some sound fine when the key is changed and some don't. There is no cut and dry answer. If the song doesn't sound right when the key is changed, then pick another song.
Putting a capo on the 9th or 10th fret just to find the singer's range almost always sounds wrong. Pick a different song.
Putting a capo on the 9th or 10th fret just to find the singer's range almost always sounds wrong. Pick a different song.
The capo only tunes up and transposing to suit a singer's voice nearly always is in the other direction. Like it or not, a great many guitar written songs depend on open strings to make the chord voicings work. Sure, you can tune "down" a third by capoing on the 9th fret, but it will make the guitar sound like a mandolin and takes nearly half the fretboard off the guitarist's palette.
Like someone else said, it depends on the song, and beyond that, how faithful to the original you want to be.
Using heavier strings and tuning down is an option. Explore them all, but if at the end of the day it doesn't work, drop the song and replace it. There are thousands to pick from.
I tend to agree with this in MOST cases.
However, if you are dead set on doing a particular song then you absolutely can't have the singer straining at high notes - the audience will wince & your song will just fail regardless of how good the actual music sounds. Examples i see of this all the time are in our church worship team, where a lot of the more modern songs are written with female lead vocals in mind (or written by a female) and my hubby is worship leader, tries to sing them an octave lower but then its TOO low so we try transposing to something in the middle. Technically "it works" but it just loses something in the process!
I think its ok if a song is just slightly too low/high to transpose like 1 step down/up without too much difference, but any more than that totally ruins the intended dynamic & feel of the song.
The band I joined does some big key changes. So much so that for some of the songs I can't even remember what key they're originally in! Sometimes the keys change week to week. A song like "The Joker" by Steve Miller for example...I think it's originally in E but we've done it in F and even F#. But I know last week we did it in E.
The guitar player who also sings slaps the capo on, calls out the key and for better or worse we just go!
The guitar player who also sings slaps the capo on, calls out the key and for better or worse we just go!
This.
I've played in many cover bands that tune open to Eb and just leave it there. Many times, just that half step can really help out a singer.
A few songs just don't work if dropped a step or two, but most will. So, I say make the tune fit the vocalist or dump it. Here's where I draw a line: I generally won't play with cats that can't transpose.
Short answer, Yes. You have to simply try each song you transpose and hear how it sounds. Some songs , yes, others maybe not.
I played in a band that did a lot of blues, jazz, and swing stuff and we were constantly transposing songs from the original because our singer had a very limited range and we often played with horns. For this reason I try to avoid playing open notes when ever possible because I find it is much easier to transpose when you don't.
I totally disagree. It neither deceives nor short changes the anyone. The two people in the crowd who have perfect pitch might notice but I seriously doubt that they'll care and neither will anyone else. I have nearly perfect pitch and it has never been a concern to me.
I totally disagree. It neither deceives nor short changes the anyone. The two people in the crowd who have perfect pitch might notice but I seriously doubt that they'll care and neither will anyone else. I have nearly perfect pitch and it has never been a concern to me.
Yes, but the original point was that the singer couldn't reach the high notes. Its very difficult to extend your natural range very much even with good technique & lots of prac & straining is just damaging to your voice. So the key change is to suit the singer. Guitarists/bassists should be able to play songs in any key, transposing is a basic formula.
Not at all. The recording is NOT the song. And the record is in that key (unless it's been pitch altered like "Layla", "A Day In The Life", etc.) because it's the right key for THAT singer. More songs can be effectively changed than cannot.
John
This. Exactly this.
Your guitar player(s) don't KNOW enough to transpose.
That being said, dropping a whole step or so if fine. However, if you drop a Journey song a 4th, it won't sound the same at all. So, if you can't SING Journey, do DO Journey. Same thing goes for Zep, 80s hair band music, and 80s one hit wonders. Dropping a little bit just to ease the strain is fine. But dropping enough that you sound like Frank Sinatra trying to sing Ozzy is just...... bad.
If a vocalist is having to strain to sing a song, change the key.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to emulate a song, but one needs to come to terms with the fact that there are times that it can't be done.
If you feel yourself straining, don't try (or let your bandmates try) to use "It sounds fine" as an excuse. Sounding "fine" means nothing if you're straining. I wouldn't work with somebody who thinks that forcing someone else to strain for a song that's too high for their voice is acceptable for any reason.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to emulate a song, but one needs to come to terms with the fact that there are times that it can't be done.
If you feel yourself straining, don't try (or let your bandmates try) to use "It sounds fine" as an excuse. Sounding "fine" means nothing if you're straining. I wouldn't work with somebody who thinks that forcing someone else to strain for a song that's too high for their voice is acceptable for any reason.
I think many come at this discussion from a "rock-centric" point of view.
It is true that riff-based rock tunes don't always transpose well if have a lot of hammer-one and pull offs or picking riffs within a particular chord form.
But in other genres, you should be able to play any tune in any key.
It is true that riff-based rock tunes don't always transpose well if have a lot of hammer-one and pull offs or picking riffs within a particular chord form.
But in other genres, you should be able to play any tune in any key.
