Keys and singing question

BBegall

UU VIP
UU VIP
Joined
Mar 16, 2019
Messages
282
Reaction score
154
I just got some tabs for "That Lucky Old Sun" in C. When i play it on my tenor ukulele and try to sing, some notes seem too high and I'm stretching for them.

So I got out my baritone and played it with the same ukulele C shapes which I believe puts me in the key of G on the baritone. Played this way I could sing the lyrics without difficulty. This got me wondering how someone determines their best singing key or keys?
 
Hi BBegall,

I have a very limited vocal range, and always have to find the best key that enables me to sing a particular song. I don't find that any one key is best for my voice. It depends on the way the melody goes. For example, some songs suit me in the key of 'C', but many don't. The upside of this is that I have learned to play in a wide variety of different keys.

I use a 'circle of fifths' wheel to transpose songs to whichever key suits me best. I made my own using the template provided in this helpful site.

http://www.tikiking.com/tools.html

I hope this helps,

John Colter.
 
Changing the key from C to G is usually an effective way to get more comfortable, or try transposing to A or F which are similar. An alternative when you play with others who like it in C is to sing it as a harmony with a third - that would lower it to E which may be a stretch, or to the fifth of a G. Singing in harmony can impress other singers and players too ;)
 
I'm with John (who undersells his singing BTW!)

It's a question of finding the right key for each song. First you have to find a key in which you can reach all the notes. However, if there's a note which is just too high or low don't reject that key automatically - with practice you might make it, once you know the song, and just by singing lots you can add a few notes to both the top and bottom of your range.

Next, listen to how the uke sounds in that key, and also try the song in a nearby key to see if you can still sing it and the uke sounds better. If the song works in G it might work in F or A, and the uke will sound quite different.

Sometimes you have to compromise. There's one song I do in C which should really be in D or Eb to suit my voice, but the uke part is so right in C that that's the key I use.
 
Last edited:
I just got some tabs for "That Lucky Old Sun" in C. When i play it on my tenor ukulele and try to sing, some notes seem too high and I'm stretching for them.

So I got out my baritone and played it with the same ukulele C shapes which I believe puts me in the key of G on the baritone. Played this way I could sing the lyrics without difficulty. This got me wondering how someone determines their best singing key or keys?
Just like you did it. If a key isn't working for you, try it in another. After a while it shouldn't be difficult to figure out which keys are working and which are not.
 
Last edited:
I just got some tabs for "That Lucky Old Sun" in C. When i play it on my tenor ukulele and try to sing, some notes seem too high and I'm stretching for them.

So I got out my baritone and played it with the same ukulele C shapes which I believe puts me in the key of G on the baritone. Played this way I could sing the lyrics without difficulty. This got me wondering how someone determines their best singing key or keys?

Jarmo and Jim think same thing.


image upload
 
Song leaders and especially those who arrange song sheets need to deal with this issue because
of the varied vocal ranges of the participants in their groups.

I choose to arrange songs, that I will be leading, in my vocal range so i can comfortably lead the
group. I understand that my range may not be your range, but since I have the responsibility
of leading the group, I feel the need to comfortably sing the song without straining my vocal cords
one way or the other... sorry in advance.

I believe transposing is a very helpful skill to learn, especially if one does a lot of personal playing
and singing with songs in 'difficult' keys. Also, when playing with others, sometimes it will be
necessary to transpose (or even modulate) on the fly, and being familiar with the chords in other
keys and being able to anticipate chord changes in various keys will make one a more versatile
player :)

The Ukulele Boot Camp practice sheets are in 5 of the more frequently found keys (C, F, G, A, D)
so that those who choose to use that resource will, in time, become familiar with the chords in
those keys. At first it may not seem 'necessary' to learn the chords in other keys, but it's like
putting food away in the pantry... never know when you might need one of your supplies :)

Happy Fall/Autumn Everyone!

keep uke'in',
 
Ukulele's favorite keys may be FCGDA (see the figure below). According to my book, guitar's favorite keys are FCGDAE. I play C often and sometimes G. And I do not know much about other keys. Jarmo plays Ab to E.

 
Last edited:
yahalele, if you compare keys Bb/Gm (uke) and F/Dm (guitar), the top 4 strings can be played with same fingerings. Considering that in real play guitar needs barres much more than uke with those fingerings, I think Bb is an easier key for uke than F for guitar. You just can't use those uke fingerings I give below, when you can't mute the 5th and 6th strings when strumming.

In my opinion ukulele has more easy keys than guitar. Uncle Rod's Boot camp should in my opinion include Bb too. A/F#m is a little harder key.

