Vocal Range - How to Know What Key to Sing in for a Specific Song

Vocal Range - How to Know What Key to Sing in for a Specific Song

Take some piano lessons from Scott Houston “The Piano Guy.” In this video, you will learn to sing songs in the key that is best for you to sing a particular tune in.

Different songs all have different melody lines that have different vocal ranges between their highest and lowest notes.

Examples:
1. The Birthday Song in first the Key of F and then in the key of C (moving it down)
2. Take Me out to the Ball game in the key of C then in the key of F (moving it up)

For that reason, a particular song will be best played for your particular vocal range in some particular vocal key. i.e. You need to shift the melody line into your range as best you can and then determine what key is needed to fit the melody line there.
Your vocal range doesn't identify one key that is best for you for every tune. Rather, you should learn to sing tunes in whatever particular key that gets the tune's melody into your vocal range.

Scott talks a little bit about the topic of transposing, which lets you easily “slide” a tune up or down a few notes to get the melody comfortably in your range. The main concept is just taking the chord changes to a tune and moving them all up or down the same interval (or number of half-steps) throughout the entire tune.

Again, no one has one key that is the easiest key to sing in of all songs. Rather, you'll have a favorite key to sing some particular tune in, and that key may be different for different tunes based on the range of that tune's melody line.

Scott’s life goal is to help you learn to play the piano through piano lessons that you can take anywhere and at any time to get you started having some fun at a piano or keyboard as quickly as possible.

Scott Houston is the host of The Piano Guy television series on Public Television and has taught hundreds of thousands of folks like yourself, how to have some fun on their piano or keyboard. He wants to help you get there too—as quickly as possible.

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Scott "The Piano Guy" Houston, Emmy Award-Winning Host
of The Piano Guy and Music Makers on Public Television

Vocal Range - How to Know What Key to Sing in for a Specific Song

[mattbailey]

Not all songs’ highest or lowest notes will land on the same degree of the scale, hence why your comfortable key will vary from song to song. Very helpful video!

[emxof]

And in a world where nearly every male role in musical theatre for the past couple decades has been written for "baritenor" voices (because apparently making everyone strain for a note is an easier path to drama than having them act) it would be nice if musical directors were actually willing to let people sing in the appropriate key for their voice.

[MisterBudBrown]

What a great explanation. Thank you so much for this video.

[HappyGuyCMB]

I've wondered about this for a long time. Thanks. BTW: you started me on piano. I recommend your material to people all the time. I quote 2 of your main approaches: use the fingers you like and start with a song you like. The magic begins from there.

[nahaniyes]

Also, I love the little trick with the last note of a song. That is too cool!

[townsendmedia]

7:40 Thank you for explaining this so basically and showing two examples to help me understand Vocal Ranges.

[clydeb]

Thanks soo much. Nobody ever explained it this way, but I hate regular karaoke because I'm a very good singer, but if it is not in my range, boy do I sound awful trying to reach notes!

[gavinvonmeyer]

Again, a brilliant description. Simplified and gives one confidence on a subject matter that I had a serious phobia for.

[izunshirucreepercat]

Y'all, I'm already in love with this guy

[joeritchie]

Very informative. Thank you for teaching me how to transpose a song to fit my vocal range.

[judywelday]

I am not a singer by any means, but a very informative video. Thanks!

[djfingersflores]

This video was so helpful, thanks a mill Piano Guy! You are the best !

[davidnampi_]

Awesome Video, very informative! Thanks and God Bless!

[HectorPerez-kxlj]

Thank you sir!! I've been struggling understanding keys on my guitar and this video makes it do easy to understand. 👍👍

[mrbillygebbie]

Excellent explanation! Thank you soooo much, now I understand! Billy G.

[HIGHWAYATMIDNIGHT]

Appreciate you Scott! This is such an important step to finding your voice.

[joesasnett]

Great video. Very informative. I learned a lot.

[だんざん]

WOW, best explanation ever. You are a very-very-VERY good teacher 👨‍🏫

[TroyChiappone]

Extremely helpful thank you so much for making this 👍👍 clearly and methodically well organized and easy to understand.

[mnr]

Thanks a lot for explaining this so well. I understand this concept so much better now. Thank you.