How to pick keys for songs in church // Worship Leader Wednesday

In this video Brian and Fuller do a deep dive into choosing keys for songs in a worship service. Here are some topics we discuss with time stamps:
01:00 - Consider the original key. Why artists choose songs in the keys they do and what it means for us as we pick keys
04:01 - Consider the vocalist singing the song in your church (whether it's you or a team member)
07:59 - The importance of communication
09:16 - Facilitating transitions
15:36 - Should we pick songs for the congregation or for the vocalist
We mentioned a male/female key change chart in the video - get it here (and enter $0 for the price to download for free): www.worshiptutorials.com/prod...
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[@jwo412]

It’s so amazing that God created harmonies so his people can always sound beautiful when they sing together no matter what key the song is in...I also totally agree that no one in their car stops singing when their favorite song comes on if it’s out of their range.

[@agashamnon]

I feel like there are times in a service where the leaders job is to stir emotion, which is where I would agree with this video. But I think the majority of the time needs to be driven by a culture in the church encouraging participation which gets lost when the average singer isn't taken into account

[@EESATheater]

agashamnon We have three main vocalists at our church, none of us have the same range as the other. We all sing well and find harmonies to back each other up when not leading, but very rarely do we find songs where we can all sing the melody without swapping the the high/low parts or a it is simply all too high/low and in uncomfortable sounding range for the other singers. With three trained musicians/singers finding it difficult to sing melodies together, how do you find keys that work for everyone in a congregation? When i am in the audience and being led in worship, i just make it work and try to focus on an audience of one (easier said than done for most musicians/worship leaders in the audience)

[@LeFeversAudio]

I FEEL SO VALIDATED. I think people who take the 'choose a key for the congregation' stance are coming from a good place - they probably believe they're putting the first last, or approaching it with a servant's heart - but literally what does that mean? There are going to be people of all vocal ranges (or none) out there, and finding some silver bullet, magic key that works for everyone is not a thing. Put it where the vocalist can excel, and deliver the song the best. Thank you for this high quality explanation of something I've been trying to articulate for years. 🙌

[@malachiskelly3919]

@Matt LeFevers, what's up! Cool to see you here. I agree. I have been doing the 'finding the key for the congregation' for the above reasons, but now that I hear this, it makes more sense that is not really a thing. Thanks to both of you explaining it to me in a new way!

[@Rhett-Christopher]

A congregation is made up of a variety of different singing abilities. How could a person find the perfect key for that scenario? It's a fool's errand. Always pick a key for the singers up front first so they sound the best to lead. Their leadership will be contagious. I agree with this video. I have thought this way for a long time and it has always worked for me.

[@nathaniellarson8]

What if your singer is Robert Plant though?

[@Rhett-Christopher]

That would be cool huh?!? I don't know... I find that Plant's singing makes me want to sing along too. It's okay if I can't hit every note he does - it does not/would not impact my worship negatively.

[@lorenmtucker]

It’s about knowing average voice ranges. And it’s a real thing. Not a fool’s errand. What you’re describing is a selfish errand...

[@markcummings2344]

The thing of keys can be a big deal. When our Worship Minister leads, his high tenor is a bit too high for the "average" congregational singer, and when he has the ladies lead, most of them are low altos, making it again hard for the "average" congregational singer to follow. I myself am a bass/baritone (bassitone?) and can generally sing from an A below low C to the E above middle C, and I have problems in both of these scenarios, especially with most worship songs having the obligatory "octave jump" in them somewhere now. My wife, who is a 2 octave range Soprano has the same issues. The songs either start too low (ladies leading) or they get too high (tenor leading). I think the vocals should be what the "normal" congregational singer can handle and have the "better" on stage singers adjust to that.

[@kodybryantmusic7357]

Agreed with y'all here. I've had many conversations with people about this! Voicings and guitar/piano riffs are somewhat important! I'd say a consistent vocal melody in whichever key the lead takes is most important. Especially on a popular song! Alot of wisdom in this video!

[@virtuoso07]

Good video. I've struggled with this topic but yall make a lot sense of this.

[@RuXTaR]

I've been playing music in church for the past 26 years, I've been leading worship for the past 9 years. I've played music with all kinds of singers. I AGREE that the lead vocalist should perform to the best of his/her ability. HOWEVER, LEADING worship is not LEADING if there's nobody following. Trust me, I get your point, especially when I'm asked to play Oceans in Cm/Eb. But I'm leaning towards the belief that you wouldn't pick up a guitar and sing in a high register in a group of 20 or 30 people and not have anybody sing along and feel good about it. YES, as musicians we should give God our best. But if we're not making it possible for the congregation to tag along in praise I think we're missing the point. Ask Matt Redman about it. The reason we do music in church is so that others can join in. Otherwise lets just call it like it is, a performance. Which isn't bad! But it's in the wrong setting. Plus, you don't need to know music to know you're unable to sing because it's out of you range.

[@quintonburton9205]

Majd Shufani I totally agree. In many respects worship is a sing along. Try to pick a key that good for the congregation. Unfortunately it’s usually a female key. The females in the congregation usually sing more than the guys anyway. Oh, and if the song is difficult for the congregation to sing, throw it out. “God of this City”comes to mind.

[@worshiptutorials]

We used to do God of This City all the time and the congregation LOVED it - it was one of the most engaged songs we did. The bottom line - in my opinion, and in my experience - is people will sing if they are led well. It all rises and falls on leadership.

[@quintonburton9205]

Worship Tutorials I’ve had many people say that many of the new songs are just too hard to sing. It sounds like our congregations are very different. As soon as we sing a familiar song or hymn the sanctuary turns into a huge choir. Don’t get me wrong, I love all the new songs, but if it’s difficult to sing we’ve had to ditch it. I’ve actually heard Paul Baloche say the same thing in a seminar.

