how to transpose PART of song to accomadate vocal

[vurt]

just leave it as is, anyone asks, you reply "what do you have against jazz?".

[ample-g-b]

Well aside from all that I gather there is no simple formula to transpose parts of songs?

[xtp]

Well aside from all that I gather there is no simple formula to transpose parts of songs?

Hi, I gave you an example of two ways to transpose. Did you not read my post? The formula for transposing is simple maths. Count along the chromatic scale from source to destination. I am also a singer and transpose my own songs all of the time.

[ample-g-b]

Hi XTP...yes and thank you. I am as I said challenged when it comes to theory but you did lay it out quite well. I most closely understood #2: Use the chromatic scale to work out the number of tones:

So:
D – D#/E♭ – E – F – F#/G♭ – G – G#/Ab – A – A#/B♭ – B – C – C#/D♭

So: d -> g# = d, d#, e, f, f#, g, g# = 7

Now count 7 from each original key chord to find the transposed chord.

So: for Gm – g, g#, a, a#, b, c, c# = C#m
----

That assumes I know the song key and what was sung. But if you personally (or anyone) is singing and wants to transpose to accommodate a vocal line where they cant hit a certain note convincingly (but still want to "sound like they are" rather than jumping down an octave) is there a similar approach?

[imrae]

The traditional answer to that is to transpose the whole song arrangement to a key that suits the vocalist. It's very common for cover bands etc to perform songs in a more comfortable key than the original.

[Forgotten]

If the run suits the range of the singer’s voice, I agree with others who say transpose the entire song, and not part of it. Get it in the right key for his/her voice.

[xtp]

That assumes I know the song key and what was sung.

That really is a skill worth learning.

But if you personally (or anyone) is singing and wants to transpose to accommodate a vocal line where they cant hit a certain note convincingly (but still want to "sound like they are" rather than jumping down an octave) is there a similar approach?

If you are trying to establish a key for your singer, get them to sing a passage of your song unaccompanied, in a range they are comfortable singing, and then identify any note they have sung, and compare that note, to the exact same note in the melody you have written, and then using the mathematical relationship between those two notes, transpose the entire song [melody and chords] as described using the chromatic scale.

It helps, to not influence the singer by putting notes inside their head. Try having a coffee in a quiet room first before moving into the studio; and when you do move into the studio, do not begin playing until they are comfortable singing the melody unaccompanied and have it strongly resounding around inside their head; only at that point, begin to cycle through your keyboard to match a note.

You only have to capture one of the notes they are singing to work out the new key.

[ample-g-b]

Thanks...great insights. I will be trying this out for sure looking forward to it.