(EMAILWIRE.COM, February 15, 2012 ) San Diego, CA -- The music world took a hit Saturday afternoon after the tragic news about Whitney Houston was announced. And in just a few short days, the singer's greatest hits album reentered the charts, landing at #6 of the Billboard 200 list and evidencing just how much she impacted the music industry.
Following the news, TakeLessons (http://takelessons.com), the nation's fastest growing music lessons provider, took the opportunity to pay their own tribute and encourage singers who may not have the vocal range that Houston was known for. In order to improve a performance, TakeLessons shared, it can be as easy as adjusting a song's key to fit the singer's abilities.
The following is an excerpt from the TakeLessons blog post, which detailed the important questions a singer should ask when deciding on the best key:
"What are the lowest and highest notes in the song?
Determine the songÂ’s range. Make sure to fit the song within that range. If the songÂ’s range is larger than your range, you might be able to change the melody a bit to rein in the notes that are outside your range. Make sure that when you sing the lowest note, you arenÂ’t pushing at all. And make sure that you donÂ’t have to strain to sing the highest note. When you think youÂ’ve picked the right key, make sure to try at least one whole step up and down in each direction, to be sure.
What is the songÂ’s genre?
Sultry jazz with a small combo? You can probably afford to place the song nearly as low as you can comfortably sing it, if you want to, because you don’t need much volume. Pop? If you are singing a Christina Aguilera cover, you might want to go high. Rock? Put it wherever you can sing the loudest – unless you are part of that rare rock band that actually plays at a medium volume.
What will the performance volume likely be?
This depends partly on the genre, but also on the musicians themselves, as well as the sound engineer, room acoustics and other factors. But if itÂ’s loud rock music, you might as well forget your lower half octave or so (unless itÂ’s very strong), because your lower notes may not be powerful enough to be heard at all in a loud setting, and you donÂ’t want to push on them!
On the other hand, if the performance volume is extremely low – such as in an intimate restaurant – you may not want to choose songs that take you up into a higher range if you have any trouble controlling your volume, or if you sound at all strident, in that range."
By sharing the tips with blog readers, TakeLessons hopes to continue engaging current students and help with any musical goals they may have. Readers are invited to share their thoughts by commenting on the TakeLessons blog, where they can also read about popular love songs, and comments are also welcomed on Facebook (http://facebook.com/takelessons).
About TakeLessons
Headquartered in San Diego, CA, TakeLessons is America's full-service music and voice lessons provider. With private lessons taught by TakeLessons Certified™ instructors in cities nationwide, students of all ages can start living their dreams through music. Founded in 2006 to help people discover their creativity and pursue their passions, TakeLessons also offers turnkey music programs for schools and community centers.
