Whenever a singer puts in a song that I know is in a key that is high, I'll tell the singer that maybe we should lower the key.
Sometimes if they want to sing a song and we haven't talked about it before or if they are just trying something new....I can tell pretty quickly they are having a hard time hitting the notes...I'll stop the song and lower the key and start it again.
It may be somewhat embarrassing to have the song stopped...but I think it's more embarrassing to screw up the entire song straining your voice and us listening to it crack.
If the song is too high mid song I'll tell them to try it a step or 2 lower. When we find the key that is better...I'll restart it so they can do it from the beginning the right way.
I have yet to have someone complain about it. I would rather start a song several times so they can get it right. At that point I'm more interested in the singer getting the song right and sounding good than the pace of the show.
I feel the singer should appreciate the care I take in making everyone sound as good as possible. In the end I think it makes for a better show.
It could also help people that are thinking about singing to maybe feel they want to do it because they know I'll do the same to make them sound good.
I am not 100% interested in the "pace" of the show. Even though I want the music to be back-to-back and continuous...I'm more interested in making everyone sound as good as they can. Starting a song over isn't a big deal to me and I don't think it in anyway hurts the show.
Songus Interuptus.....
I pretty much operate that way too if it is warranted. I find the keychanger of compuhost to be better and cleaner than S&D's pacemaker plugin. It was one of the factors that made me choose Compuhost over RoxBox even though I lost the multiplex plugin and can't convince the makers of compuhost to either make a convertor for songs already ripped or a feature within Compuhost.
My opinion is that if you can't sing the song the way it is written, don't bother doing it. 
I don't know if all programs sound the same or not, but when the key is changed is just makes the entire song sound off.
As a singer, I learn the songs from listening to them. I don't care how low or high the key is changed to, I sing the same notes as the original.
When running my show, I don't mind restarting the song if needed; singer not as ready as they thought, need to change the key, wants to to a different song, etc.
I don't know if all programs sound the same or not, but when the key is changed is just makes the entire song sound off.
As a singer, I learn the songs from listening to them. I don't care how low or high the key is changed to, I sing the same notes as the original.
When running my show, I don't mind restarting the song if needed; singer not as ready as they thought, need to change the key, wants to to a different song, etc.
Sabrina the Cat
Sabrina59 wrote:My opinion is that if you can't sing the song the way it is written, don't bother doing it.
I don't know if all programs sound the same or not, but when the key is changed is just makes the entire song sound off.
As a singer, I learn the songs from listening to them. I don't care how low or high the key is changed to, I sing the same notes as the original.
Wow....not every singer can have every vocal range needed to do every song. There are songs I want to do but I just can't sing that high... Even lowering the key doesn't help sometimes.
Lowering the key too many steps can make a song sound bad. Usually 2-3 is the max for most songs before they sound real crappy.
I can learn all the songs I want in the real key but singing them without the real singer is the problem. I always sound great in the car.
Then they shouldn't do the songs out of their range.Bigdog wrote:Wow....not every singer can have every vocal range needed to do every song.
Sometimes I don't think they need to change the key, they are just trying to go too high. I do that sometimes. "Independence Day" is a perfect example. When I listen to the original song, it doesn't go as high as I try to take it.
Deli owner does the same thing with "Angel". She always asked me to drop it 2 everytime she sang it. This is a song that I can do just fine, and her range is very close to mine. One night after everyone had left I had her sing it with me without adjusting the key. She could hear where she was higher than needed and adjusted herself accordingly. Now she doesn't ask me to change the key.
I have two regulars that quite often ask me to change the key for them. I do it but I don't have to like it!
My opinion, bottom line ... if you can't do the song the way it was written, don't do it. It makes the song sound like crap.
Sabrina the Cat
Maybe you have a key changer that isn't good.
Some songs do sound goofy if you change the key. But most of them, if you drop them 1 click (half step) nobody will even notice it. After 3 steps most songs sound really bad.
Music is music. Songs can be transposed to different keys and it is done all the time. Every person has a unique voice. They also have different vocal ranges.
