Karaoke Forums

Oh sure... and I do agree with you. Like I said, LOGICALLY I know it's nonsense... but you said you wanted to know the reason people don't like to change the key and I'm fairly certain that my reasons were why. I didn't say they were GOOD reasons.



Thanks and no, I'm not taking it personally at all... I just chose to stick my neck out and admit to doing something for a dumb reason. In fact, it hadn't really occurred to me until I was thinking about this thread and WHY it bothered me to change a key... so as I said in my previous post, I plan to try and overcome this particular hangup. I know that's not going to make me a great singer, but who knows.. it might help me be a little happier with the way I sound, I don't know. I'm not sure that I run into that problem so much... but for example, if I had lowered the key on my 'Heartbreaker' performance, I might have been more comfortable.

hi, personally i feel the same way....IT'S CHEATING....i NEVER lower r raise a key because i have an 8 octave range, yes uuuuuu read it right that's an 8....i just don't care to use it very often...ok i never use it really....theres only so much glassware in my house now....

now the truth....i'm guessing 85% of my songs r lowered, i find that depending how far i lower it changes the way i sing a song....on my latest sub, yes i should have lowered that song a tad more...and i did i just used the wrong track....duh...but it was all in fun anyway....but i have more range now....ok it's a tad shy of 8 octave's ....and i'm just trying it out....

but yes not changing keys is putting u behind the 8 ball before u start....
i can go a lot lower than i can higher, but most people voices r higher than mine....but their voice is also lower than what they think it is....

going to break some crystal now

hear, heareeee!!!!!!!!!!  i agree completely let THEM sing it in HER key, even tho she's living in the wrong time zone, at least let her have her own key....
then the world will be right again....

hi baby

....when I first read that beginning paragraph about your 8 octaves-- I almost tinkled a likkle

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Oh, and I do agree on the Mariah (and such) songs. We had a little 'starlet' here for a while who thought she was the next Mariah Carey. Well, being able to go into the whistle octave does not a singer make. Unfortunately, the rest of her vocals were only slightly above ordinary. She wasn't very happy with me.

I don't even think Mariah is THAT good. I don't think she's so much better than tons of over vocalists, she's just a 'trick pony' because she can jump around in the whistle octave. Whoopty doo. If I want to go THAT high.. I'll just whistle.

Who would want to sing a song that's not adjusted to it's key??? We each have our own natural key so why sing it on the original if it's not yours???? OK, I sing half a tone lower on most Elton John songs and you know what? I'm proud of it, I manage to get more richness because my natural key is half a tone lower! Don't get me wrong, I can sing on his key but I sound better on mine, you think he could say the same if he were to sing on mine???

Paula, can't believe you had comments like that on your post, men, lot's of ignorant people on this planet!!

are ya'll  making fun of my 8 octaves? don't make me pull it out and use it....pleaseeee...that could hurt...

As far as karaoke goes, some people have told me that they don't like changing keys because they WANT the challenge of going for the high or low notes.  The other reason is that on some systems, changing the key of the music track can make the track itself sound bad (unnatural tone).

SYBe...I think I love you...I've said the same thing to my friends about Mariah and I CAN do the whistle tones...but so far- I've never found a song that I though it was
appropriate for. I did get a good laugh once when a dude who'd heard me do her songs withoug hitting the notes and I got into a discussion

he didn't believe me when I said I "chose" not to hit the notes...he bet me 500.00 in front of a bunch of people that it wasnt because I chose not to rather that " I couldn't"  LMAO

Laughed all the way to the bank And I STILL Hate those whistle tones!

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I would go with the other reason... a good KJ who cares about his people will let you sing on your key but that's if he has a key changer!  So far, I haven't found a good key changer for live karaoke, they all have a problem but I did noticed things sound better after couple beers

I don't know about an "unnatural tone", but there are definitely songs that sound different in different keys.

I have one song, "Go On", which I sing both three half-steps down from the original key and one half-step down. Each rendition takes on a different character, and both work. Some songs don't work (for me, at least) when they are lowered too far -- I just don't like the sonic impact.

So in short, there is definitely material that sounds good in many keys, but it seems to me some material is meant to be as high as it is and not much lower.

The sheet music business would absolutely come to a screeching halt if it was an evil thing to change the key of a song.  Wholly Moley!!  They would have to publish their songs in the dark of the night and sell the sheets on the black market.  

Changing the key is the most natural and smartest part of making the song your own.  Now, some of the KJ's I've seen have no idea how to change the key, don't want to have to remember to put the key back to the original on the next song and are downright lazy and stupid (and overpaid probably).  So that's sometimes a problem.  