[@RuXTaR]

Worship Tutorials culture could play a role as well. I lead worship at an Arab church in the Galilee and we have about 60 people on a Saturday (when wr meet for main service). If there's something wrong with the song they'll let you know. Our culture is close and open, very relational. During my college years in the USA, however, I did experience the "get in get out no interaction" experience at church. I agree that if the worship leader isn't leading strongly it affects the participation of the congregation. But what if he/she does but people aren't able to sing, musical knowledge aside. I'm not talking about one thing or the other, I believe it's one of the things where a bit of compromise could be made on either side. And of course, knowing your congregation makes it easier to make decisions that's why it's easy for me to pick keys where I lead church. That being said, having seen the production worship has become (spoken positively) I do understand your point. I would arrive at the "taylor it to your congregation" resolution though.

[@23sportsmaniac]

Majd Shufani The example they used of how being at a concert the fans will sing no matter what key it is, is a perfect example. If somebody’s not singing during a worship song it’s not because of the key, it’s because either they just don’t want to sing or because they don’t feel connected to it. A great example in the worship world is Sean Curran. He’s got one of the highest male voices I have heard in my life, yet whenever he leads practically EVERYONE is singing along and worshipping. It’s about leadership, and being genuine along with playing as skillfully as possible. If you are not singing well, very few will want to sing along and that’s just fact.

[@phileoness]

I agree that you sometimes need to sacrifice congregational sing-ability for the sake of the song having energy. But I think it’s a balance and that there are other factors to consider. One thing to consider is that the balance can and should shift towards sing-ability as you progress through the set. Having an opener or second song that has a few high notes is one thing, but you don’t want people struggling to sing in the third, fourth or fifth songs. That is their time to respond. Thinking about engaging energy at the start of a set is fine, but the energy will come from congregational response in the latter part of the set. Another thing to consider is the transitions between songs. Baloche, in his tutorials, advices never to descend keys. It drags the energy out of a set. I also never transition up a third (eg A to C) which turns the previous key to a minor, at least not without good reason. I tend to either go by 2nds, 4ths or 5ths in transitions, if changing at all. Changing the key a step or half step to accommodate the transition is well worth it. As someone who is comfortable singing along with Chris Tomlin and the like, I often have to sing lower than I’m really comfortable singing. It’s a challenge, but I’ve had several comments over the years of how people appreciate being able to actually sing the songs. It’s definitely worth striving to find the balance, but I try to err on the side of sing-ability.

[@LoriCysta]

Thank you so much.... I'm a worship leader for women's new to them but not new to leading worship & these gals love to tell the women won't sing because of the key I can play it in because the church is use to hearing it in a different key from a man. What an encouragement for me.

[@crownironman]

Pick the key the lead singer can sing at 7am. I heard many people rehearse at 7pm, then come sunday morning they can't hit the notes.

[@malachiskelly3919]

Very good point!

[@Matt_Bird]

Very good point. If someone is leading a song I would recommend they put it in a key they feel confident to leading in. If they are confident then that can only help them lead others.

[@KirkBowman]

Thank you for discussing this topic. From my experience, 10 years leading "a cappella" worship and then being a guitarist/vocalist for contemporary worship, the more attention paid to the vocal range of the typical church member, the more they will participate. In my opinion, it discourages church participation to pick a key solely for the vocalist without any regard for the congregation.

[@kazy2287]

Thanks for this awesome video💎

[@elizabethbierworth9737]

That there are other reasons they are not engaging is the best comment in the video. We just had this very discussion. We need to facilitate worship but if your congregation is disengaged blaming key, song choice etc. is ignoring the real issue!! Thank you for another great video!!

[@belindawillmoth4898]

Always great content and discussion!

[@aiatar95]

As a worship leader, my goal is to help the congregation to sing praise to God. I'm not there to do a performance but I just want to be a support for the congregation. So I can hardly understand the idea that the key should not take into consideration the "average" singer. I understand that, as a worship leader, I have to be confortable in order to lead better, but I will always prefer to choose a key that suite better the congregation than me. However, I agree on the fact it's better to choose a key that's a bit too high than a key that's too low :) The fact that I'm in a small church (~100 people) with few musicans might be a reason for this choice since it helps to have more feedback from the congregation.

[@23sportsmaniac]

Fikus the example they used of how being at a concert the fans will sing no matter what key it is, is a perfect example. If somebody’s not singing during a worship song it’s not because of the key, it’s because either they just don’t want to sing or because they don’t feel connected to it. A great example in the worship world is Sean Curran. He’s got one of the highest male voices I have heard in my life, yet whenever he leads practically EVERYONE is singing along and worshipping.

[@aiatar95]

This is a good point. But if I'm in a congregation and the song is too high or too low for me, I will constantly try to switch between octaves, try different harmonies. Finaly I'm more focus on my voice than on the lyrics of the songs. Moreover, if I have to force on my voice to sing the song, it could hurt me. To me, this is the opposite of what I want to achieve as a worship leader. Also, there is often a significative difference in congregation participation between a traditional hymn that is easy to sing and a new song that only trained singers can sing. My point is just to explain that even if people will try to follow the worship leader on a high key song, the goal of the worship leader is to help people to praise God and not to add constraints the congragation has to overcome in order to sing praises.

[@wdiv]

@@aiatar95 I'd argue traditional hymns are even harder to sing and built for four part harmonies and people that actually CAN sing lol

[@KitchenFamilyFarm]

I just started leading at a new church. For at least 2 years it was led solely by 2 women. So when I started to help lead songs I had at least 10 guys come to me saying they appreciated me singing in a range they could sing along to. So I’ve made a habit of finding the low note in the song & singing in the most comfortable key for me to hit that note. I say always lean toward the low end cuz you are likely going to get more Men to engage.

[@markcummings2344]

Exactly - someone who gets it. Setting the note to the low note that altos hit will probably eliminate almost all sopranos and then most of the men. If a tenor can sing realistically a little bit lower, that will include just about everyone. Most tenors have a better range than basses/baritones.

