Covers: transposing for vocal range?

Pickie

A question for anyone who performs covers. Or listens to them! If the original singer's vocal range doesn't align with yours (and I don't mean just by a negligible tone or so; say you're a soprano singing a baritone's song, or vice versa), then would you say it's prefer to keep it in the original key and occasionally switch octaves with the vocals when needed, or do you tend to transpose the entire song to fit your range?

Trying to figure out if it's less jarring to keep the guitar part the same but compromise the vocal line, or have the guitar part sound weirdly helium-high capo'd up on the 7th fret, but which would allow the vocals to more closely align with the original...

Any thoughts/examples are welcome!

Musicwolf

A quick glance at our set list and I can see a couple of songs that we've moved down 3 semitones and one that we've shifted up by 5 semitones.  Much better IMO to change the key than have a singer struggle.

Pickie

Musicwolf said:

A quick glance at our set list and I can see a couple of songs that we've moved down 3 semitones and one that we've shifted up by 5 semitones.  Much better IMO to change the key than have a singer struggle.

Thanks, Musicwolf! I totally agree if it's a case of the singer struggling. But would you have a preference if it was doable (and fairly comfortable) for the singer in the original key, it's just that you might get an unexpected switch of octaves in certain places? Especially if the difference in the instrumental is as much as 7 semitones up?

Keefy

It’s not at all unusual to change the key to suit the singer - most musicians are used to this, and audiences don’t care. There are a few songs where this would cause an issue because the guitar riff uses open strings (e.g. Alright Now, Mr Brightside). A small change up can be accommodated with a capo but a change down may not be feasible.

I used to sing the Bee Gees’ ‘Stayin’ Alive’ in the original key but an octave down. It used to go down ok!

stratman3142

Musicwolf said:

A quick glance at our set list and I can see a couple of songs that we've moved down 3 semitones and one that we've shifted up by 5 semitones.  Much better IMO to change the key than have a singer struggle.

Yes, I think vocals always take priority. For example, we're currently playing Nutbush in E instead of A in my current band.

I even played Alright Now in G in a previous band, which was a bit wacky, but we got away with it.

Keefy

stratman3142 said:

Musicwolf said:

A quick glance at our set list and I can see a couple of songs that we've moved down 3 semitones and one that we've shifted up by 5 semitones.  Much better IMO to change the key than have a singer struggle.

...

I even played Alright Now in G in a previous band, which was a bit wacky, but we got away with it.

Actually yeah that would work.

Danny1969

We do some in a lower key than the record but some in a higher key. 

I chart songs using the Nashville system ... that's the easiest way to switch keys. I'm only ever thinking numbers, not letters of chords. 

stickyfiddle

Approach will depend on the song but rule #1 is that if the singer can't do it we're not playing it.

I'm happy rearranging a guitar part that can take it, i.e. something that can be capoed a bit, or just played in another key without real compromise. Even Brightside can be done well with the top E dropped to D and don't play any other open strings.

But some guitar riffs really need to be played with the regional shapes, which is a pain, particularly where the default key adjustment is to go down a couple of semitones. I honestly just try and avoid those songs; there are plenty of others to choose from. 

Danny1969

It's very common too for everyone in the band to tune down a semitone. I play currently in 2 bands that do and 2 bands that don't which is a bit of a pain guitar wise ... personally I would rather always be a semitone down ... the vocals are easier, the guitar plays nicer etc

HAL9000

We change key to suit the singist; however, we never slavishly imitate the original - we do things our way.

sev112

I hate it when even the original singers can’t sing the song any more and so end up going down an octave in places, let alone cover bands

which is why I prefer cover bands to not try and reproduce a perfect copy of the song (unless they are a tribute band) and allows you to interpret as you see fit

EricTheWeary

sev112 said:

I hate it when even the original singers can’t sing the song any more and so end up going down an octave in places, let alone cover bands

which is why I prefer cover bands to not try and reproduce a perfect copy of the song (unless they are a tribute band) and allows you to interpret as you see fit

Quite a few singers obviously just transpose everything down a bit as they get older, Robert Plant being an obvious one. I think that’s normal and fine. 

In my band we generally didn’t transpose stuff but a couple of songs were originally by female singers and they proved to be impossible for Iain to be anywhere near the right key. 

davros

We have 2 singers in our band, one with a higher voice and one lower, so we can cover most songs without transposing.

For the ones that do require transposing, I'm using the poly capo setting on my hx fx so the guitar part doesn't change. It's also helpful for songs like Mr Brightside and Superstition in original Eb tuning.

Before the hx fx had poly capo, I was using an ehx pitch fork. Not quite as accurate but good enough for gigs.

RocknRollDave

I tune to Eb to help with my vocals.

I transpose songs if I need to, usually by a tone or so. 

Anything any further away from my comfort zone than that and I take the hint that it’s not for me.

Roland

There’s no harm in changing key by a couple of semitones. It used to be done with a capo, or by downtuning. Nowadays a Digitech Drop can do it electronically. Whether you can go any further than three semitones depends on the song. To my ears anything with a riff or picked guitar part starts to sound wrong. That’s not due to digital artifacts, more that it can sound lugubrious, or tinny. There are some songs where you can create a different arrangement. I never had any success doing that with Livin on a Prayer. If all you are doing is strumming chords behind the singer then that’s a different matter.

ESBlonde

Always suit the singer, apart from another guitarist everyone else is listening to the singer/song and the lead guitar part is relatively insignificant (there I said it).