I want to sing Boston music and I can't do it no matter what I do.
Sometimes buy raising the key and singing it lower you can pull it off. That sounds wrong but it works.
I have one song I drop 4 and one I take up 3. The music still sounds exceptable. And I can sing the songs.
You need to calm down a little.
It's karaoke..... not brain surgery....
Some songs do sound goofy if you change the key. But most of them, if you drop them 1 click (half step) nobody will even notice it. After 3 steps most songs sound really bad.
Music is music. Songs can be transposed to different keys and it is done all the time. Every person has a unique voice. They also have different vocal ranges.
I want to sing Boston music and I can't do it no matter what I do.
Sometimes buy raising the key and singing it lower you can pull it off. That sounds wrong but it works.
I have one song I drop 4 and one I take up 3. The music still sounds exceptable. And I can sing the songs.
You need to calm down a little.
It's karaoke..... not brain surgery....
Calm down a little?!?! 
Now you sound like my husband! I HATE it when he uses that line. 
I am very calm, thank you very much, just stating my opinion.
I do agree, dropping a half step isn't too bad, some songs are okay at a full step ... but when they drop more than that they just sound terrible.
With thousands of songs to choose from, why do people need to be changing keys in order to sing a song? Just do those that are in your range. You can't always get what you want.
Now you sound like my husband! I HATE it when he uses that line. I am very calm, thank you very much, just stating my opinion.I do agree, dropping a half step isn't too bad, some songs are okay at a full step ... but when they drop more than that they just sound terrible.
With thousands of songs to choose from, why do people need to be changing keys in order to sing a song? Just do those that are in your range. You can't always get what you want.
Sabrina the Cat
it's only karaoke and they should be able to have fun and sound as good as possible and changing the key to achieve that should be a good reason to do it. 
Because they want to sing their favorite song. I have the belief that the correct key for a song is the key the singer is comfortable in, not the key it was written in. Choirs and bands change keys all the time. Why, because they know the original key doesn't sound good to them.Sabrina59 wrote:Calm down a little?!?!
I do agree, dropping a half step isn't too bad, some songs are okay at a full step ... but when they drop more than that they just sound terrible.
With thousands of songs to choose from, why do people need to be changing keys in order to sing a song? Just do those that are in your range. You can't always get what you want.
Very true, but choirs and bands typically make their own music; at least they did back in ancient history when I was in school.
Maybe its the hosting program I use, but the songs just sound horrible when adjusted more than one or two steps. How can the singer sound good when the music doesn't?
Why not just leave the key alone and adjust the notes? The music would still sound great and you wouldn't be "reaching" to hit the notes.
Maybe its the hosting program I use, but the songs just sound horrible when adjusted more than one or two steps. How can the singer sound good when the music doesn't?
Why not just leave the key alone and adjust the notes? The music would still sound great and you wouldn't be "reaching" to hit the notes.
Sabrina the Cat
Please explain what this means as it makes no sense to me.Sabrina59 wrote:No, no, no ... adjusting the notes they are singing rather than the key of the song.
Sax & Dotty's uses the Pacemaker plugin that works only with Winamp. To my ears the JustKaraoke key control works better than the plugin anyway.Bigdog wrote:I don't know if you could use a different key changing program with that program.
Sax & Dotty's has a key changer on their site you can download free.
We need some technical advice from someone on this? Will it work?
The singer can adjust the notes they are singing, and let the song play without adjusting the key. If they can't hit the notes as done by the original artist, just drop a couple of notes down with their voice. Is that making sense are am I having a senior moment?wiseguy wrote:Please explain what this means as it makes no sense to me.Sabrina59 wrote:No, no, no ... adjusting the notes they are singing rather than the key of the song.
Thank you. I thought maybe it sounded bad because I use an inexpensive hosting program but apparently that isn't the case.wiseguy wrote:Sax & Dotty's uses the Pacemaker plugin that works only with Winamp. To my ears the JustKaraoke key control works better than the plugin anyway.
Sabrina the Cat