[@struong57]

I love your discussions. I wish you guys had a Podcast so I could listen to your stuff during my runs. 🏃🏻‍♂️

[@gatherstudio5219]

I really waiting for this video thanks guys , I'm a music director as we do not have a Worship leader per say, I pick the songs and our struggle is mostly picking the right key and it's funny we do quite a few of the kim walker songs lol . We use rehearsal mix as it helps with picking out parts but it does present a challenge with picking the best keys .

[@mikesplint2497]

I agree, keep it simple Unless you're dealing with extreme scenarios energy I have experienced as the greatest draw for engagement

[@waitin4winter]

I’ve been in music a long time and never heard “tessitura” before, learned something new today.

[@asmundlunde7762]

What is the main vision: people gathering to sing songs together with the voice they have, or people gathering to see proffessional singers put up a show with the right energy...I am not sure.

[@carloverzeletti6521]

Fantastic video thanks guys

[@bethib]

I come from a very musical church which is an anomaly. So when choosing the key, I have to keep that in mind. We have several schools, K- college, with huge music programs in our county. Kind of amazing.

[@neilg7171]

When choosing a key I 1st consider what instruments carry the riff or the signature sound of the song & how altering the key will affect the vibe, then I choose my lead vocalist. (Choosing who leads a song & sharing the spotlight would be a great WLW topic. I remember when I started passing the lead mic around to my singers, it completely changed the attitude of my team, just sayin').The only time I drop a key "for the congregation" is when I need to sing it in a lower key, and that's my best viable excuse :)

[@launchlaunch8786]

Summary of 20 minute video. Song leader should sing in a key that suits because they can perform better. Many in the congregation don't sing anyway. Wonder why?

[@lorenmtucker]

You’re onto something. I’m just gonna say it- this video is mostly useless.

[@DIDCHOI]

Thanks for making this video, didn't get to reply to your answers on this topic. I don't know about you guys, but I lead Korean congregations, and EVERYONE except maybe one or two people, will sing in key, and if it's too high, they won't sing, which is a problem I face. Koreans have excellent music education and go to Karaoke for fun all the time. Sure, tuning is not gonna be good, but they WILL sing the right notes to the best of their ability. Then they comment that the key was too high haha. Maybe just different cultures? What do you think?

[@Rhett-Christopher]

Stick with the key that best fits the lead singer. If it's too high for some in the congregation and they say something to you about it - tell them to try harder! 😆

[@rainbow5555]

Choi, what an excellent perspective. I think it’s so telling whether how we see the activity - is it a corporate worship or is it a performance. Is it singer-centered or is it congregant-centered. A lot depends also on maturity of the congregants, abilities of the musicians & familiarity with the songs. Finally, I think a good question to ask given the constraints we face in each setting: Which is more conducive for the anointing to flow. Which would u prefer to participate in at that time - watching a polished act, which can be enjoyable & beneficial, or singing your heart out together with everyone in the hall not worrying whether u got the right musical technique?

[@mariowatches]

I had been on the other mentality for the longest time. this makes sense. time to do some experimenting.

[@journeyfortwo5211]

Responding to the last point about average people not caring about a song being too high or low: I wish I could agree with you but I have had that kind of complaint a few times. My dad just 2 weeks ago told me one of the songs was too low to sing comfortably, and he is not a very musical person

[@robfriedrich2822]

In my church we use Song Select, so we can easily set the key, usually a little lower. But some songs aren't at Song Select, but as download by the publisher and this means, the sheet music isn't generated, it is the same as the song book. Same key, same layout, I have to take it, as it is. But this works too.

[@carloverzeletti6521]

I am a second base. The lower base but I sing any song. Just sing at my octave. By the way I sing and play every Sunday at church in my small group thanks to Brian and his teaching

[@3rundisciple]

Amen, 100%, THANK YOU! Here i am hearing everyones opinions about congregational keys being this and that; normaly being keys that take energy away from the song, all the while my mindset of it being exactly what I'm hearing y'all say. So glad I'm not the only one! Song keys should be geared to set the leader of it up for success. I sing "Death was Arrested" in B because its in my sweet spot and i can pound it out with passion, confidence and power. Another worship leader on my team leads it in A because his voice range is a bit lower. In both scenarios, we are BOTH singing in our sweet spots and it sound powerful either way, its not one or the other. The idea of Congregations being the lead for songs is either a very dated mentality *the church i grew up in that sang straight out of hymnals with no instruments except sometimes a piano*, or for smaller churches that don't have full bands/full sounds, and its a completely different style musically all together; and even then, there is NEVER a key that fits everyone. Music is meant to have emotion, energy, and power; its more than ONLY what's being said, its HOW its being said too. Thats why its meant to be done well. If it was only about the content and nothing else, we could read it on a wall out loud and be done with it.

[@andrewnichols1866]

"Maybe you do Glorious Day in like C or B." "Oh, B would be VERY low for that song." I do that song in Bb. Also Chris Tomlin down a step or a half step? Try like a 5th. Someone else said they once had to do This Is Amazing Grace in A. I do THAT song in F. I feel like every worship artist out there is a tenor with a crazy range. And I feel like "you can't choose key for the congregation" is something a tenor would say. Most people DON'T have a good range and sing kinda middle of the road. Just because no one's ever told you it's too high doesn't mean it wasn't too high. I've been in lots of services where it was too high, but I didn't say anything to the leader because they're serving you with their skills and that would be kinda rude. If you're singing songs in the keys they're in on radio...? Honestly, I think you're doing your congregation a disservice. Those songs are TOO HIGH for the average singer.

[@3rundisciple]

And to their point of what they were explaining, that would go along with it as well. If your voice range isn't tenor, rather Baritone or even Bass, Singing those songs in the key that is most comfortable for you to give most of your energy to is exactly the point. The same way Tenors shouldn't lead songs in keys too low for them, is the same way that those with Lower ranges shouldn't lead in keys too high up. Bottom line still remains the same, the congregation is a giant conglomeration of different ranges, so whoever is leading should still lead from their sweet spot.

