Vocal range
Finding your key and getting to know your voice are important, for it will allow you to sing with ease. However, this process takes some knowledge of music theory as well as the ability to read music notation. If you lack both, these are the kind of things a vocal coach can help you with. Or a musician friend!
But you can supplement your skills with the theory guide in the menu (the + icon on top of each page).
For women:
If you prefer singing in the lower range of your voice, chances are you are an alto: you feel comfortable from Eb or F under middle C (the triangle in the picture above), to an octave above middle C.
If you prefer singing low – to mid-range of your voice, chances are you are a mezzo-soprano: you feel most comfortable from G or A under middle C, to an octave or more above middle C.
If you prefer singing higher – let’s say from middle C to a high C, chances are you are a soprano.
For men:
If you prefer singing in the higher range of your voice, from C under middle C (indicated by the triangle) to C above middle C, you most likely are a tenor.
A baritone ranges from G to g1 and a bass feels comfortable from D to f1.
These classifications are very general and only serve to help you to find your most comfortable notes and take it from there. If a song originally was written in a certain key and it doesn’t feel or sound good to you, you need to find a key that does feel and sound good. How do you do that?
1 Lowest and highest note
Look for the lowest and highest note in the song. It’s good to know what highest and lowest notes are comfortable for you to sing. You may be able to sing a so called high C, but that doesn’t always mean you sing it comfortably. Comfort is what you should be looking for when establishing the right key.
2 Sing and record
Try to sing the song in different keys* and record yourself (you can easily do this on a smartphone with a recording app).
* the app iRealPro makes it really easy to put a song in a different key
3 Listen and ask
Listen to your recordings and ask yourself 2 questions:
1. What feels right to me?
2. What sounds right to me?
Then choose your key. Just a reminder: you can always do this in consultation with a vocal coach.
4 Maybe alter the melody?
If you want to sing the song in a lower or higher key than the original, (this is called transposing), you might find yourself having to seek a solution for just one or a few notes in the melody that are too low or too high. In that case, you may slightly alter the melody.
For that, you’ll need some theoretical knowledge or a lot of confidence and a well developed musical hearing. You can always ask a vocal coach to help you with that if it is a bit complex for you.
5 Common keys
When you are about to establish your most comfortable key – it’s good to realize that most commonly used keys at jazz sessions are: C, F, Bb, Eb, Ab or G.
If for instance, you sing most comfortably in F#, I would advise you to either choose F or G. If you are about to choose a song in B, I would advise you to go for Bb or C instead. Instrumentalists are most comfortable in the keys just mentioned and their minor parallels*:
Am, Dm, Gm, Cm, Fm or Em.
* meaning the keys with the same accidentals, the number of flats (b) or sharps (#) in the key.
If you join a jam session with your song in F#, B, D, E, or A your musicians generally take a deep breath and think… “Oh no, here’s a singer that doesn’t know…” But now you do!
Assignment
Find the key for the new song you selected for the previous assignment. Or do this with the superb and essential iRealPro app (iOS & Android) or together with your vocal coach or musician friend!