---------------------------
Fingerings:

I = Bb (3211), IV = Eb (0331), V7 = F7 (2310) omitting 5th same as guitar C7.
vim = Gm (0231), iim = Cm (0333), iiim = Dm (2210) or D7 (2223, "2020") coming from harmonic minor.
 
Last edited:
I just got some tabs for "That Lucky Old Sun" in C. When i play it on my tenor ukulele and try to sing, some notes seem too high and I'm stretching for them.

So I got out my baritone and played it with the same ukulele C shapes which I believe puts me in the key of G on the baritone. Played this way I could sing the lyrics without difficulty. This got me wondering how someone determines their best singing key or keys?

I often transpose songs into several different keys to find the best compromise between voice and ease of playing the chords. It’s a good skill to have and it’s a good way to practice, too.
I invented my “tune tin” a little gadget to make transposing a cinch.
 
What John and ProfChris and Rillink said! Lots of good points on this thread. Selecting the right key is not always easy but it's important. With experience you'll get a better idea of what keys usually work for you on certain types of songs. Still, the only way to know for sure is to experiment. Take the song for a test drive in several keys. Doesn't hurt to get feedback from a friend who can tell the truth.

It's often a compromise between the key that's best for uke versus what's best for the singer. When push comes to shove, an audience is probably paying more attention to the vocals. If necessary you can re-tune the uke or use a capo to play an otherwise inconvenient key. Sometimes I wish I had a capo for my voice... but that would probably be painful!

Uncle Rod, I'm totally with you on the difficulties of arranging for a group. I have made the mistake of arranging a song I will be leading in a key that I cannot sing! With trial and error, I'm learning what works for the usual gang at uke club. I sing soprano so I arrange most songs toward the bottom of my range. But no key will work for everybody. That's one reason why our group encourages everyone to bring in song arrangements, so everybody gets at least a few songs in a good key for them.

One consideration we haven't covered yet is picking the right vocal range for the mood of a song. Our group plays "King of the Road" in a key that I can only sing high like Joan Baez -- which is just weird. Lately I've been singing it breathy Marilyn Monroe style, which is also weird but kinda fits the song better. If you're straining to hit the high notes on "Sixteen Tons" you are in the wrong key!

OTOH "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner" is perfect sung Joan Baez style :cool: Pick your key and don't be afraid to be different -- just do it on purpose.
 
Hi, Jarmo!

Bb and E are difficult chord in general. And they made ukulele (and guitar) tuning. If we take only perfect 4th intervals (see the all 4th tuning in the figures below), we can not play Bb and E. Hence we have major 3rd between C (3rd) and E (2nd). But they are still difficult.


 
Hi, Jarmo! Sorry I did not see what you mean. Now I understand your idea and it is great. Your Bb on ukulele links to guitar's F directly. I really like your idea. And ukulele has two flat keys (F and Bb) and three sharp keys (G, D and A). It is still asymmetric.

 
Yes a little asymmetric maybe yahalele. I though I don't find Eb/Cm that difficult and hard for left hand. So to me it is is quite symmetric regarding friendliest ukelele keys, 3 flats or 3 sharps in keys.

Friendliest of course if only few accidentals.
 
In my experience as an extremely amateur singer, it seems that too low is worse than too high. Too low and all projection is lost. I can usually eke out the notes if they're a bit too high.

Also, singing it at home is only an indication of how it's going to work at the jam. I often find that a key I thought sounded good at home needs to be adjusted. Usually higher (see above).
 
Also, singing it at home is only an indication of how it's going to work at the jam. I often find that a key I thought sounded good at home needs to be adjusted. Usually higher (see above).

Indeed. I play at acoustic jams that have a lot of fiddlers, mandolin, and banjo and sometimes I bring an uke and sometimes a guitar. Just as the higher instruments such as fiddle or soprano/concert uke tend to "cut through" the same goes for singing. So I always try to sing in as high a key as possible. Of course, this is totally constrained by the other people you play with. Like fiddle and mandolin players prefer their tunes in A, D, or G, whereas in our uke circle there is a preference to have songs in C as everybody knows the chords, but for singing that key is better for females ... (so I sometimes try to sing harmony in G)
 
This gives the song more gravitas, more "weight" (like the sixteen tons)—and who can think of this song without Tennessee Ernie Ford's rich basso treatment? Even if you're not straining for the high notes (because the melodic range isn't that wide, really), if you're singing "owe" (my soul to the company store) near the top of your range, you should probably drop the key a bit, till the lowest note is about the lowest you can push out with fullness and reliability.

The "owe" is nowhere near the top of my range. I am a tenor.
 
Top Bottom