[@EESATheater]

And maybe, like them saying “no one has ever said the song was too high” but really they are out there, maybe, just maybe, no one has ever told you the song was too low? Your “too high”, maybe someone else’s “too low”. If you sang those songs as “low” as you say, i would be forced to sing the octave above you, in a way too high version of the song to match the melody. But, all our female vocalists would be right there with you, no problem. I think you may have missed the point, that everyone has a different range and its a futile process to find a congregational key.

[@andrewnichols1866]

No, I got the point. I just partially disagree with it. Obviously, you can't - literally physically CAN'T - sing a song in a key that's not in your range, so I'm not suggesting THAT. In that sense, of course you have to pick keys for yourself. BUT, the average male is a baritone with maybe at most a two octave range, so it's FAR more likely that the songs you're choosing as a tenor are uncomfortably high for people than it is the songs I'm choosing as a baritone are uncomfortably low for people. Plus, uncomfortably low doesn't HURT your voice the way uncomfortably high does. There are obviously ranges within congregations, so you're not going to find keys that are comfortable for everyone (which is the point of the video), but that doesn't mean you shouldn't TRY to find ranges that are comfortable for MOST people. If you're a tenor, that might mean delegating some songs to other leaders so that they can be sung in lower ranges. Or singing them toward the bottom of your range rather than the top. Or it might mean singing harmony parts rather than being the lead. That's not meant to be a knock on tenors. I love a good tenor harmony. I wish I could sing them. But again, I'll reemphasize, if you're a tenor and picking ALL the songs in YOUR range (possibly with exceptions for churches composed primarily of trained singers), I think there's a high likelihood you're doing your congregation a disservice.

[@jhojanbenavides1081]

So I had to lead “This is Amazing Grace” this past sunday in Key of A... only because it was an easy way to transition to the following song. But our church was used to it in Key of B (North Point Version) as we’ve done in that key pretty much all of the times that we’ve played it on a Sunday.....and the respone was not the greatest... they seemed confused about the way it sounded and were not as engaged. Kind of a learning experience.

[@brockheitkamp9330]

I've always been on this side of things but I think that is mostly because I have a higher range than most guys. However I think what always solidifies this for me is thinking about people going to concerts of their favorite bands... They just sing! no matter the key they sing their hearts out because it's emotional for them and they don't care. When people are emotionally invested they respond...

[@coreyhansford8774]

Only time we change key to attribute to congregation is our men only events (ie men’s breakfasts or men’s retreats) but it’s never too dramatic. Glorious Day we drop to C.

[@liammatthews-dibbins8285]

I think there is a ‘sweet spot’ for most songs. My previous church did Cornerstone in C, and the band could hit it no problem. Most of the congregation (me included) struggled with the octave jump. However I’ve led it in A in my new church and seems to be more engaging! Female lead I always go for F or G.

[@seancca]

rabble rabble rabble!! I am starting to change to a bit more of something that is comfortable for me and anyone else I have leading a song to sing. Want to keep the energy and show that we are into worshiping our lord too. Well except for any Elevation Song Mac Brock wrote. I drop that sucker down 4 everytime. haha

[@bigseandaddy]

Can you make a video teaching acoustic guitarists how to play in the background of someone speaking? Often times, I find myself filling in dead space instead of a keyboard player. How do I play something not distracting, but still pretty and easy to listen to? What’s the theory behind this?

[@Matt_Bird]

For playing behind a speaker, I usually transition from using a pick to finger picking. The softer ends of your fingers vs a guitar pick allows the tone of an acoustic to be less piercing. Keep it simple as well. Pick a progression you have been playing through and try to keep it from being too busy. Have one ear listening to the person speaking and be aware of how you might compliment, but not overshadow what they are saying or speaking.

[@lindahilton6600]

thank you!

[@mikeanderson1316]

Not only Do i pastor the church but i lead the worship one day just for kicks i turned off the music and not a voice could be heard..so alot of times i do worship after the service and it is based on the Word that was spoken so they understand what and why and who they are worshiping

[@elliotmcconnell5449]

I think traditional hymns figured this out best. The songs were written in SATB parts. Of course most people cant read them these days, but it used to be more common for people.

[@rlittlefield2691]

Good recommendations here. At my church, someone stands up and starts singing, we all just play in that key. I started to write down how to do it but then it was turning into a book.

[@DerekBarolet]

THANK YOU

[@kyleblaneplays]

If the average-Joe needed music to be in their key in order to sing along, car stereos would come standard with a pitch-change feature.

[@gordon8441]

That’s a great idea tbh

[@lorenmtucker]

That’s comparing apples and garbage trucks

[@kyleblaneplays]

@@lorenmtucker You’re right. It’s harder to endure singing along to someone attempting to lead a song in a key not comfortable for them. 😝

[@lorenmtucker]

@@kyleblaneplays I don’t think you get it

[@kyleblaneplays]

@@lorenmtucker I do, I just don’t agree, so I made a joke.

[@Anonymous99997]

My leader changes songs by as much as 3 steps up or down based on who is singing it. The biggest problem is the octave jumps in so many current songs.

[@richardwhite2007]

Here's an amen to the challenges with octave jumps in songs which are lovely to listen to, but not so easy to sing congretationally

[@anthonybrothers]

As a worship leader, I always hope the congregation just doesn't jump the octave when it is out of their range. I've heard many worship song recordings where choir or congregational voices that are mixed into the song stay the octive lower while lead vocalists jump the octave.

[@MD-mq7vf]

I have lead worship when I could tell people were struggling singing because it was too difficult a range. I have sung songs in a congregation where I thought the song was either too low or high. (To Fuller's comment that no one has ever complained about the key, generally that may be because it is too hard to talk to the song leader or you don't want to be a complainer. So just because no one says the key seemed wrong, doesn't mean people are thinking it.) I think either a male or female vocalist should be able to sing in a range from one C to the C an octave above, the sweet spot for a congregation. Obviously, many songs have wider spread than 8 notes where you have to say can they go down to the low G or can they hit the high E depending on the song. If the vocalist can hit a high G but loses the congregation along the way, then the worship time becomes a concert for the one person. I have been singing as a congregation and had songs that I just had to stop singing because the range was too high. We as song leaders need to be encouraging the people to sing their hearts out before the Lord. For that purpose I try to stay between a low A to the high D. Of course I do pay attention to how many notes of the song fall in a particular range. If there is just a single note in the song that goes to high E, then I might go with that. I would rather sacrifice my sweet spot as a song leader if it encourages more in the congregation to sing. If you think about it, before contemporary music came on the scene, hymns were sung in a key presumably for congregational singing. The song leader just lead the congregation in the key from the hymnal, not because it was a good key for the leader.

