Karaoke Forums

I just had someone reply to my comment that "they wouldn't CHEAT by changing the key" The song they were singing was Unchained melody. Off the top of my head- I thought of more than 20 professional singers that have covered that tune in every key in existence. ( I pointed this out to that person)

But my problem is that this particular singer was not the first karaoke singer I have come across who felt this way. I have listened to some very good singers SCREECHING through songs I can tell would be GREAT tunes for them - if they would CHANGE THE FREAKIN KEY! How have they become so deluded?  :?:

I've had students that also felt this way. They'll want to enter a contest or audition singing a song they howled on and would argue with me about what key they did the song best in. Granted they usually saw the light when I pointed out that their competition would have no scruples about picking a good key ..they knew they were gonna get their tail whupped if they insisted on starting off at such a disadvantage!

What the heck is wrong with these people.  :banghead: Since when has karaoke or even singing in general taken on this evil aspect of a persona?? A pro singer will not only "NOT"  hesitate to pick the best key for their voice...they will DEMAND it! I know I sure as heck do! How could anyone expect their poor abused vocal chords to last for an entire night if they are adding trying to sing in the wrong key on as an extra burden. Not to mention the people in the crowd who have to put up with the sharp and flat barkers that result- and the piercing shriek of a singer singing a song that is to high for them- or the unintelligeble whisper if a song that is too low. or worse yet - the singer that tries to jump octaves when they realise it ain't working in that key  ...yet they STILL insist on doing it "IN" that key.  WHO is telling these poor mislead singers that there is something wrong with altering the key? Is this the result of KJ's who don't have a key changer? Are these people selectively suffering from a mental condition? Did someone change the rules of singing and not tell me?? cuz I SURE as heck don't understand it! Anyone else out here run across this?

Paula

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Paula add my son to that list he doesnt understand that there is no shame in trying to sing something in a different key

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"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

... I've been guilty of that myself. I don't like to change keys, but I will if I really want to do the song and it's just outside of my range. Usually, I'll just pass on the song though. I don't know why, honestly.. I've never looked down on anyone else for changing the key to better suit their voice.

Vik...show your son my post! .....wonder if that would help him perfect those little goobers in his queensryche song? I'llput money on what he'll say......

I have heard that argument soooo many times ........that "they want to show off their range" I always tell them "the range didn't change..you still have to have the same "range" to sing the song...it's just more suited to YOUR particular "range" I just went and looked at my subs and only 4 of 10 are in the original key. Stubborn mules

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...hear hear!!

i've come across that a few times too and have neverrrrrr understood it...wth do i have to sing it in the same key as the original?  maybe they ought to sing it in my key

it's rare when i don't have to change the key...i might be able to sing it ok in the original key but when i lower it to fit 'my' voice, it sounds so much better and my voice is 'at ease' with the song....

Hey Paula,

I'm agreeing with Syberchick...

Personally, I have never changed a key in a song either, but I don't think there is anything wrong with doing it.  Especially if it will help a person shine vocally!

Dani

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[b][color=#BF0000][color=#BF0000]http://www.procollabs.com[/color][/color][/b]

((((((((((((Milo))))))))))))) hello I love you wont you tell me your name xxxx

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"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

snorgles D
Paula we are only able to access the forums via proxy servers and its a PIA but I will show him your message
I liked your and Seby's comments to him, he really appreciates constructive stuff.
He has grown a great deal talent-wise recently...trust me until recently every second note barked...now its just the odd one like his moma  LMAO

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"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

Uhhh...changing a key is cheating?  Wha...?  I've never run across this...I've run across karaoke singers who are not aware a key CAN be changed or what a key is, but they usually catch on pretty quick.

Of course, this mentality will keep them from being anything other than "just a karaoke singer" no matter how good they are when they pick something that IS in their key.

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"I hold the key to an open door....will I ever be free...?"

Tell 'em Kitty! But seriously it's true! I have a good friend here in California who is so biased that he goes so far as to make sure that he praises the songs I "don't" change key on as being better in his words "for some reason" than the ones I do. (Impish grin) I started lying through my teeth about whether I altered pitch or not...So now he just gushes about ALL of them - !

But even though he has an immense range- I still wince when he sings high "metal" songs or GOD HELP US- "Les Mis" he could SO kill those tunes if he would lower them a step or 2. I once bribed the KJ to do it on a song without telling him and he BLEW IT AWAY! He even commented that "he felt like his voice was getting stronger" and was loving the way he sounded until we told him what we'd done. Then he got all ticked and started saying things like "Oh THAT must be why the low notes felt so hard" Yeah yeah...yada yada yada...BITE ME! Stubborn mule!

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 (((((((((((wikkiiii))))))))   hellooooo i love you let me jump in your game...

Why, why, WHY would you sing something, KNOW you sounded better, and yet still insist on singing in the "original" key?!?!?!?

An original key is ONLY an original key because who ever got that song first had it put into THEIR key!  A writer may write something that is in your key the first time you pick it up, but it doesn't happen consistently.  If a song is written for someone, it is written with that persons range in mind and an understanding of what key would suit them.  A composer does not say "Man!  I'd love to have Streisand sing this song I just wrote, but...it's not in her key...ah well.  Guess I'll have to get someone else."
Likewise, Streisand isn't going to pass up a great song because it is not in her key, nor is she going to allow something to go out that does not suit her just because "Well, that's the way it was originally written."  She will have the key changed to suit HER voice.

