Does your team play modern worship songs in "E"?

broadcaster · October 26th, 2007, 07:36 PM

I have noticed recently that most new worship songs are written in guitar friendly chords. But at my church, the songs in E (which are great for bass, my instrument) are always transposed to G, C or D to make them more vocal-user friendly and don't carry the same "vibe" as the original version.

Anyone else experience this at your church?

andy__woods · October 26th, 2007, 10:42 PM

i do songs in whatever key fits my voice! The majority of the songs are either in E or G. But I'll play it in whatever works best

scooteraz · October 27th, 2007, 12:24 AM

You guys are so lucky, to fit the voices at my church Bb, Eb, Ab are the usual prefered keys. Does make one work a bit more if you are not using a capo. We used Eb so much I thought about detuning a half step...but then, just to confuse me we play one in C or D or G.

Our worship leader (piano) and a couple of women from our team recently went to a women's retreat. There they foisted some of the songs we play on some poor hapless pastor that agreed to play guitar for the retreat. Apparently he told our worship director rather dryly that Eb and Bb were not really good keys for guitar. The director and the the singers just laughed and told him the guitarists at our church were fine with those keys (guess I am sometimes better than I give myself credit for).

ChurchPlayer · October 27th, 2007, 08:57 AM

We do several songs in E. At last check...

Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)
Awaken The Dawn
Better Is One Day
Come Thou Fount
Everlasting Arms (Mike Scott)
Everyday
Father Let Me Dedicate
Finding Who We Are
Friend Of Sinners
God Of Wonders
Great Is The Lord (How Great Is The Love Of God)
Here I Am To Worship
How Deep The Father's Love
I Believe In Jesus
I Love Your Presence
Intimate Stranger
Jesus, Lover Of My Soul
Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee
Let Everything That Has Breath
One Of These Days
Our Love Is Loud
Passion For Jesus
Praise Your Name
Thank You For Hearing Me
We Fall Down
With All My Heart
You Are Mystical
You Are The One

With 2 guitars players we will often vary capo use if I'm not playing "jazz chords" up the neck somewhere, with one of us playing the song in our choice of E, D (capo 2) or C (capo 4) and the other somewhere else. I write out our charts (chord charts, none of those sticks and lines

) and when a new song is introduced I usually have copies in the original key (if the singer has told me he wants it there), a half-step down and a whole step down. Those others work great as capo keys if we need 'em/want 'em. I'll also take songs in C and D and capo them up high and play 'em in G for different voicings and to make the use of open strings easier on certain runs.

A lot of modern worship music is written by guitar players, so they fall in guitar friendly keys (though Chris Tomlin has a habit of always using Capo 1). But it's critical in corporate worship to put songs in singable keys. It's important, IMHO, for guitar players to learn how to 1) transpose on the fly, and 2) use a good capo (also on the fly). It still freaks our other guitar player out sometimes when he sees me grab a capo and stick it on for a song that's in a guitar friendly key thinking he missed something. You can add a lot of cool harmonies by layering different chord voicings.

I do agree that there are some songs that sound best in the key it was written for because the voicing is there. When we have a song that's killer in first position, but then need to drop it for vocal reasons it often breaks my heart, because a part that may have been the core of the song is now either unplayable or voiced improperly. Sometimes I can go to drop D and wrangle it out capo'd. Other times I just need to stretch and come up with something different that still works. And other times I just need to let go and let God use the song without my cool part. I'm often amazed that somehow people are reached without my help.

Nub · October 27th, 2007, 01:05 PM

I wish we did more stuff in E; our worship leader has a fantastic voice, but his range is fairly high, so we do almost everything in G and A. Even when there is a song in played in E, he'll capo it up one or two frets.

Pickalittle · October 27th, 2007, 01:56 PM

Yes, we do about 1/3 of the songs in E, as it works out. It is a very powerful key for lead guitarists as you virtually have the keyboard form top to bottom in the simpleist form to work from. Take-offs from the bottom E to the high E just have a huge dynamic in a song.

Regarding the Eb song my one GUITAR-based worship leader had me play in a couple of weeks ago, I wrote him the following:

"Friends don't let friends use cheaters, uh, capos, on electric guitars."
"Friends don't let friends play songs in Eb."

