Here is me playing in service...Higher Ground in Ab to A

[ddw4e]

This is when your ear have to come in....in situations where the soloist tends to climb up and you have to be able to hear it and change without stopping and not stopping to try to figure out where they at...

Higher Ground

Tell me what ya think!

[playhear]

Yeah, I don't think I could do that...yet.

Would you modulate up if you had a bunch of other instruments, like a guitarist, bassist, etc.? Or would you hang tight in Ab and pray for the singer to come back down to Ab? What would be the best way to handle that?

(By the way, I had to listen to this at a very low volume at work.)

[ddw4e]

Since I am comfortable with all my keys...it don't really bother me much...I can get around it..I probably have the band to play pretty low til I get that right key then gradually bring them back in.

[playhear]

I think I could do the modulating part. It's the part about playing in one key with the singer, hearing the singer go somewhere else, and then modulating smoothly to follow the singer. That’s the part that gets me. I guess it comes with practice and experience (?). I hear pianist do it, but they make it sound easier than it actually is. I have to admit, I’m not that experienced as a live pianist.