Members steve mac Posted November 18, 2017 Members Share Posted November 18, 2017 Y'all stick to a tunes original key when covering it? Or do you change it to help your vocal or because it's easier to play that way. Come to that do the guitar players here habitually tune down. I have just started doing this for the last couple of outings and find that half a step makes my life so much easier but it means I have given up on harmonica (didn't do it much anyway) as I can't be bothered capoing up and haven't got the harp skills to blow around the change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FloridaFrailer Posted November 18, 2017 Members Share Posted November 18, 2017 Change keys, change tunings, change tempo.... usually can't sing it like they do, so I make it mine. Keeps things fun and judging by the tip jar, folks agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shaster Posted November 18, 2017 Members Share Posted November 18, 2017 I'm often amused by folks who insist on doing songs in the original key, in the belief that those keys are sacrosanct. If they did a little YouTube research they would find that many artist lower their recording keys by at least a whole step. When you record, there's all the time in the world to get it right and of course, it's just the one song. Very often there's more emotion at the top of an artist's range, so it makes sense to do it as high, or sometimes as low as possible (Friends In Low Places....). But put a bunch of songs together, night after night, and you want them in a comfortable key, so the aggregate doesn't blow your voice out. I keep some of my songs in the same key, but many of them are a major 2nd or major 3rd down. Depends on the artist though. I can do all of Bill Wither's songs in the original key, but guys like Kenny Loggins or Michael McDonald.... well I've got to lower them. Here's a tune recorded in G, that Kenny does in F now. I'm doing it in E, although people just scratch their heads and wonder when I'm going to finish tuning. Guess no one has ever heard of this one.[video=youtube;bS3ggi9dAeE] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GtrGeorge! Posted November 19, 2017 Members Share Posted November 19, 2017 There's alot to this. Use your ears, use your brain...and to quote Joe Meek :"if it sounds good, it is Good!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Telecruiser Posted November 21, 2017 Members Share Posted November 21, 2017 I play all songs in the key I can sing them most comfortably. The thought that you have to do the song in the key it was recorded is silly. That being said, just about all the songs I do I make my own. Some faster some slower some countrified and some R&R'd. I play to make myself happy and not the crowd but by doing that the crowd responds very well. I'm not a jukebox. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Voltan Posted November 22, 2017 Members Share Posted November 22, 2017 lol... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted November 22, 2017 Moderators Share Posted November 22, 2017 I change keys to suit my voice...although sometimes you are stuck with one of those 'magic' guitar parts that rely heavily on open strings, in which case you have to decide if you can sing it in the original key, or figure a way around the magic. So many early Beatles songs were recorded in Eb...I'm not tuning down.... Steve, they do make flat key harmonicas, btw... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members steve mac Posted November 22, 2017 Author Members Share Posted November 22, 2017 I find the Honer special 20 to be the easiest for me and they are so pricey, over all think I will just give it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pogo97 Posted November 23, 2017 Members Share Posted November 23, 2017 Since I play old pop songs that rarely have a single definitive version, I pitch for my voice and for my home piano, which is well tempered. In general, the flat keys are sweeter in the temperament I use and feel well under my fingers, so a lean toward Eb, Bb, F, C, with a smattering of everything else. My stage piano is equal tempered, so it doesn't much matter, but I retain those preferences. Makes me horn friendly if it ever matters and pretty neutral for any guitar that will be playing with me. Mandolins and fiddles get a bit shirty about flat keys. Tough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FloridaFrailer Posted November 23, 2017 Members Share Posted November 23, 2017 What... no gong capo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bob Dey Posted November 23, 2017 Members Share Posted November 23, 2017 I've been lowering keys to many songs during the last couple of years. Some were in the original key at one time, some weren't. My vocal range is been going down as I get older so I have to make key changes. There are some songs I used to do that never sounded right in a lower key, at least they didn't sound right to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Voltan Posted November 24, 2017 Members Share Posted November 24, 2017 maybe... come find out? lol! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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