Actually, it's good for us leads to not be in ruts in certain keys, to stretch our guitar skills, but I still had to get those barbs in, just for fun. He's a great worship leader and a great guy!

proffett · October 27th, 2007, 09:52 PM

Our leader is a DADF#AD guy, so we don't run into that problem quite as much... what we do find is trying to match the standard tuned electric(s) to the open tuned acoustics can be a challenge sometimes, but not too bad. I tune my electrics down a whole step anyways, so it is easier to follow a song in D, or F# (which he seems to like as well.) Then a capo on the one of the first 4 frets can easily take care of the rest.

Dr. T · October 28th, 2007, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChurchPlayer

...[i]t's critical in corporate worship to put songs in singable keys.* It's important, IMHO, for guitar players to learn how to 1) transpose on the fly, and 2) use a good capo (also on the fly).*

Amen. Our former pastor was also worship leader and had a lovely tenor voice. He played a lot of songs in E and everybody else had to either squeak or rumble. I think it's "key" to play songs in keys that most people are comfortable singing in. Guitar players, don't be afraid of that capo! All the great Nashville players use them without hesitation.

Oh, and speaking as a bassist: E is about the most boring key in the world...

broadcaster · October 28th, 2007, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. T

Amen. Our former pastor was also worship leader and had a lovely tenor voice. He played a lot of songs in E and everybody else had to either squeak or rumble. I think it's "key" to play songs in keys that most people are comfortable singing in. Guitar players, don't be afraid of that capo! All the great Nashville players use them without hesitation.

Oh, and speaking as a bassist: E is about the most boring key in the world...

I am not a singer, but have been in music for quite awhile and understand the key of E is difficult to sing for most. Israel Houhton is one artist IMO that is gifted beyond measure vocally and sings in this key so very well.

I have played (bass) in several churches over the years and have rarely experienced songs in E in any of them. My church has hired a new worship leader that will start next weekend. I heard he can sing in several different keys. Perhaps my chance to get bored in the key of E is near, LOL.

NotSoFastEddie · October 28th, 2007, 12:37 PM

I agree with ChurchPlayer that you have to be able to use a capo and transpose on the fly if you are going to play in a worship group.

I play both acoustic and electric but I got my start on acoustic. If there is another acoustic in the group, I'll capo high to add that voice. (More than one first position acoustic makes for mud in the mix, IMO.) If the key is something not guitar friendly - like Eb or Bb or F - I capo to a place where I can contribute to the song.

My experience has been that if the worship leader plays piano, you will see lots of piano friendly keys. (E, by the way, is decidedly not piano friendly with all those sharps.) Right now, our worship team is lead by a bass player and we see a lot of E and A and G. They all try to take the singing range into account because that is what we are going, but their decisions are colored by their instrument.

My challenge is to get up the courage to use a capo on the electric when I have something down in one key and we end up doing it in another key. On the acoustic, I would move the capo if I could and play on. With the electric, I have a tendency to throw my plans away and get by in the other key with whatever I can come up with on the spot. Sometimes it works, but it is rarely better.

giantslayer · October 28th, 2007, 08:58 PM

Out of that big list of songs, the ones I that I know are supposed to be in E, or at least that's how I've seen 'em done.

My current worship leader likes C, Am, and A. Actually, he uses a good variety of keys in the stuff he writes (although favoring those keys a bit) and generally does other peoples songs in their original keys.

We used to have a youth pastor who was an elbow bangin' acoustic player. He prettymuch played in E and G. If a song was in another key, he would transpose it to E or G a lot of the time.

He did play some stuff in other keys, but not that often.

I think my favorite key to play in is G/Em (same difference). Easy chords, the bottom E string gets plenty of action, it's easy to move fingers around to add variation to the chords, and it's comfortable for me to sing in.

Trimmed&Burnin · October 29th, 2007, 12:36 AM

Hey Notsofasteddie,, welcome to the forum Bro,,
We play a few songs in E that I brought from the Vineyard. We have a Key Board player that loves to bting out the B flats LOL!! I love it.

Nub · October 29th, 2007, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pickalittle

Regarding the Eb song my one GUITAR-based worship leader had me play in a couple of weeks ago, I wrote him the following:

"Friends don't let friends use cheaters, uh, capos, on electric guitars."
"Friends don't let friends play songs in Eb."

Just keep a second guitar handy, tuned down a half-step... perfect for those SRV & Los Lonely Boys covers!