[@jenniferfourier7481]

QUESTION: Would it make since to choose a song key that is a step higher or lower than a vocalists “sweet spot” but still singable so that it flows better with the other keys in a set….or does it make more since to not worry as much about the keys fitting well together so you can pick a key that fits the vocalist perfectly so they can nail it?

[@jabezrbrain]

Its pretty accurate, I dont think its an exaggeration. Most men just dont sing or CANT/WONT. And, its always tough to incorporate them in. Many will sing an octave lower for sure. I am glad you are discussing this though. The wrong key often bothers me when I am in a congregation and its female-led and I have to go to harmony, which I do enjoy. But sometimes even then its tough. Most men though, dont even know or care about this. They are often stubborn and singing isnt always very "manly" to them. At least here in the south. Great stuff guys. TY for the discussion.

[@byrdmnmuzik]

As a leader it might help to have references of what your singers vocal ranges are, (Annie is a mezzo soprano, Tom is a baritone, etc) and know where they fit the best. You made some good points, and it is a good thing for the singers leading to be in their range. However, leaders are leading the people, so some sensitivity is needed to what people can sing. Otherwise, they disengage and you're looking at a room full of people staring back at you with their hands in their pockets. The ultimate purpose is to lead the congregation, not give a good show. One reason many people might not sing is the culture of leaving the worship to 'the leaders' instead of realizing ALL of God's people are called to sing, not just those on stage. This issue is one that has been present since the beginning, when the Church fathers didn't allow musical instruments because of their association with the pagan theater. But that's another video. ;-)

[@wnhlwntk]

How do you transition smoothly between two songs using keys that have only two voice options at a time, when one song is synthy, and the other is piano? I like to keep sound continuing instead of silence, but am having a hard time when the voices are so different.

[@malachiskelly3919]

Would you guys say something different if a. I led in church with about 20 people, b. If we only used a acoustic guitar, Piano and Cajon, and c. Paused every time we changed songs because the people I play with are too busy too memorize songs?

[@homeboyjon4885]

I’m not a singer, so here’s my beef. If there’s not a guy close to my range, singing loudly enough in the mix for me to try to match to him, I just get lost. I need somebody to follow. So for me, it’s about choice of singers and mix.

[@markcummings2344]

A good example of a song written for an instrument is "Bad" by U2. In the original, it is written in such a way that the open strings are played with the fretted notes on the 12th, and then again when it switched you have open strings with the 7th fretted notes. Later performances, when Bono is older and can't sing the same range, the Edge plays it in a different way and you can no longer take advantage of the open strings in the arrangement and it just does not sound the same. You could use dual capos I guess to achieve the same effect, but the original "young" U2 version sounds much better than the later recordings.

[@guitar8617]

I'm a tenor 1 naturally, no low songs happening for me no matter what I do if I'm by myself

[@markstephenson4203]

Thanks for your thoughts on the subject. It is something we think about often. I would agree with Fikus below that bring the congregation into the worship of our God is primary. So, your comment that a key should be chosen that suits the vocalist and instruments contributes to this more than a key that the average member can sing in. The confidence of the worship team contributes heavily to worship as they lead the congregation and the congregation coming along will sing as moved by the Spirit. Ultimately, it is the Holy Spirit that moves. Our job is to lead and stay out of the way by not leading in such a way as to draw attention to us. This means: tuned instruments, skillfully played (not flashy - skillfull ) along with quality vocals and arrangements. Thank you for helping all of us consider the importance of worship and how to facilitate a meaningful experience. Blessings to you, friends.

[@wdiv]

That's just it though... if your singer is now uncomfortable because a key was chosen to fit some imaginary key that is "perfect" for the congregation, and you destroy that confidence you just said "contributes heavily to worship as they lead the congregation"...

[@reaganlalime3143]

I have perfect pitch, and that was D major/minor. The root is ambiguous without a third.

[@codyburgess7034]

Worship songs can be riff driven. For example Planet Shakers, Israel, and BJ have a ton of guitar riff driven songs. For these songs it is imperative that you keep it in the original key. When a song is written with riffs there could be a lot of open string work which may not be able to duplicate via capo. In some cases it may sound extremely goofy when putting in keys ie the riff is too high and tingy or too low and doesn’t cut through the mix.

[@andreanicole2006]

I think it may have been Jake Gosselin that I was listening to he brought up "congregational keys" - his comments were to look more to the notes being sung, especially the high or low ranges of the songs. For high notes, he suggested the BCD above middle C are getting pretty high for most everyday people, so if a song spends a lot of time hovering around those notes for the melody, it's likely too high. Going up once in awhile works, but you dont' want most of the song way up there. Same for the lower end. So...looking perhaps more to overall note range, rather than key, may help in many cases. It really is stunning though, how a song can sound completely different for a particular vocalist just by adjusting the key to work best for them - it's like it's a different song or singer when in a comfortable range.

[@AaronCano1]

Bring back Gregorian chants!!!

[@richardwhite2007]

Paul Baloche advocated arranging songs so their melodies ran as much as possible from C to C for most congregational singing. There is wisdom in that view. I have seen churches radically changing song keys to accommodate lead vocalists - but the impact was a lot of the congregation stopped singing. I have a reasonable range - but I too found my self not singing.... it was just too awkward. I don’t think this this is serving the body well...

