Do you change keys to cover songs?

[flip333]

We usually try to keep the same key. Sometimes no one can sing the song properly so we skip it... but we have changed keys on a few cover songs...

 

It seems OK, but do most of you think that you lose something when you do that?

[ThumpThumpTwang]

Yes.

[Scodiddly]

I do it all the time, because my voice tends to lie in between the usual male voices and I have to go up or down a 4th or 5th to get the whole range of the vocal.

 

You can lose the "sound" sometimes, especially a song based on guitar riffs using open strings. On the other hand I've had songs sound a lot more interesting in a different key.

 

Mostly it's about getting to where I can really use my voice to full effect.

[srsfallriver]

We try to keep the actual keys but occasionally we have to change to accomodate our singer's ranges. I've only noticed a key change adversely affecting a song once or twice. Most times I don't notice at all. One that comes to mind is Aretha's RESPECT. We had a filler insist on changing it to Bb (down from the original C). For some reason it just sounded better in C.

 

I've played Old Time Rock & Roll in at least 4 different keys and it always sounds the same to me: bad!

[elbow]

do it all the time

[Tedster]

What Scodiddly said. Now that I'm working with a gal vocalist, all the moreso...for example, take an old standard, the Van Morrison song "Moondance". I used to do it in Am. She does it in C#m. She also wails the {censored} out of it, so doing it in C#m is no problem.

[MDLMUSIC]

I nearly always change the keys, both to make it easier for me to sing it and to make it easier to play on the guitar. There's only a few exceptions that are really tough to re-key. Roy Orbison's "Oh Pretty Woman" comes to mind. I can't envision playing that signature riff in any other key. Same for "Smoke on the Water". And "House of The Rising Sun" (although I did work with one guy who did it in E minor, instead of A minor).

[bonscottvocals]

One of the guys in our band usually brings songs down a step to fit his vocal range, but they are funk/horn based songs, so open strings and open chords are not used. No problem there. For me, they lose energy the further down you bring them, but it doesn't seem to effect the crowd, so I don't let it get to me.

[wikwox]

We do it all the time, it's not a problem. The only ones concerned are guitar players and the use of open strings vs. fretted. Our singer drops Respect to A from the original C. No problem, it go's over every time. I have also played Old Beat R&R in 4 keys and just the thought of the intro is depressing.

[mrcpro]

All the time. At my age, I feel I'm entitled.

 

And I just like the sound of certain keys... like B instead of C, where the 4 is an E instead of F.

 

This is when I'm doing my one-man-band. When I'm playing in a band... like I will most all of April... I'll try to sing in the original keys as much as possible... avoids confusion.

[salislore]

We have never changed the key in any of our songs. Not that we wouldn't. It has just worked out that all the songs we do can be done in the original key. There have been a few songs that we tried to drop down to see if our singer could handle it, but he still couldn't do it well enough.

 

So, we would if the situation presents itself.

 

Sometimes dropping down a half step really fattens a song up live.

[fastplant]

We tune down a half step, but then try to keep everything as close as possible. So most songs are just a half step down. Some are the right key.

[flip333]

Thanks,

 

In our little bar band, changing keys can improve the song because we can actually sing it without cracking... so that is better even if a little magic is lost from the key change.

 

But that's our little bar band.

[roabre999]

Yeah, if some songs are tuned down to D# we usually bump it back to E. Use two tunings, E and drop-D we make it work for either or we don't do the song.

[THBv2.0]

I'm changing the key to every song I sing today. When I get to the gig I'm restringing my guitbox and tuning down to D. My voice is tired from the weekend.

 

[JacieFB]

We don't play covers very often anymore. Used to, we'd move a song up a half-step to medly it with one of our songs and to hit my range a little bit better.

[Lee Flier]

We don't change keys. It tends to drive me crazy because a lot of times you can't change keys and have the guitar parts sound right, as others have pointed out. And it drives my bandmates crazy cuz they have perfect pitch and singing in the "wrong" key makes them want to break something.

[elsongs]

My band plays 30%-40% covers. We try as much as possible to keep the original key, but if it's uncomfortably high to sing, we key it down.

[tucktronix]

I play in a "Motown revue" band and we have to accommodate the singers, so changing keys is a norm for us. All, except for a pair of songs, are done in a different key than the original.

[fastplant]

One thing you have to realize also, is that you'll be very hardpressed to find someone in the audience that can recognize that you move the key a half step or so. Unless you drastically change the key, hardly anyone will ever notice.

