Key Change Hell!

[BottomE]

[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1321485514' post='1439898']
No...!
[/quote]
oops

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

As an amusing epilogue to the original post; my band which has been plodding along with various personel changes for nearly two decades, decided to call it a day at the end of 2011 after several fruitless months of trying to replace our very talented lead vocalist who had given us 12 months notice.

I received a phone call last week from the "Key Change Hell" band asking if I would be willing to fill the recently vacated position of bass player.

Given all the comments made, what happens next?

[mckendrick]

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1321037414' post='1434788']
I mean, who plays Disco Inferno in b flat for frak's sake?[/quote]
[i]Frak[/i]?




[quote name='deepbass5' timestamp='1321040968' post='1434852']
Last week our guitarist played the whole thing against me in a different key despite me holding up my bass and shouting Eb.[/quote]
And he's still your guitarist...?

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1324260455' post='1472391']
As an amusing epilogue to the original post; my band which has been plodding along with various personel changes for nearly two decades, decided to call it a day at the end of 2011 after several fruitless months of trying to replace our very talented lead vocalist who had given us 12 months notice.

I received a phone call last week from the "Key Change Hell" band asking if I would be willing to fill the recently vacated position of bass player.

Given all the comments made, what happens next?
[/quote]

Take it, of course. Sooner than than not be in a band ...

[steve-bbb]

[quote name='deepbass5' timestamp='1321185613' post='1436147']
I guess the main point coming out here is we don't like playing out of our comfort zone. As said above we probably are best placed to change keys with least mental work than on other instruments.
[/quote]

its not just this though - its one thing a key change of a semitone or two to accomodate a vocal range but often once you get past three semitone jumps the whole sound and character of the tune is changed

[Happy Jack]

Exhibit A

[attachment=95571:01 - Love The One You're With (Single_LP Version).mp3]

Exhibit B

[attachment=95572:01 - Love The One You're With in D.mp3]

And that's only two semitones ...

[gicut58]

With my new lot I'm doing 90% of the vocals as well as all the (5er)basswork, and my vocal range determines the key we do it all in. The two guitarists are wonderfully cool with this, and if it doesn't work we drop it and move on to the next one (modern covers). Simples.
As far as the bass goes, I transpose where necessary and keep it simple but as true as I can.
The killer is the counterpoint between the bass line and (vocal)melody line, it's like patting head/rubbing stomach,because timing and phrasing for both parts hardly ever fall together. Hey ho.

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1321037414' post='1434788']
. I think it's actually worse having to play a song you know so well in a different key rather than learning a new one from scratch.
[/quote]

Totally agree, and this is what prompted me to buy a 5 string when i started depping with a band who did more or less the same songs as my band but in different keys. I just couldnt get my head around re learning them in a new key.

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

[quote name='mckendrick' timestamp='1324265768' post='1472396']

[i]Frak[/i]?
[/quote]
Obviously not a Battlestar Galactica fan then?

[steantval]

[quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1321046508' post='1434961']
Very true! I tune down half a step when i play Metallica - that's what they do themselves. An entire step would not be kind to the B (or A in this case!) string, though - it would vibrate at an uncomfortably low frequency.
[/quote]

Yeh, and when they play with Lou Reed, they play totally out of tune.