If you sing with a variety of different instruments and accompanists, you should find yourself singing constant song in several diverse keys at different times. So, what's the best key to sing in?
The sure answer is, it will depend. It is based on your voice type. It hinges on the type of instruments that are accompanying you. It is based on the skills of the instrumentalists. It relies on the song. You get the picture. If you're singing along with a group you may lack the ability to a choice of key.
Most singers just buy a piece of sheet music and sing the song in whatever key it's written in. Or sing it in the key used by the original recording artist. Or whatever key the accompanist will be able to play it in. None of those keys might be right for you!
Another possibility for getting a song transposed is to contact the music department of your local college or university. Students in music theory and composition classes commonly need to do transpositions as part of their tasks. Perhaps one of them would have the ability and willing to transpose your song and use it as a class assignment.
To choose the right key for your song, first sing it a cappella and away from a piano. Then head to the piano and identify the note you started on, what the highest and lowest notes are, and the note you ended on. From that you (or your accompanist) should be able to figure out what key you sang immediately. That is most likely your best key for that song.
If that happens to be the key it's written in, fine. If not, find the song transposed. It might also be useful to have versions of the song in several different keys. For example, if your ideal key to sing a song is F#, that is an extremely difficult key for most instrumentalists. G major and F major are much easier for both guitarists and pianists, and only a half step above or below F#.
It's an advantage to be able to sing the same song in several different keys. You may have one ideal key, but one or two others that are also acceptable so that you can accommodate instrumentalists when required. Happy transposing!
The sure answer is, it will depend. It is based on your voice type. It hinges on the type of instruments that are accompanying you. It is based on the skills of the instrumentalists. It relies on the song. You get the picture. If you're singing along with a group you may lack the ability to a choice of key.
Most singers just buy a piece of sheet music and sing the song in whatever key it's written in. Or sing it in the key used by the original recording artist. Or whatever key the accompanist will be able to play it in. None of those keys might be right for you!
Another possibility for getting a song transposed is to contact the music department of your local college or university. Students in music theory and composition classes commonly need to do transpositions as part of their tasks. Perhaps one of them would have the ability and willing to transpose your song and use it as a class assignment.
To choose the right key for your song, first sing it a cappella and away from a piano. Then head to the piano and identify the note you started on, what the highest and lowest notes are, and the note you ended on. From that you (or your accompanist) should be able to figure out what key you sang immediately. That is most likely your best key for that song.
If that happens to be the key it's written in, fine. If not, find the song transposed. It might also be useful to have versions of the song in several different keys. For example, if your ideal key to sing a song is F#, that is an extremely difficult key for most instrumentalists. G major and F major are much easier for both guitarists and pianists, and only a half step above or below F#.
It's an advantage to be able to sing the same song in several different keys. You may have one ideal key, but one or two others that are also acceptable so that you can accommodate instrumentalists when required. Happy transposing!
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