Seriously, I would be happy playing everything a half-step down; I keep my acoustic tuned that way at home, it's SO much easier on my poor old, messed up vocal chords!

hotraman · October 29th, 2007, 01:54 PM

Most of our worship music is in the keys of D, E, F G and A.
Mainly so people can sing to them.
Some choir music is in Db and Eb, in which a capo is quite nice.
But... I'll take our songs and move them in different keys, just for variety.
I enjoy playing barre chords in worship. You can really drive the music.
Also the cut capo has been nice for me as well.

BuckyB · October 29th, 2007, 03:34 PM

We do a few in E, espesially "All The Earth Will Sing Your Praises" (although it modulates to F at the end), and "Let it Rise". Our minisrty leader is a fine keyboard player, but she hates playing in keys with lots of #'s & b's, like E & A, which are a guitarist's favorites. We usually choose keys for congregartional singability first and foremost. I often use a capo so I can make use of those open drone string voicings that are so popular today. Since I often use the acoustic sound on my piezo-equiped Peavey, I do actually use a capo on an electric, but mostly just to emulate an acoustic.

ChurchPlayer · October 29th, 2007, 04:11 PM

When are keyboard players going to become as adept at using the transpose button as guitar players are at using a capo? E and A are tough key for piano players (who usually hate sharps) so I give 'em a copy in F or Bb and tell them to hit the transpose button and stop complaining. LOL

Jim W · October 30th, 2007, 08:34 AM

We do songs in all keys. Many of the older songs we play are in Eb or Bb, not so much anymore. We do have change keys to help the singers, since my main job is to support the singers changing keys is ok with me, I just hate to do it on the spot. Also if I don't write them down I can't remember what I as suppose to play. Changing keys is a way to learn new things.

Since, I play an electric most of the time, I don't use a capo (personal choice), I just learn the different shapes up and down the neck. Also my stretching ability is not what it once was, I have a real problem stretching for the E2 chord.

Sonar · November 1st, 2007, 08:57 AM

I'm playing with a black gospel unit doing primarily contemporary urban gospel styles with two keyboard players...I only see the key of E if we're doing Israel & New Breed material.

I have been able to work in several Southern Quartet style songs by artists like the Canton Spirituals, Williams Brothers and Seven Sons of Soul that use more guitar friendly keys...but that's about it.

I keep a couple of Shubb capos around for spacey chord forms that I use against slower hymns that originally had no guitar. Nice wide-space chimey stuff.

I tried tuning half-step-down early on, but it got too confusing for the most part.

Actually, I'm very thankful for the chance to play in these "horn friendly" keys because I've played in rock bands, cover bands, blues bands and funk bands all my life that never touched keys like Eb, F, Bb, Db & Ab.

Currently I'm in a unit that actually makes all the jazz theory I've ever learned COME ALIVE. I'm jumping from the styles of Neil Rodgers to Joe Pass to Jay Gradon and back to Cornell Dupree ALL IN ONE SERVICE! Cool!

This chance to expand my playing has been my REAL blessing. Mysterious ways indeed!

Scott Auld · November 5th, 2007, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scooteraz

You guys are so lucky, to fit the voices at my church Bb, Eb, Ab are the usual prefered keys. Does make one work a bit more if you are not using a capo. We used Eb so much I thought about detuning a half step...but then, just to confuse me we play one in C or D or G..

Hi, Scooter. Here is a nifty trick: ask the worship leader some time if you all can do a key change in the middle of a song that's in Eb or Ab. Assuming he is up for the idea, the normal transposition will be to E or A. It will sound nifty, too.

Nothing like a half-step key change to wake people up. :)

Scotty

1buba · November 6th, 2007, 01:39 PM

Interesting...

I hadn't thought about it, but...

When I was a kid, probably 25-30 years ago now, and first started playing in church, everything was in C,F,G, Bb or Ab. I just looked at the songs we were practicing Sunday afternoon - 2 in D, one in B, one in A, and only one in E. Our worship leader is a lady with a great, but lower than normal, voice. The whole key thing has never really bothered me, but then, i ain't much of a player.

giantslayer · November 21st, 2007, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scooteraz

You guys are so lucky, to fit the voices at my church Bb, Eb, Ab are the usual prefered keys. Does make one work a bit more if you are not using a capo. We used Eb so much I thought about detuning a half step...but then, just to confuse me we play one in C or D or G.

Maybe I'm a little ignorant of vocal stuff, but if Bb, Eb, and Ab are good keys, shouldn't either the key one half step above or below those be workable?