Broadway shows change keys for new performers coming in.  Maria in Sound of Music was written for Mary Martin, not Julie Andrews!  When I did Sound of Music, I was kinda surprised how low the title song was, and had to have the key changed.  I've work shopped new shows, and keys change all the time depending on the singers used that night.

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"I hold the key to an open door....will I ever be free...?"

Thank you Kitty!

But that is what I am trying to figure out...WHY do they think this way?

Where did they get such an asinine belief?

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heheheh

Well, I think I can safely say it's a matter of dumb pride. At least it is for me. It's like if you want to sing a Mariah Scarey song to 'show off' that you can hit the ultra-sonic notes (and really what other reason is there for doing so?), but have to lower the key... it kind of feels like it's defeating the porpoise (poor thing). At least it does to me. I'm sure that's why Vick's son doesn't want to lower the key on the one he subbed today. If you can HIT the notes, you want to show off and prove it. I would feel bad lowering one of the stratospheric Lauper songs, even though she's sometimes a reach for me.

When I'm doing a gender bender, I don't feel as 'bad' changing the key... lots of guys can sing lower than I can, but somehow I always feel... inadequate... if I 'need' to change the key on a female song.

Now, that isn't something I would normally admit, but as silly as I LOGICALLY know it is, that's the way it makes me feel. I'm sure it's the reason behind the reluctance of others as well, even if it's subconscious. They're thinking that they're 'not good enough' to sing it in the original key. I realize that's not logical and I plan to try and overcome that psychological barrier if/when I start recording again.

No friggin' clue - especially in the example you gave where it was PROVEN your friend sounded better with a different key.  I guess habit and/or lack of a musical background outside of karaoke?  :?

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"I hold the key to an open door....will I ever be free...?"

[highlight=cadetblue]Well, I think I can safely say it's a matter of dumb pride. At least it is for me. It's like if you want to sing a Mariah Scarey song to 'show off' that you can hit the ultra-sonic notes (and really what other reason is there for doing so?), but have to lower the key... it kind of feels like it's defeating the porpoise (poor thing). At least it does to me. I'm sure that's why Vick's son doesn't want to lower the key on the one he subbed today. If you can HIT the notes, you want to show off and prove it. I would feel bad lowering one of the stratospheric Lauper songs, even though she's sometimes a reach for me. [/highlight]

BUT- if hitting the high notes is spoiled by a big ole clunker 2 milliseconds into the note- then have you really proved that you CAN hit the notes? I was taught to "never let an audience see you sweat" My vocal coach literally said- you need to make them feel like you have no limits! If they can hear that a note is a stretch for you - don't sing it. Change the note, change the key, or change the song..those were the 3 options. I have never sung mariah carey songs because all anyone wants to do is hear the high notes. I've heard some really GOOD vocalists do her stuff- especially "Vision of love" I even heard one do it GREAT! But she opted for another note instead of the "money note" and all the dumbazzes around me discounted how well she had sung the entire song. I though she showed remarkable comprehension of HER voice. I would much rather hear HER sing the song without the one high note- than a score of people without her finesse that blow through the whole song with no passion then screech out that one note. To me that's not singing.

BTW- NONE of this is a reflection on you Sybe! But what I would say is that after reading this- do you still want to hit the notes at the cost of possibly not performing the song as well. Can I let you in on a secret. Very few people have perfect pitch. And I'd be willing to bet my savings that NOT a SINGLE person at a show other than the KJ- would ever know you changed the key. You re STILL singing the high note in relation to the song- you just started the lower notes a little lower. You are STILL showing that you have the same RANGE as the original singer..only in a different Key. Hey- the original singer probably can't hit the new LOW notes you added. So who's the winner?

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IT is the LAW. It is in the Constitution. You can't change key.  :yes:

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I can neither confirm nor deny ever having or knowing anything about nothing.... mrscott

Hey...WHAT rulebook are YOU reading? Are YOu the one responsible for all the "can't change a key" karaoke singers?  :banghead:

be ashamed....be vewy VEWY ashamed!  :rotflmao:

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It is the biggest problem among karaoke singers. Why do you think we sing the same songs every night? Try recommending a new ....and the default answer is .... that song is too high/low for me. Most karaoke singers can expand their song choice byat least  3x if they are willing to change key.

The KJ (some)  is to be blamed too . Some refused to change key even when customer/singer demand it; ...they have no key changer. In this aspect the KJ should be pro active and advice singer on what key is best for their vocal range.

Cheating?..... no way[/quote]

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I can neither confirm nor deny ever having or knowing anything about nothing.... mrscott

PRECISELY!  To me, there is nothing more painful to listen to than someone who THINKS they are a soprano...*lopsided grin*

[quote="oneofakind864"] Very few people have perfect pitch. And I'd be willing to bet my savings that NOT a SINGLE person at a show other than the KJ- would ever know you changed the key.{/quote]

Exactly.  I once had a pianist at a piano bar bet the bartender he could raise the key for Adele's Laughing Song on me and I would still hit the top note - when I sing it in the "original" key, I end on a G above high C.  He upped the key, I sang it without problem, but until HE told me he had changed the key, even I didn't realize it was in a different key.  The point being, if you sing it WELL in a different key, no one else is very likely to know.

The thing is - especially when it comes to high notes, people don't distinguish them too well.  When I do a show, there are usually three pieces I do with 'extreme highs' - the title theme for Phantom of the Opera (E above high C), Queen of the Night (4 high F's), and Adele's Laughing Song (G above high C).  The only one people really think of as being unusually high is the E at the end of Phantom.  I think it's because it is usually the most recognizable piece and the longest sustained high.

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"I hold the key to an open door....will I ever be free...?"