[@JoeStivey]

Richard White I’m honestly shocked by that. Middle C on a guitar is 2nd string, 1st fret. The C above that is 1st string, 8th fret. Surely most people (male or female) would struggle to sing in that range?

[@richardwhite2007]

Joe Stivey: on the contrary. Putting the melody between middle to upper C makes the song singable to the most people. Most people, except baritone and bass can sing this full range. Check out the following frequency chart: www.dropbox.com/s/c7tuvajgkn0jyms/Singable%20vocal%20range%20middel%20C%20to%20upper%20C.jpg?dl=0

[@cornerstonemusic8014]

This is what we aim for too. We’ll break it a couple of times each Sunday, but the vast majority of the notes sung fall in this range. I’ll also add that my church may be a bit of an outlier, but they DO sing. A Ton. So much that we’ve had to switch meters of hymns to accommodate their volume (we started in 4/4, and most had learned it in 3/4). I think it’s safe to say that aiming for a comfortable range for /most/ encourages a culture of singing out.

[@JoeStivey]

Richard White Thanks for the chart. That’s very interesting but putting aside the academia & looking at it practically, have you tried playing the notes on the guitar & singing them to pitch (not up or down an octave)? Most males & females I’ve asked to sing 1st string, 5th fret sound as if someone’s doing them an injury & that’s still 3 semitones below C5! 🤣

[@cornerstonemusic8014]

Joe Stivey, keep in mind... it’s not a hard and fast rule that applies to everyone. It’s true for the “middle of the bell curve” folks.

[@zeyy84]

9:40 or just modulate. Idk do a 2-5-1 or modulate with dominant chords and you can just switch to any key smoothly

[@jwo412]

Gospel and jazz add so much flexibility 🙌🏼🙌🏼

[@indianrockstrat]

What about a worship leader going into their 30s and still trying to sing like a high tenor but now appearing to strain at the keys they're choosing?

[@infernalmandolin]

Interesting, I have certainly had members of the congregation comment on songs being too high or too low. I understand the need for the lead singer/s to be comfortable singing in a given key. I would suggest, however, that they will have a wider range than the average member of the congregation and have more capacity to move the key up or down. Isn't it a compromise between the needs of the singer and the needs of the congregation. If that compromise cannot be found then don't sing that song.

[@samueljames1787]

I totally agree with this video! I have a question. I've heard some worship leaders say that they don't do songs that go over a certain note (like D4) because only the people who know how to sing can go that high. What's y'all's thoughts on that?

[@worshiptutorials]

Sing it! (because the average person in the congregation doesn't know what D4 is or whether they can sing they high or not - and they don't care)

[@intothefluid7001]

@@worshiptutorials I think it's different for small congregations - especially ones trying to transition from old-style with a choir to a praise band sunday morning. In our case we've got maybe 30 people in the early service, and a third of them used to sing choir at least. If we respect their wish not to blast them out and make it so congregational voices can be heard over the music which is what they want... I feel like at that point we have to respect their upper and lower ranges a bit.

[@renoutlaw8371]

When transposing up more than 4 or so steps (to change male songs to a female range), how do you adapt guitar parts without loosing the feel? I find myself running out of frets or having to use awkward capo positions (above the 5th fret) to use the original album parts and it just sounds wrong and is harder to memorize. Do you have any tips?

[@vpisarski]

Been there many times. Personally, I've begun to feel once I've changed the key, I've also changed the song's feel and energy right there. Essentially it now becomes a different song in my mind. Some of the parts transition okay, but some don't. I try to keep the memorable lead lines that happen between choruses and verses and those usually find an octave on the neck that works well enough. After that, I have to get creative. I start picking out my favorite melodic notes in the guitar part then fit them in chord shapes that work in the new key. This usually involves a bit of trial, error, and compromise. It's also okay to come up with something new that has the energy and feel I want, but works better in the new key. At the end of the day, I need a part that has the right energy and feel but is also comfortable and memorable to play. If I can't play it and still lead others in worship, I cut it and create something else that has the energy I want but serves the purpose of leading worship. I too do that better when I'm not frustrated by capos. Essentially, I have begun to see a new key as an opportunity to give a song a "new coat of paint" if you follow me.

[@vpisarski]

A good example might be "Do What You Want To" by Vertical Worship. On their "Church Songs" album it's in D for a female lead, but later they made another version in G, I think, for a male lead on their "Vertical Worship" album. The guitar parts don't transition well at all so it looks like they just went with it and rearranged the entire song. Apart from the lyrics, it's a totally different piece, but still cool.

[@indianrockstrat]

I agree with the idea of catering to the vocal team's range rather than trying to figure out the congregation. I'm not sure what the "male-led" or "female-led" means if you have a male leader who sings like Chris Tomlin. The assumption is that "male-led" would be better for men but I've read most men are baritones like me. So I do octave jumps out in the congregation when not serving. As far as re-tuning my guitar a half-step lower or something --- that won't be happening. :-)

[@phillipsouthard8285]

He's talking from a lead-guitar aspect. Take the song "Yes I Will" for example. It's in the key of C. When you drop it to B, it's better to tune your guitar down a half-step to play the original lead part in the Chorus with the open strings than to try to play it up a string and higher on the neck. But then, if you do a song in C right after that and there's a lead line that has any open strings, the lead line no longer works. Quick lead guitar tip: Playing an open D string versus hitting the D note on the 5th fret of the A string result in very different sounds.

[@indianrockstrat]

@@phillipsouthard8285 I just meant that there is usually almost no gap between songs so I wouldn't be able to tune down unless I did it before the service and left it that way for all of the songs. Now, my variax has a feature that can be engaged on a per preset or even per snapshot basis ( Line 6 helix ) to virtually change the tuning, but I rarely use it.

[@USAranger42]

Time stamps are in the description, but here is a list of them as well: 01:00 - Consider the original key. Why artists choose songs in the keys they do and what it means for us as we pick keys 04:01 - Consider the vocalist singing the song in your church (whether it’s you or a team member) 07:59 - The importance of communication 09:16 - Facilitating translations 15:36 - Should we pick songs for the congregation or the vocalist

[@jabezrbrain]

broach it!