BuckyB · November 21st, 2007, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by giantslayer

... if Bb, Eb, and Ab are good keys, shouldn't either the key one half step above or below those be workable?

You would think so, wouldn't you? In practice though, I find myself playing in these awful (for guitar) keys, mostly because our worship minister chooses keys that work well not just for the voices, but also for her keyboard. Also, I've spoiled her, because she knows that I can manage in any key.

giantslayer · November 21st, 2007, 11:38 PM

I wonder if she can't do G a little bit? It's only got one sharp.

I think it would behoove her to learn to play in other keys, especially when those are the original keys. She's fortunate to have a guitar player like you who can handle all those weird keys, but she might not be playing with you for the rest of her life. She might need to play with other guitar players who aren't good at those weird keys or maybe play with people who are used to playing songs in the original keys. Or maybe someday she might be playing on a team but not leading, and she won't be able to pick her favorite keys.

October 26th, 2007, 07:36 PM	#1 (permalink)
broadcaster Tele-Holic Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Midwest Age: 50 Posts: 579 1 Photos	Does your team play modern worship songs in "E"? I have noticed recently that most new worship songs are written in guitar friendly chords. But at my church, the songs in E (which are great for bass, my instrument) are always transposed to G, C or D to make them more vocal-user friendly and don't carry the same "vibe" as the original version. Anyone else experience this at your church? __________________ The tone is in your fingers.

October 26th, 2007, 10:42 PM	#2 (permalink)
andy__woods Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Michigan Age: 23 Posts: 1,158 60 Photos	i do songs in whatever key fits my voice! The majority of the songs are either in E or G. But I'll play it in whatever works best __________________ -- Andy "Woods" Crowder --

October 27th, 2007, 08:57 AM	#4 (permalink)
ChurchPlayer Tele-Meister Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 375	We do several songs in E. At last check... Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) Awaken The Dawn Better Is One Day Come Thou Fount Everlasting Arms (Mike Scott) Everyday Father Let Me Dedicate Finding Who We Are Friend Of Sinners God Of Wonders Great Is The Lord (How Great Is The Love Of God) Here I Am To Worship How Deep The Father's Love I Believe In Jesus I Love Your Presence Intimate Stranger Jesus, Lover Of My Soul Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee Let Everything That Has Breath One Of These Days Our Love Is Loud Passion For Jesus Praise Your Name Thank You For Hearing Me We Fall Down With All My Heart You Are Mystical You Are The One With 2 guitars players we will often vary capo use if I'm not playing "jazz chords" up the neck somewhere, with one of us playing the song in our choice of E, D (capo 2) or C (capo 4) and the other somewhere else. I write out our charts (chord charts, none of those sticks and lines ) and when a new song is introduced I usually have copies in the original key (if the singer has told me he wants it there), a half-step down and a whole step down. Those others work great as capo keys if we need 'em/want 'em. I'll also take songs in C and D and capo them up high and play 'em in G for different voicings and to make the use of open strings easier on certain runs. A lot of modern worship music is written by guitar players, so they fall in guitar friendly keys (though Chris Tomlin has a habit of always using Capo 1). But it's critical in corporate worship to put songs in singable keys. It's important, IMHO, for guitar players to learn how to 1) transpose on the fly, and 2) use a good capo (also on the fly). It still freaks our other guitar player out sometimes when he sees me grab a capo and stick it on for a song that's in a guitar friendly key thinking he missed something. You can add a lot of cool harmonies by layering different chord voicings. I do agree that there are some songs that sound best in the key it was written for because the voicing is there. When we have a song that's killer in first position, but then need to drop it for vocal reasons it often breaks my heart, because a part that may have been the core of the song is now either unplayable or voiced improperly. Sometimes I can go to drop D and wrangle it out capo'd. Other times I just need to stretch and come up with something different that still works. And other times I just need to let go and let God use the song without my cool part. I'm often amazed that somehow people are reached without my help. __________________ Jake "I tell my kids, 'Daddy's the best guitar player on the block. Always will be. Even if we have to move.'"