[THX1138]

We tune down a full step to start with. Everything, original and cover, is played that way.

[digital_whisper]

I play in a band that generally pisses off any musicians that think you should accurately play the songs right off the record.

 

We often change the key, we tune a half step down, we change the arrangements, sometimes we change the vibe of the song.

 

We basically take every cover that we decide to do and bring it in as if one of us had wrote the song ourselves. Then we each make up our own parts per instrument and then do our best to make each song our very own.

 

Of course there are limits. I (being the guitar player) won't change signature licks and the like but I do my own solos to 90% of the stuff and I like to mess around a lot with the tuning and vibe of a song.

 

Two examples off the top of my head are Hotel California and Cocaine.

 

With Hotel, we're a one guitar band and I knew that would present some challenges so we just rearranged it. Our keyboard player plays the main arpeggio part on piano and I weave back and forth doing both rhythm and lead guitar and it came out really cool. The lyrics and melodies are the same and everyone recognizes it but it definitely has a different spin on it.

 

After doing Cocaine 100,000,000,000 times, one night we got a sarcastic request for it from one of my metal head friends. So I busted into it playing it a full octave lower than the record and using heavy tone and palm mutes. The drummer and bass player followed the pattern and it came out heavy as hell. The crowd that night went nuts over it and we do it that way every time. It's the same old musty song but it has new life. We try to do every song in our set like this, with our own touch.

 

I've never heard any complaints about our approach (although I'm sure there are a few) but we are often complimented about our style.

[vanlatte]

 

Originally posted by digital_whisper I play in a band that generally pisses off any musicians that think you should accurately play the songs right off the record. We often change the key, we tune a half step down, we change the arrangements, sometimes we change the vibe of the song. We basically take every cover that we decide to do and bring it in as if one of us had wrote the song ourselves. Then we each make up our own parts per instrument and then do our best to make each song our very own. Of course there are limits. I (being the guitar player) won't change signature licks and the like but I do my own solos to 90% of the stuff and I like to mess around a lot with the tuning and vibe of a song. Two examples off the top of my head are Hotel California and Cocaine. With Hotel, we're a one guitar band and I knew that would present some challenges so we just rearranged it. Our keyboard player plays the main arpeggio part on piano and I weave back and forth doing both rhythm and lead guitar and it came out really cool. The lyrics and melodies are the same and everyone recognizes it but it definitely has a different spin on it. After doing Cocaine 100,000,000,000 times, one night we got a sarcastic request for it from one of my metal head friends. So I busted into it playing it a full octave lower than the record and using heavy tone and palm mutes. The drummer and bass player followed the pattern and it came out heavy as hell. The crowd that night went nuts over it and we do it that way every time. It's the same old musty song but it has new life. We try to do every song in our set like this, with our own touch. I've never heard any complaints about our approach (although I'm sure there are a few) but we are often complimented about our style.

 

 

I think this is a fantastic approach to covering music. I would love to see you guys live!

 

We put a similar spin on things but mostly with the vocal harmonies. Sometimes a harmony just HAS to be done a certain way, but usually we work out our own parts and believe it or not, the songs end up sounding better vocally than what is recorded! (sometimes)

[RupertB]

 

Originally posted by vanlatte I think this is a fantastic approach to covering music. I would love to see you guys live! We put a similar spin on things but mostly with the vocal harmonies. Sometimes a harmony just HAS to be done a certain way, but usually we work out our own parts and believe it or not, the songs end up sounding better vocally than what is recorded! (sometimes)

 

 

+1

 

Best of both worlds. Audience gets to hear a song they like, you get to put your own "flavor" on it.

 

I'd guess that among the songs I play duo, trio, & solo, less than half are played in the original key.

 

Singing for 3-4 hours a night is demanding enough. Its no sin to put the song in a range where the singer(s) sounds best.

[elsongs]

 

Originally posted by digital_whisper I play in a band that generally pisses off any musicians that think you should accurately play the songs right off the record.

 

 

I guess it depends. If it's a covers-only band, then the faithfulness to the original idetermines the quality of the band. Obviously, the sound of the vocalists doesn't have to sound exactly like the original singer, and people are forgiving of that, just providing the vocalist can fit the ragne and sing with the same kind of energy. But musically, people can pick up on those things a little more.

 

On the other hand if a band does primarily originals, then the band doing a cover tune in their own interpretation and taking liberties with the arrangement is more accepted, and in fact is encouraged.