When you teach a song...

[temejo1]

...do you:

1. teach it exactly like the song on the CD?
2. change the key to fit the choir?
3. deviate from the song or add alternate ending?

Just curious...I'll tell what I do later in the thread.

[dcrosby]

Good question. Most of the time I try to stay true to the artist and teach it exactly like it is. If need be I'll make minor adjustments. Sometimes when I'm teaching a song, other things may come to me. Depending on how receptive the choir is, I may teach what I hear.

[Formuzik]

Because I am an arranger at heart, I never do a song just like the cd.  I also like to encourage my people to make songs their own.  If I wanted to hear Hezikiah Walker, I'll play the cd.  I want to hear what my choir can do with the song.  Also we don't always like the instrumentation used on a song.  Other times it may be technical.  I have real brass players, while many recordings use keyboards.  Some of what they are playing on keys are impossible to do with real brass because of breathing or the range of the instruments themselves. 

For me, substance should always preceed style.  Many great worship songs are missed because we always hear it and never think what can be done to make that song paletable to our congregation.  If a song is too vanilla, I might spice it up rythmically; at other times, it may be too busy, I then might clean it up some.  The important thing is that I expand my people beyond their own comfort zone.  I may think like this because I work in a church that is purposely pursing a goal of being multicultural.

[betnich]

Okay, sometimes I'm guilty of changing the key or arrangement...and I've been known to "gospelize" a mainstream praise chorus from time to time...

 

[T-Block]

For the most part, I teach it just like the CD until it is obvious that my choir can't sing it that way.  Then, I get into creative mode and change some stuff to fit them.

[brodonny]

CO-SIGN.T-BLOCK

[LaylaMonroe]

For the most part, I teach it just like the CD until it is obvious that my choir can't sing it that way.  Then, I get into creative mode and change some stuff to fit them.

That's my preference.

For the record, I don't direct anymore, but when I did, I always taught exactly how it was on CD unless the choir couldn't do it.

I tend to dislike it when someone changes a song too much, especially if the changes aren't better than the original.

[Big T.]

For the most part, I teach it just like the CD until it is obvious that my choir can't sing it that way.  Then, I get into creative mode and change some stuff to fit them.

That's the way a real pro does it.

[blesedone1]

yeah...same as T-block every song you think is easy to learn and pickup never really is.

[kidschoir]

Since I teach a youth choir with children ranging from 4 - 14, I normally change the song to fit the ages/voice ranges and (occasional tone deafness) of the choir members.

[momuzik]

Most times, we change from the CD. I may invert parts where the sopranos won't necessarily carry the melody. Sometimes I'll even change keys cause their all complaining "it's too high". I'll even change the intros and endings because sometimes on CDs they can get elaborate. We only have a keyboard and a drummer trying to duplicate a big band, so we have to make changes. Sometimes we'll even change some of the words if it'll help the PT flow better.
Believe me, the changes we make help us to sound better than if we tried to stick with the original.

[jgause2]

For the most part, I teach it just like the CD until it is obvious that my choir can't sing it that way.  Then, I get into creative mode and change some stuff to fit them.

I agree.  Occasionally, i will lower a song a half-step or two, for the songs that may be out of reach for our choir/praise team, or I may invert the choir parts.

[slburks]

I prefer to teach it verbatim, but my choir only rehearses once a week, and they have to learn an A and B, so music has to be very easy and learnable in one session. That rules out most gospel recordings, unless I simplify them. So I often do.

[phatstrings]

I agree.  Occasionally, i will lower a song a half-step or two, for the songs that may be out of reach for our choir/praise team, or I may invert the choir parts.

 Same here. I might also creatively add a Vamp that i know our congregation will love.

[zeph1]

Okay, sometimes I'm guilty of changing the key or arrangement...and I've been known to "gospelize" a mainstream praise chorus from time to time...

 

don't feel bad, i do it all the time.
but i do try and find different arrangments of the same song

z

[HOLLINGS]

I usually change the key to the person's voice that will be leading the song.

[Jfan]

For me I think it is a good idea to follow the path of the original CD provided you can, but there is no sense it trying to go the same way as the CD when you know the efficiency is not there. You can step it up if you can but dropping it is a bit awkward. But if I may ask, why does our Gospel Artist go so complex most of the time?

[momuzik]

... But if I may ask, why does our Gospel Artist go so complex most of the time?

I would guess because they can - "they got it like that". They have the skills, the expertise, the equipment and the cream-of-the-crop singers and musicians.

[betnich]

For me I think it is a good idea to follow the path of the original CD provided you can, but there is no sense it trying to go the same way as the CD when you know the efficiency is not there. You can step it up if you can but dropping it is a bit awkward. But if I may ask, why does our Gospel Artist go so complex most of the time?

Generally (w/some exceptions) the more commercialized, the more complex the arrangement and orchestration...

[jane68]

WHEN TEACHING A SONG--- I USUALLY START OFF TEACHING LIKE THE ORIGINAL-BUT MOST OF THE TIME THE SONG HAS TO BE SIMPLIFIED. I ALREADY KNOW THE KEY RANGE OF MY CHOIR.-SO I USUALLY CHANGE THE KEY.  I ALMOST ALWAYS HAVE TO CHANGE OR REARRANGE THE BRIDGE. SOME SONGS I REALLY LOVE AND THEN AT THE END- IT TURNS 360 DEGRESS. I ALWAYS TRY TO PLAY THE INTRODUCTION OF THE SONG AS RECORDED-SO AT LEAST THE PEOPLE KNOW WHAT WE ARE ABOUT TO ATTEMPT!!!!!