[@jenn_jean_kent_artist]

I don't see the link for the chart for male to female/female to male vocal chart. Would you please link it for me? Thank you.

[@worshiptutorials]

Hi Jennifer - just added it. Thanks for the reminder! You can get it here: www.worshiptutorials.com/product/male-female-key-change-chart/

[@freddy9012]

It took almost 14 min to get to the point of the debate. lol. They are right in saying no one comes up to the front of the house or band complaining the songs are too high or too low. You have two choices pick keys that your vocals sound horrible in. Or a key most people in the congregation don’t even know if they are singing on key or not. 😂. And no one would go to a United, Phil, Elevation, Tomlin, or Bethel concert. And go tell the artist, “hey, do you mind lowering the key, it’s a little hard for me to sing. 😆

[@Bimmer2047]

i totally agree. no offence to the "average" Congregational member but they don't know the difference. now from a lead guitar stand point sometimes when you shift a key too much you can run out of room on the neck for some of the solos. and sifting it down just really doesn't sound the same. but most of the time i can solve that with playing my strat instead of my gretsch or something like that.

[@kurtisbrooks6420]

I totally get where you’re coming from. The other problem I have with going up the fretboard too far is it can start to get a little thin sounding. A bigger problem for me when they go too low on a song is when the parts use open strings and playing it the conventional way becomes impossible. I’m even fine with tuning down but anything below a whole step starts to get floppy and tuning starts to become an issue. So many songs are guitar driven now and it gets frustrating when the leaders give no consideration to how difficult it becomes for a guitarist. For example taking Raise a Hallelujah to anything below B makes the normal way of playing the song almost impossible, and even B is tricky, so you end up either tuning down, capoing up really high or rewriting how the guitar parts are played.

[@WorshipwithMeena]

Thanks for clarifying that there is no such thing as a "congregational key" and that every song has a differnt key that can be changed to suit the leader's vocal range so that he or she can lead better!😉 Generally, there are male-lead and female-lead songs if you look at the original songs. If you wanna lead a song that is originally recorded by a male leader and if you're a female, you have to change the key to a "female" key and vice versa. Easy way to find the female(male) key is to look up if the song has a female(male) version. Of course, there are low vocie(jenn johnson) and high voice(kari jobe) even within the female vocie that you can adjust further if needed. But pls don't insisit on singing all songs in original keys when it is in a male key(and you are a female) and vice versa!😊

[@23sportsmaniac]

Worship with Meena You do also have to be careful though when trying to do a male lead song in a women’s key. When you start playing the tracks it’ll have the potential to make the tracks sound like Alvin and The Chipmunks with how much they have to be changed. Taking into consideration tracks and other things like that is incredibly important.

[@malachiskelly3919]

11:40... That is exactly what we do. I am able to memorize the songs and everything, but the people I play with are really busy, I don't think they could have the time to memorize the songs we play. Offended at first, that was funny though!

[@Mrtechnate]

Malachi Skelly I have to do that too. Our band hardly finds time to practice much less memorize it. I would like it to be like that but unsure how to make it happen.

[@malachiskelly3919]

@@Mrtechnate Same here. I am 16, so I can easily memorize it, but the people I play with are adults who have a full time job and a family to take care of.

[@jwo412]

Lol I try so hard to avoid it but some Sundays it’s just me and my guitar and a vocalist and if I have the capo on I just embrace the silence for a second. I use pads through my iPad when I can to help with transitions but sometimes I don’t get the set list in time to prep my pads ahead of time so I just go without... 🤷🏼‍♂️🤷🏼‍♂️

[@pkmals1]

I'm confused. What is the purpose of Sunday's worship music? Is it for contemplation? If the worship team is excellent, musically speaking, and their hearts are excellent, but the congregation is NOT singing...how is that a success? Is congregational singing not the objective? Honestly, I'm thinking that is not the objective anymore and I am naively wondering why the teams on stage do not seem to care if the congregation is singing. It is a powerful, powerful thing to hear* a congregation* singing. It used to be a thing. I love to sing in church but at most gatherings, I give up. Part of it is singability of the songs being presented (can be the range or creative styling etc) Also a problem is the volume of the stage music. I love loud music in a performance context, but when I sing with gusto, and can't hear my own voice or anyone's voice around me, singing seems a little pointless and disappointing. I want to sing with my brothers and sisters. Surprisingly, I hear of these same disappointments from those that are 20-30 years younger than I. We WANT TO SING!!!! WE WANT TO SING AS A CROWD! Help us to do that!!!

[@crazydanel13]

People told me I was too loud or dancing too much XD I went louder and danced more haha

[@fret2fret221]

For some reason the worship team I’m currently on always ends up in Bb lol

[@stephenharding6493]

Fret 2 Fret I hear ya!

[@malachiskelly3919]

Lol🤣😂

[@anthonybrothers]

Hah, I do a lot of songs in Bb, and mostly for 2 reasons. For one, I'm a baritone, and my vocal range happens to fall in the "sweet spot" of Bb for many songs (not all songs of course). But also, the church was very traditional 10 years ago, so my pianist couldn't play in any sharp keys. And it was easier for the guitarists to use a capo then it was for my pianist to transition to "guitar keys".

[@fret2fret221]

Anthony Brothers yeah I think it’s the same reason for our team. Bb just tends to land our voices in that sweet spot. I love it tho.

[@janewilson7709]

How can it be right to choose a key to showcase the lead singer's voice when many of the congregation are then left out of worship? A worship leader leads the people to worship. We are not a rock band entertaining the crowds, are we. If your church doesn't sing along with you, you could ask yourself why this is.

