Question for Band Leaders

[jhatpro]

My band plays mostly out of the Real Dixieland book and we need a female vocalist. From your experience can most sing tunes out of the C book without a lot of key changing?

Thanks for any advice!
_________________
Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle

[GeorgeB]

Hi, Jim, I am guessing that she probably could, providing the arrangement isn't beyond her range.

George
_________________
GeorgeB
1960s King Super 20 Silversonic
2016 Manchester Brass Custom
1938-39 Olds Recording
1942 Buescher 400 Bb trumpet
1952 Selmer Paris 21 B
1999 Conn Vintage One B flat trumpet
2020 Getzen 490 Bb
1962 Conn Victor 5A cornet

[jhatpro]

Thanks, George. That’s what I’m hoping. I sent the singer I’m hoping to hire a list of 25 tunes - all from the RDB - and invited her to pick the ones she would like to sing.

I’m just hope she doesn’t want some in E or Z or any key we would struggle with.
_________________
Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle

[TrumpetMD]

I have 2 female singers who perform with my band. One is an alto, the other more of a contralto. Neither of them sing songs in their common keys. The challenge is that even if a song is in their range, the songs sound better when they sing in their preferred range. So almost every song they sing is transposed to their preferred keys.

Mike
_________________
Bach Stradivarius 43* Trumpet (1974), Bach 6C Mouthpiece.
Bach Stradivarius 184 Cornet (1988), Yamaha 13E4 Mouthpiece
Olds L-12 Flugelhorn (1969), Yamaha 13F4 Mouthpiece.
Plus a few other Bach, Getzen, Olds, Carol, HN White, and Besson horns.

[jhatpro]

Yikes! I may have to wear a dress and do the vocals myself. I can sing badly in any key.
_________________
Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle

[Richard III]

I have two bands now. One of them has two female singers. Both like singing in keys in F or Eb concert. Even with that, I have to tell them to stop singing in their upper range. Seems female singers have a problem with singing in their normal speaking range. I don't ever understand singers and ranges. Too high? Sing it down an octave.

Good luck. Please let them know you are not a vocal band and they are there to add a little something, not to take over.
_________________
Richard

King 1130 Flugabone
King 12C mouthpiece

[dr_trumpet]

[PH]

I've found that male vocalists can usually do quite well with the keys instrumentalists prefer, but that female singers usually need the key adjusted...often by a fourth in one direction or the other.
_________________
Bach trumpet artist-clinician
Clinical Professor of Jazz Trumpet, University of Illinois
Professor Emeritus of Jazz Studies, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music
Faculty Jamey Aebersold Jazz Workshops 1976-2019
JazzRetreats.com

[area51recording]

Don't know about that particular book, but it seems most "Standards" (ie, Great American Songbook stuff) appears to be written for male tenor voice. Most female singers I've worked with over the years like a different key, usually a 4th or a 5th away, as the songs are likely to be too low in one octave and too high an octave up. For example, Misty is usually done in Eb as a standard key. Just about every female singer I've performed it with does it in Bb...learning things in different keys never hurt anyone anyway....

[jhatpro]

I’ve offered the vocalist her choice of tunes. What worries me is not everyone in our group can transpose and I’d like to keep to our familiar Real Dixieland book approach and not have to do or find custom arrangements.
_________________
Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle

[Richard III]

[jhatpro]

Thanks, Richard!

P.S. I stand in awe of you having two female singers. That’s too close to having two wives for me.
_________________
Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle

[Jaw04]

It's usually the vocalist responsibility to know what key they sing tunes in, and if they are singing a tune in a different than the commonly accepted key they need to communicate that to the group ahead of time.

I think the band should do their best to accommodate the singer's choice of keys.

[Richard III]