Seby is right though, it is a pride thing, albeit silly pride.  Thanks missy for being honest.  I have done the same when I was younger and cared more.  I also know people who think you are an also ran when you don't sing in the key of the hit singer.  Does anybody really enjoy listening to those whistle notes for very long?  In fact, depending on where I am singing, I often make a choice whether to use my high classic voice or my low intimate one.  It's for the enjoyment of my audience.  Afterward, I have never had anyone come to me and ask me if the songs were in the original key.

I change the key all the time, mostly lower, but sometimes higher. I use pitch shifter. On youtube, if you listen to an early version of American Woman by Guess Who, then a version from today, the key is down at least two steps....sometimes if you change the key too far, the backing starts soundin "not good"....

 LMAO  LMAO  Woohoo!!! Way to make some money! =D

I think it's interesting and bizarre the first few times you hear it... but I totally agree that there really isn't a place for the whistle octave in singing generally. I think it detracts and distracts from the song, rather than adds to it and that kind of opposes the whole idea of creating a good performance.

Glad you agree though. I was a little afraid I would be shot down for 'slamming' on Mariah.

It is for me too. I have a second reason as well but it's based on paranoia. Som part of me actually feels that the KJ will lose my slip if I ask to change keys. The third reason is just plain laziness.

I really should have to key brought down for me on most songs I sing. I'm actually a baritone/second tenor. Most songs I like to sing are done one or two steps higher than I really should be singing.

My husband did a really interesting version of an Evanescence song, where he actually raised the key and then sung it an octave lower. It was very different from the original, but sounded quite good I thought.

My point is just that it's a really neat song that he never could have done if he hadn't changed keys.. and (although there is a bit of 'chipmunks' in the background), it turned out really cool.

I know a few people like that.

I myself have a habit of tossing songs aside it they're NOT in my key... but then later come back to them and think "wait a sec... what if I key change... then maybe I can do this one?" On guitar, it's different, I'll just simply find the key that works for me without bothering to even find out what key it was orginally done in.

I have one I do quite a bit at karaoke that I always take down a half step. I haven't  yet had anyone tell me I was "cheating".... but, haha.... I dare them;) Truth is, I'm sure they don't even know.

My dad is of the old school. Can't name HOW many songs he'll say "Nooooo, that song wasn't done in G, it's done in D"..... and I have to remind him that I (being a female) can NOT sing in the same key as Bill Monroe/Mac Wiseman/Ralph Stanley/Hank Sr, etc... But he still bytches at me about it.

.

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

Hey again Charmin!

That's weird about your dad. JVJ is always trying to change keys on me and I get all huffy about it.  :oops:

That's a REAL good point you make about the guitar though! If I change the key on a guitar, I never even think about it. Strange how the mind works. Heck, as dumb as it sounds, I'm actually kind of excited now, because I'm thinking about all the songs I've opened up for myself now with key changes.

Well, my dad is a bluegrass musician. And to take a song, often times but not always (depends on what key you're changing to and from) ... it's like totally relearning the song- completely different fingering pattern. (unless you're cheating and have a 5 string fiddle) So, I think that is part of his grump- not so much where it's sang... but the key change of the instruments themselves not being where the song was originally intended. Funny tho- I've yet to hear him have to key change to sing a song. He'll do it in the key it was originally done in. (so... never thought about it... but why in hell did I not inherit my dad's vocal range?) Lol

I'm presently being stubborn on a song. I never sing her songs, but I'm really liking the new Leann Rimes song "Nothin' Better To Do"  . A few places are just a bit high for me, I can only hit them on a good day. (or... miss them and not be able to tell cause I'm singing along with her driving down the road with my stereo cranked up) I could simply do a key change, but I'm trying to get comfie with it where it's at. I'm sure I'll push it aside and come back to it a year down the road or something:) Just out of stubborness about changing the key. That's what bugs me the worst, is when the song IS in my key... all but a few little words here and there.  :madgo:

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

Ah the fiddling explains it. Yep, it would require a different fingering and OMG some of that bluegrass fingering gets FAST (um.. I took violin lessons for a year or so. I can play a little). I've never heard of a 5-string violin though! weird.

And yeah, I totally understand about there being just a few notes that would throw you... but that's what I'm going to work on NOT being stubborn about. When a few hard notes keep me from feeling really comfortable with a song (you know.. the ones that make you sweat when you realize they're coming up? ) I'm going to start trying to lower the friggin key.

I'm like you, there are some notes that I can HIT and sing them fine... but it's not consistent. I really don't want to lose the uppermost part of my range, but I'm not going to sit around doing vocal exercises all the time to be able to sing there consistently either. heheheh