[@worshiptutorials]

I think you’re assuming that there is one key that is ‘right’ for a congregation, which I don’t believe is the case. Congregations are made up of many people all with different ranges. I do think that singing a song lower than, say, what Chris Tomlin does will make a song more approachable for males, but the keys Tomlin sings in are typically very comfortable for the average female vocalist. Many people that comment on this video assume there is a magic ‘congregational’ key, but in our experience, it isn’t the case. We have found in our own congregations that when the lead vocalist is in their sweet spot and is able to really deliver a song well, it draws the congregation in more. You can also see this at concerts. I can’t sing in the same key that Bon Jovi does, but if I went to his show I’d be singing all the songs 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@janewilson7709]

@@worshiptutorials There is an optimal range that songs can be sung in that everyone in the congregation can sing whether they are baritone, tenor, alto or soprano and that is C to C. However, most songs also need to incorporate a wider range than that so if all songs are pitched between Low A and High D, it works for just about everyone. Many just give up singing otherwise. You said it yourself on the video about your congregation.

[@jerroldshelton9367]

@@janewilson7709 The formula I use is that melody has to fit on or between the G immediately below Middle C through and octave and a fifth to the second D above middle C. Ideally, I want the tessitura to be closer to Middle C than farther away from it. Basically, I think I'm doing about what you're doing, for the same reason. I care more about whether a majority of the congregation can sing a given song than I do about transposing it so it is in my "vocal wheelhouse."

[@kcadams328]

What about Leeland tunes? 😳

[@malachiskelly3919]

His songs are bad news my friend! 🤣😂 Way maker is in E, and I sing jt Db. Lion and the lamb is in B and I sing it A or Ab. His songs are just crazy high! Like, I can handle Chris Tomlin, Phil Wickham, or Hillsong in the original key, but Leeland is a different story! I even saw a video of Bethel doing Way Maker live at their church and they had in Db!

[@Max_Priya]

I disagree. I have been led by a worship leader that sings in such a high key that he sounds awesome but the congregation is silent just watching him or screaming trying to reach the pitch (me included) 😀

[@3rundisciple]

Id say its the worship leaders job to teach "worship" moments as more than simply singing the exact same thing he is and in the same way; Its why he's in that position and 99.9% of the others aren't. In some ways, they are helping the people voice emotion and prayers that they can't create themselves. Worship sessions go much deeper than simply following along with what a vocalist is doing. Its an engagement with a present God, a place to lay burdens down, to be filled with His presence again, to die to self and turn all focus and eyes back to Jesus. If the focus is simply to copy a singer and that's it, the bullseye is being missed.

[@EESATheater]

I can almost never sing Chris Tomlin songs in his original key comfortably, but man, every video i have seen of his concerts show the whole audience singing with hands up, eyes closed, in full blown worship.

[@sirpraizy07]

How can you talk about led Zeppelin and that

[@TheWchaser]

Mine is very much depend on the songs (3 to 4 songs) chosen. Normally I will try to have all the songs on the same key. Also, looking at the group of people I will be leading. To me, important thing is not the key. Worship is about God.

[@calolson9572]

Songs are totally recorded for the lead vocalist’s voice. That’s why Chris Tomlin sings “He Is Worthy “ in F, but Andrew Peterson (who wrote it) sings it in B. 😏

[@leechinteck]

Correction.Tomlin did in C and D and Eb at best according to the album.

[@malachiskelly3919]

In the key of E. Sorry, I am a key nerd. Eb live, E on the record.

[@markharrell]

If you sing from a hymnal you are going to sing the way it is wrote. No one changes the key in a traditional church singing hymns. No one complain with hymnals, I agree over-rated.

[@JasonBrown-ww2re]

Often our music minister (who is the keyboard player) will change key of hymns out of hymnal. Not sure why you would think no one does this?

[@worshiptutorials]

This is totally true! Ha - I grew up singing from a hymnal literally every Sunday. In 18 years that I attended that church - nearly 1000 Sundays, nobody ever changed a key from the hymnal :)

[@markharrell]

@@JasonBrown-ww2re I said in a traditional church. I would say he is a rarity.😉

[@rsdickson07]

Compare a newer hymnal with an older hymnal and you will quickly see that somebody does and has changed the keys of many hymns - downward.

[@leannbarker572]

I just did a hymn in the original key that was in the book and was told that key was too high... for a woman’s Bible study group...

[@aaroncrawford5638]

“What key was that in”? D

[@eulergrj]

D -

[@dawidkosciuk8688]

👍

[@scotttroyer]

Higher pitch =/= higher energy. That’s just not good science. And in equal temperament keys don’t sound different. Keys used to sound different before equal temperament tuning came along. The belief that keys sound different didn’t go away when the new tuning arrived though.

[@wdiv]

Science: "The energy of a wave is directly proportional to its frequency, but inversely proportional to its wavelength." ???

[@CarolynBlakeslee]

I avoid those octave-jump songs. Hopefully that fad will disappear soon ... :-)

[@markcummings2344]

What do you possibly sing then? I mean they are in EVERY "worship" song for the past 5 years it seems.

[@mikeanderson1316]

Key of C (Christ Jesus) Matthew 16:19 And I will give you the (keys) of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth ...🤣🤣🤣

[@arthuremoru5418]

😂😂👍👍

[@enavy04]

Nice! 👍🏾👍🏾

[@lorenmtucker]

So many generalizations here.

[@joelblessing1532]

Don’t y’all’s think this developing lazy musicians - guitarists. Why do we limit the songs we do at church to only the 5 keys really 4 keys - guitar players are comfortable with when we have 12? Why don’t y’all learn your instruments?

[@shser32]

Doesn't matter what song you sing, what key you put it in, or what you say the grumpy old man that never sings still won't sing

[@worshiptutorials]

Ryan Marshall ... you’re not wrong

[@jwuonog]

Congregants be like "the song is too high" but then belt it to songs about murder, sexual immorality, and selling drugs in their car

[@nathaniellarson8]

Remove acoustic guitars from church, they are an abomination, everything else is fine. I guess the cool youth pastors can still have them though, that's part of their shtick.

[@worshiptutorials]

You, uh... You serious Clark?

[@nathaniellarson8]

@@worshiptutorials 😂 a very tiny little bit serious.