October 27th, 2007, 01:56 PM	#6 (permalink)
Pickalittle Tele-Meister Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: USA Age: 56 Posts: 292	Yes, we do about 1/3 of the songs in E, as it works out. It is a very powerful key for lead guitarists as you virtually have the keyboard form top to bottom in the simpleist form to work from. Take-offs from the bottom E to the high E just have a huge dynamic in a song. Regarding the Eb song my one GUITAR-based worship leader had me play in a couple of weeks ago, I wrote him the following: "Friends don't let friends use cheaters, uh, capos, on electric guitars." "Friends don't let friends play songs in Eb." Actually, it's good for us leads to not be in ruts in certain keys, to stretch our guitar skills, but I still had to get those barbs in, just for fun. He's a great worship leader and a great guy! __________________ Don't die with the music still in you! Psalm 150

October 28th, 2007, 12:37 PM	#10 (permalink)
NotSoFastEddie TDPRI Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: The OC, USA Age: 60 Posts: 10	Gotta' be flexible I agree with ChurchPlayer that you have to be able to use a capo and transpose on the fly if you are going to play in a worship group. I play both acoustic and electric but I got my start on acoustic. If there is another acoustic in the group, I'll capo high to add that voice. (More than one first position acoustic makes for mud in the mix, IMO.) If the key is something not guitar friendly - like Eb or Bb or F - I capo to a place where I can contribute to the song. My experience has been that if the worship leader plays piano, you will see lots of piano friendly keys. (E, by the way, is decidedly not piano friendly with all those sharps.) Right now, our worship team is lead by a bass player and we see a lot of E and A and G. They all try to take the singing range into account because that is what we are going, but their decisions are colored by their instrument. My challenge is to get up the courage to use a capo on the electric when I have something down in one key and we end up doing it in another key. On the acoustic, I would move the capo if I could and play on. With the electric, I have a tendency to throw my plans away and get by in the other key with whatever I can come up with on the spot. Sometimes it works, but it is rarely better.

October 27th, 2007, 12:24 AM	#3 (permalink)
scooteraz Tele-Holic Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Peoria, AZ Posts: 769	You guys are so lucky, to fit the voices at my church Bb, Eb, Ab are the usual prefered keys. Does make one work a bit more if you are not using a capo. We used Eb so much I thought about detuning a half step...but then, just to confuse me we play one in C or D or G. Our worship leader (piano) and a couple of women from our team recently went to a women's retreat. There they foisted some of the songs we play on some poor hapless pastor that agreed to play guitar for the retreat. Apparently he told our worship director rather dryly that Eb and Bb were not really good keys for guitar. The director and the the singers just laughed and told him the guitarists at our church were fine with those keys (guess I am sometimes better than I give myself credit for).

October 27th, 2007, 01:05 PM	#5 (permalink)
Nub Tele-Holic Join Date: May 2003 Location: SoCal Posts: 890	I wish we did more stuff in E; our worship leader has a fantastic voice, but his range is fairly high, so we do almost everything in G and A. Even when there is a song in played in E, he'll capo it up one or two frets.

October 27th, 2007, 09:52 PM	#7 (permalink)
proffett TDPRI Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Denver Age: 38 Posts: 87	Our leader is a DADF#AD guy, so we don't run into that problem quite as much... what we do find is trying to match the standard tuned electric(s) to the open tuned acoustics can be a challenge sometimes, but not too bad. I tune my electrics down a whole step anyways, so it is easier to follow a song in D, or F# (which he seems to like as well.) Then a capo on the one of the first 4 frets can easily take care of the rest.

October 28th, 2007, 08:58 PM	#11 (permalink)
giantslayer Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Colorado Springs, CO Age: 22 Posts: 273	Out of that big list of songs, the ones I that I know are supposed to be in E, or at least that's how I've seen 'em done. My current worship leader likes C, Am, and A. Actually, he uses a good variety of keys in the stuff he writes (although favoring those keys a bit) and generally does other peoples songs in their original keys. We used to have a youth pastor who was an elbow bangin' acoustic player. He prettymuch played in E and G. If a song was in another key, he would transpose it to E or G a lot of the time. He did play some stuff in other keys, but not that often. I think my favorite key to play in is G/Em (same difference). Easy chords, the bottom E string gets plenty of action, it's easy to move fingers around to add variation to the chords, and it's comfortable for me to sing in.

