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Topic: How do I match a key sig to my voice? (Read 4015 times) previous topic - next topic

How do I match a key sig to my voice?

I enter songs into NWC so I can sing along. How do I get these songs transposed into a key that matches my voice?
If, for instance, I find that I sing in the key of C (and it is true that one always sings in the same key, isn't it?), and the song is written in b flat, how do I change the song to C?
The help file discusses forcing all accidentals, then changing by a given number of semitones, but this seems to be related to making a certain instrument *fit*, rather than making a change so the human voice would *fit*. And I don't know the relationship between changing semitones and changing keys. If someone has an old message number I can refer to, I would appreciate it.
Thanks,
Gordon

Re: How do I match a key sig to my voice?

Reply #1 –
Look up TRANSPOSE STAFF COMMAND in Help file.

Go to Tools/Transpose staff and follow directions.

Re: How do I match a key sig to my voice?

Reply #2 –
Gordon

We dont sing in a 'key'.
Our voice has a 'range' - that is an upper and lower limit in which we can sing without strain.

What you need to do is find your range.(Find your lowest comfortable note on the piano keyboard and sing the chromatic scale with the piano up to your highest comfortable note).Make a note of this somewhere.

Examine the upper and lower range of the song you want to sing.
Raise or lower the pitch of your song until it fits within your singing range using the transpose staff feature of NWC.
Count up or down the semitones from the limit of your range to the limit of your song and transpose by this amount.

If you dont have a keyboard - just transpose your song a semitone at a time until the range of the song fits comfortably with your voice.

HTH!