How do pros determine suitable key in which to play a song for someone to sing? Methods? Tricks? Trial & Error? ???

Thanks for replying.

Hi mbl,

Finding a suitable singing key for a specific song is a combination of trial and error.

Start off by determining the melody's highest and lowest note when played in the key you are most familiar with the tune in (say the key of C for example purposes only).

Play the song's melody briefly, having the singer try singing the highest/lowest melodic notes .The highest note usually should sit in the vicinity of the highest note range the singer can "comfortably" sing and the lowest note should sit toward the lower range comfortable for him/her to sing. If the highest note is a little too high for the singer to comfortably reach, then lower the key to B and try the test over again. If the highest note is still too hard for the singer to reach lower the key to Bb.

With electronic arranger keyboards it's much easier because you can continue to play in C yet transpose the key down by half-steps (via a touch of the transpose button) until you reach the best key for the singer. I hope all those years of piano lessons having to practice and memorize songs in ALL twelve keys hasn't been all in vain.

- Scott

A little trick I use with "sit-in's" is to relate their voice to mine. I know what key I sing the songs in. After I hear a person do one song, I make a mental note of the relationship of that key to the one I would sing it in. Then on subsequent songs I can adjust up or down from "my" key, as the situation demands. This is not perfect but might be helpful when dealing with amateur singers. The pros will tell you what key they sing the song in.
In my old age I have become less and less tolerant of sit-ins. Just Saturday night I had a guy ask if he could sing a song with me (that's usually a red flag, because a pro will never ask, he will wait to be asked). It was slow at the time, so I said o.k. He told me a song. I asked what key.
He said it didn't matter. I knew I was in trouble.
I got of the subject a little didn't I?
DonM

Don,

When a sit in wants to sing we play the song in whisk key.

Tom

Hi,

I'll agree with Scott on this topic. I also just let someone come up at "private affairs only", sing a piece of the song in my ear first, then just catch the key and play the song. Most times without the arranger, most people cannot keep the beat, so I just play in the piano accompiament mode so I can follow them the best I can. Sometimes this is a real chore too :>)

Tom,
If the sit in singer is hopelessly bad, it's more like: 'whiskey sour'.

- Scott

[This message has been edited by Scottyee (edited 11-28-2000).]

Scott,

That's really bad. I would expect that from Don or Uncle Dave but not someone as cultured and refined as you.

Tom

Tom,
I guess too much "piano bar" work will even mess up the best of us (schooled?) musicians.

Scott

Thanks for the replies. All good and meaningful!

I'll definetely go ahead and patent my yet-to-be, beeper-size Voize-Oh-meter.

mbl.

[This message has been edited by mbl (edited 11-29-2000).]

[This message has been edited by mbl (edited 11-29-2000).]