October 29th, 2007, 12:36 AM	#12 (permalink)
Trimmed&Burnin Tele-Holic Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bellingham Wa Age: 54 Posts: 808	Hey Notsofasteddie,, welcome to the forum Bro,, We play a few songs in E that I brought from the Vineyard. We have a Key Board player that loves to bting out the B flats LOL!! I love it. __________________ Keep your lamp Trimmed And Burnin Shannon,

October 29th, 2007, 01:54 PM	#14 (permalink)
hotraman Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Camas, WA Posts: 220	Most of our worship music is in the keys of D, E, F G and A. Mainly so people can sing to them. Some choir music is in Db and Eb, in which a capo is quite nice. But... I'll take our songs and move them in different keys, just for variety. I enjoy playing barre chords in worship. You can really drive the music. Also the cut capo has been nice for me as well. __________________ www.stevehotra.com

October 29th, 2007, 03:34 PM	#15 (permalink)
BuckyB TDPRI Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: San Fernando Valley - Ca Age: 56 Posts: 26	We do a few in E, espesially "All The Earth Will Sing Your Praises" (although it modulates to F at the end), and "Let it Rise". Our minisrty leader is a fine keyboard player, but she hates playing in keys with lots of #'s & b's, like E & A, which are a guitarist's favorites. We usually choose keys for congregartional singability first and foremost. I often use a capo so I can make use of those open drone string voicings that are so popular today. Since I often use the acoustic sound on my piezo-equiped Peavey, I do actually use a capo on an electric, but mostly just to emulate an acoustic. __________________ Peavey Generation EXP Custom ACM

October 29th, 2007, 04:11 PM	#16 (permalink)
ChurchPlayer Tele-Meister Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 375	When are keyboard players going to become as adept at using the transpose button as guitar players are at using a capo? E and A are tough key for piano players (who usually hate sharps) so I give 'em a copy in F or Bb and tell them to hit the transpose button and stop complaining. LOL __________________ Jake "I tell my kids, 'Daddy's the best guitar player on the block. Always will be. Even if we have to move.'"

October 30th, 2007, 08:34 AM	#17 (permalink)
Jim W Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 447	We do songs in all keys. Many of the older songs we play are in Eb or Bb, not so much anymore. We do have change keys to help the singers, since my main job is to support the singers changing keys is ok with me, I just hate to do it on the spot. Also if I don't write them down I can't remember what I as suppose to play. Changing keys is a way to learn new things. Since, I play an electric most of the time, I don't use a capo (personal choice), I just learn the different shapes up and down the neck. Also my stretching ability is not what it once was, I have a real problem stretching for the E2 chord.

November 1st, 2007, 08:57 AM	#18 (permalink)
Sonar TDPRI Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Annapolis. MD Posts: 12	I'm playing with a black gospel unit doing primarily contemporary urban gospel styles with two keyboard players...I only see the key of E if we're doing Israel & New Breed material. I have been able to work in several Southern Quartet style songs by artists like the Canton Spirituals, Williams Brothers and Seven Sons of Soul that use more guitar friendly keys...but that's about it. I keep a couple of Shubb capos around for spacey chord forms that I use against slower hymns that originally had no guitar. Nice wide-space chimey stuff. I tried tuning half-step-down early on, but it got too confusing for the most part. Actually, I'm very thankful for the chance to play in these "horn friendly" keys because I've played in rock bands, cover bands, blues bands and funk bands all my life that never touched keys like Eb, F, Bb, Db & Ab. Currently I'm in a unit that actually makes all the jazz theory I've ever learned COME ALIVE. I'm jumping from the styles of Neil Rodgers to Joe Pass to Jay Gradon and back to Cornell Dupree ALL IN ONE SERVICE! Cool! This chance to expand my playing has been my REAL blessing. Mysterious ways indeed!

November 6th, 2007, 01:39 PM	#20 (permalink)
1buba TDPRI Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Cameron Park, CA Age: 45 Posts: 21	Interesting... I hadn't thought about it, but... When I was a kid, probably 25-30 years ago now, and first started playing in church, everything was in C,F,G, Bb or Ab. I just looked at the songs we were practicing Sunday afternoon - 2 in D, one in B, one in A, and only one in E. Our worship leader is a lady with a great, but lower than normal, voice. The whole key thing has never really bothered me, but then, i ain't much of a player.

November 21st, 2007, 11:38 PM	#23 (permalink)
giantslayer Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Colorado Springs, CO Age: 22 Posts: 273	I wonder if she can't do G a little bit? It's only got one sharp. I think it would behoove her to learn to play in other keys, especially when those are the original keys. She's fortunate to have a guitar player like you who can handle all those weird keys, but she might not be playing with you for the rest of her life. She might need to play with other guitar players who aren't good at those weird keys or maybe play with people who are used to playing songs in the original keys. Or maybe someday she might be playing on a team but not leading, and she won't be able to pick her favorite keys.