How To Choose A Song Key

Worship Training | 6 comments

In this webinar, Charmaine unpacks the topic of how to choose a song key for your worship songs and sets. She explores the concept of the “congregationally-friendly” key and walks through some important questions to ask—original key vs your comfortable vocal range, age/gender demographics creating dynamic song journeys, and finding balance in your worship sets.

This webinar was recorded live in our private Facebook community exclusively for subscribers. To tune in live for upcoming webinars, click here.

Upgrade to an Access Pass or sign in to watch locked videos, access lesson downloads, audio workouts, and community discussions.

Forever (We Sing Hallelujah)

© 2013 Bethel Music Publishing (ASCAP) / Bethel Worship Publishing (BMI) / Worship Together Music (BMI) (Adm. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com). All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.

10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)

© 2011 Thankyou Music (PRS) (adm. worldwide at CapitolCMGPublishing.com excluding Europe which is adm. by Integrity Music, part of the David C Cook family. Songs@integritymusic.com) / Atlas Mountain Songs (BMI) worshiptogether.com Songs (ASCAP) sixsteps Music (ASCAP) (adm. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com). All rights reserved. Used by permission.

What a Beautiful Name

© 2016 Hillsong Music Publishing (APRA) (adm. in the US and Canada at CapitolCMGPublishing.com). All rights reserved. Used by permission.

6 Comments

  1. SteffanieO
    SteffanieO on February 27, 2019 at 7:15 am

    We are doing Bethels “Ain’t No Grave” for Easter. The original is Bm. I really need to drop the song a half step to Bbm to have the freedom in my voice to do what needs to be done in the song in the higher parts. I realize Bbm may seem really low but if I do it in the original there are higher parts I have to leave out. After watching this it seems that the right choice is to go with the lower key where I can give the song the dynamics it needs rather than sticking with the original and sacrificing dynamics. Thank you for the insight.

    Reply
    • Charmaine
      Charmaine on February 27, 2019 at 8:05 pm

      Definitely the right decision! I would say it’s almost always better to sacrifice a bit on the low stuff… just “speak it out”… with a bit more vocal fry/edge in the tone… so that you can power it out on the higher notes and not have to sacrifice in those bigger parts of the song!

      AMAZING song! Hope it goes super well!!

      Reply
  2. KarenL
    KarenL on October 17, 2018 at 2:16 am

    Just wanted to thank you for posting this on the “regular” website, since I am not a FB fan 😉

    And thank you for your suggestions. I just want to underline that we can’t be afraid to change the key of a song, so that the congregation, but more importantly, the worship leader an actually sing it.

    Reply
    • Charmaine
      Charmaine on October 19, 2018 at 8:00 pm

      Hey Karen! Definitely some important factors!

      Reply
  3. cccbucks
    cccbucks on April 26, 2018 at 8:29 am

    Hi Charmaine, my name is Andrew and I am one of the worship leaders at my church and this is an area where I am very determined to grow. I have benefited so much from your program, thank you so much. One thing I wanted to say is that I hit a wall when I have watched similar videos and yours. I am a visual learner and during the male/female ranges portions I get lost and I have come to the conclusion that for those like me it would be great to have visual aid, say a pdf of a keyboard with the highlighted sections/parameters of the different male/female ranges as well as the “no go zones” to follow along with you. Maybe even another video where a few different songs are chosen and walked through that process of male/female ranges while simultaneously employing that visual aid I mentioned above. Just a suggestion. Thank you for your time.

    Reply
    • Charmaine
      Charmaine on April 30, 2018 at 9:21 pm

      Hi Andrew! Thanks for the suggestion! 🙂

      Reply