deeman Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 How does half a step make a difference? I just don't get it. How often do you find a song with the highest note 1 semitone higher than you can get? Surely your range is a couple of octaves so just sing it a whole octave lower, minus the half step? There must be something I'm not getting. I sing. We play in standard with about 10-20% dropped d. It actually does make quite a difference to me. We play covers of songs that were recorded a half step down and we play it in standard. I can sing along to the recording no problem but playing it up even just a half step can be quite a challenge! I wouldn't make my band tune down for the sake of me though. That'd be a **** move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 I'm not a keyboard player, but I know how it works, and taking a piece of music with a sharp or flat or two to one having five or six could be fairly challenging for many keyboard players. As you know, it is not as easy as moving up or down a fret or three. It is! That's what makes it fun. I played many gigs, including studio work in my youth. Trust me, at some point, someone will switch the key on you. If you can't adapt you're out. There are 100 people in line waiting for your gig. It's a cruel world, but it's reality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 Well, I've read all this and come to a conclusion of my own. It's this. Sorry OP, I think you're the problem. I wouldn't make my band tune down for the sake of me though. That'd be a **** move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notes_Norton Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 Admittedly, I'm late to the party, and didn't read all the posts but my two cents is learn to play in all keys or leave the guitar home. Sorry to be so blunt, but I don't know how to soften it. Insights and incites by Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karloff Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 Admittedly, I'm late to the party, and didn't read all the posts but my two cents is learn to play in all keys or leave the guitar home. Sorry to be so blunt, but I don't know how to soften it. Insights and incites by Notes except C flat. I refuse to play in C flat. gotta draw the line somewhere. i've played with a keyboardist that depending what condition his voice was in, would change the key of a tune that evening. so he could get through it. if you're doing your 4th gig in 3 days and you have 2 more gigs to go in the next 3 days, you have to do what you have to do to get through it. I like the challenge. it keeps you on your toes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 It is! That's what makes it fun. I played many gigs, including studio work in my youth. Trust me, at some point, someone will switch the key on you. If you can't adapt you're out. I get that. I've heard that in jazz bands, the band leader would often signal the key before the beginning of the tune with hand signals- e.g. three fingers up meant the key with three sharps (A), four down meant the key with four flats (Ab). Not only did you have to know the song, but you had to be able to play it in any key. I sat in with a band for a couple of songs once, and was thrown into a situation where I'd never even heard one of the songs before. Finding the key and playing an improvisation was not hard, it turned out well, and it was fun. I'd have to be much better than I am now to do that all the time, but I can see how some people might thrive on that. I get that tuning down is easier, just like using a capo. Some songs sound better that way. But it is also lazy by some musicians' standards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 except C flat. I refuse to play in C flat. gotta draw the line somewhere. HA! I see what you did there! to the point of "easing up on the vocals" I can tell ya for sure, the 1/2 step down makes a difference, you can sing "flat" all night! :) It just took me a while to get used to it, mostly the feel / tension on the strings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 I'm not a keyboard player, but I know how it works, and taking a piece of music with a sharp or flat or two to one having five or six could be fairly challenging for many keyboard players. As you know, it is not as easy as moving up or down a fret or three. It is! That's what makes it fun. I'm with zigzag on this one. It's a lot easier to play in a different key on guitar than it is on piano. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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