Thursday, August 26, 2010

Finding The Right Key To Sing In: Best Tips

By Jack Flagg

Have you ever wanted to perform a most desired song, but you simply couldn't get your voice high or low good enough? Every song is written in a specific key. If your vocal scale doesn't match that key, you'll need to transpose the song into a key you can easily sing.

But the song itself isn't the only consideration when you're figuring out which key to sing in. Here is a guideline to find the right key for any song, despite of your vocal scale:

Step 1: Discover Your Vocal Range

The first step to find the right key to sing in is to find your normal vocal scale. With the help of a piano or guitar, pick out notes on the C chromatic level, beginning with middle C.

Go up the scale, pairing your voice to every note as you play. Find the highest note you can easily sing. That is the top of your natural scale. Then return to middle C and drop to the lowest note you can comfortably sing. That is the base of your normal range.

When you get near the top of your range, you will naturally turn from your chest voice (which is deep and strong, similar to a speaking voice) to your head voice (that is light and airy, but still engages the vocal chords).

With practice, you can deliver your head voice better control and quality. Don't go very far up the range after you turn to your head voice; you are searching for the notes you can easily sing, not the highest note you can squeak out.

Most women tend to be altos or tenors, with a smaller number being sopranos. Nearly all men tend to be tenors or baritones, with lower number being basses.

Step 2: Find the Song's Range

The next step is to analyze the scale of your chosen song. Pay attention to the highest notes that the song, as written, requires you to sing. Then look for the lowest notes. If these notes fall within your range, or very close, you can probably sing the song in its original key.

If the song has a far broader range than your normal one, you might need to try it in a different key. You can sing a high song in a lower key to ensure you hit all the notes, or you can merely drop the high notes down an octave to make them easier to sing.

Step 3: Consider the Genre, Volume, and Venue

Some keys are more suitable to specific musical genres because of the musical type and the volume of the supporting instruments.

For example, a song sung in a lower key could possibly work well for a jazz gig in a restaurant location. The soft music would present a smooth backdrop that did not contend with the singer's vocals.

But if you're planning to play rock music backed by screaming guitars and crashing drums, you might not be heard if you sing in a lower key. Higher notes are normally louder and very easy to hear over loud music.

Essentially, if you're likely having to compete with the music for audience's interest, sing higher and louder. If you're in a more peaceful, more relaxed venue, you can sing in a lower key and still be heard.

Choosing the right key to sing in requires you to know your voice, your song, and your venue. You can bring any song into your range by transposing it; it's just an issue of practicing the song to make it sound great in a different key.

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