Choir Parts (PLEASE HELP)

[playjeff]

(THANKS FOR THE POST T-BLOCK)  Im trying to figure out the chior parts, I went over this song with the chior and they feel that the soprano part is to high... I taught the parts as written below. Do you think they its to high... Please advise....What do you think?

Praise Is What I Do” by Shekinah Glory Ministry
Key of Eb   LH/RH   comma w/single notes   *means optional

Part 1:

      / Eb,F
Eb / Bb-Eb-G                                      Praise is
F,Gb / F,Eb                                         what I
G / F-Bb-Eb                                        do
   / Eb,D                                             when I
Ab / Eb-Ab-C                                      wanna be
Bb / F-Bb-D                                        close to
C / G-C-Eb                                         you
C / G-C-Eb (RH octave higher)             I
Bb / F-Bb-D                                        lift
Bb / Eb-Ab-C                                      my
Bb / D-G-Bb                                       hands
Bb / C-F-Ab                                        in
Eb / Bb-Eb-G (2nd time go to Part 2)    praise
    / Eb,D        (turnaround chords to go back to beginning)
F / Eb-Ab-C
G / F-Bb-D
Ab / Ab-C-Eb
Bb / Bb-D-F
 (repeat)

Part 2:

Eb / G-Bb-Eb                I
F / Ab-C-F                    vow
G / Bb-Eb-G                 to
Ab / Bb-Eb-G               praise
Ab / Ab-C-F                 you
*Ab,G,F,Eb / C,Bb,Ab,G (RH octave higher)  *optional filler run
D / C-F-Ab                   good
G / B-Eb-F-Bb, Ab         and the
C / Bb-Eb-G                 bad
B / A-D-Gb (filler)
Bb / Ab-Db-F                I'll
Ab / Bb-Eb-G                praise
Ab / Ab-C-F                  you
    / F,Eb                       whether
G / G-B-D                     ha-
A / A-C-Eb                    ppy
B / B-D-F                      or
C / G-C-Eb                   sad
Eb / Bb-Eb-G                 I'll
Ab / Bb-Eb-G                 praise
Ab / Ab-C-F                   you
    / F,G                         in
D / C-F-Ab                    all that
G / B-Eb-F-Bb, Ab          I go
C / Bb-Eb-G                  through
C / Ab-C-F                    be-
C / Bb-Eb-G                  cause
F / C-F-Ab                     praise
G / Bb-Eb-G                   is
A / A-C-Eb-*G                what
Bb / Ab-C-Eb                  I
Eb / G-Bb-Eb                  do
G / F-Bb-D
C / G-Bb-Eb
C / Ab-C-F                     'cause
C / Bb-Eb-G                   I
F / C-F-Ab                      owe
G / Bb-Eb-G                    it
C,B,Bb, / (hold previous chord)
A / A-C-Eb-*G                all
Bb / Ab-C-Eb                  to
Eb / G-Bb-Eb                  you

Part 3:

Eb / G-Bb-Eb                  Praise
Db / Ab-Db-F                  is
B / Bb-Eb-Gb                  what
Bb / Gb-Bb-Eb                I
Ab / B-Eb-Gb-Bb            do-
Db / Ab-Db-F-Ab            oo oo
Bb / Bb-Db-F-Ab             is what I do

Eb / Ab-Bb-Eb (bounce chord)    OR    G / F-Bb-Eb
Eb / G-Bb-Eb  (bounce chord)             F / Ab-Bb-Eb
                                                        Eb / G-Bb-Eb
 (repeat as many times as you like)

[T-Block]

(THANKS FOR THE POST T-BLOCK)  Im trying to figure out the chior parts, I went over this song with the chior and they feel that the soprano part is to high... I taught the parts as written below. Do you think they its to high... Please advise....What do you think?

See, that's where u messed up.  You don't learn choir parts from the music, u learn music to accompany the choir parts.  In order to get the parts u looking for, u have to listen to the song and follow each voice.  They may or (most likely) may not follow what the keyboard is playing.

[playjeff]

So the soprano part is not as high as the song is played or is it?

[SoundofJoy]

I had to lower the song for my choir (Db). You have to start them in unision then parts like on the CD. I'm back from trip and I'll do a Youtube video lesson detailing the song for choir parts.

[musallio]

I had to lower the song for my choir (Db). You have to start them in unision then parts like on the CD. I'm back from trip and I'll do a Youtube video lesson detailing the song for choir parts.

Welcome back SoundofJoy..I look forward to the vid..


T-Block, I love this..but I'm sure if I played it with our choir I'd have to lower it as well

[Virtuenow]

Instead of lowering the key, can't you just change the parts around?  For example, try a different inversion so that the soprano part is lowered?

[rspindy]

A quick glance looks like it would be too high (or too low) for the sopranos (I'm assuming that the melody is the note at the top of your chords.)

The general soprano range (tenor is about the same) is Middle C to the A an octave and a 6th higher.  For the most part, you want to keep the main singing in the octave around the middle of that range E to E.  A high G or high A would be the note at the climax.  The singer's voices will tire quickly (particularly if they are forcing it up to the high notes) if it hangs around that high part too much.

Similar is true if it hangs too close to the low end for too long. (It is not the strongest part of the range and it takes almost as much energy to sing at the low end as it does at the high end.)

Even though the low C and the high A are parts of their range, they shouldn't be overused.

It looks to me that if you were to do it in the key of G or Ab (somewhere around there), that would put the sopranos in their "sweet spot" for most of the song and allow some room for maneuvering to the high places and the low places.

Here are the approximate ranges for each part.  Note that tenor and baritone is about the same as soprano and alto -- just an octave lower.  When considering range, you want most of it to be in the central part.

Soprano:   Middle C to A above the next C.  (Octave and Maj. 6th)  -- Central Part  E - E
Alto:  A below middle C to E above next C. (Octave and 5th)  -- Central Part C - C
Tenor:  B below low C to G above middle C.  (Octave and Maj. 6th) -- Central Part  E - E
Baritone:  A below low C to E above middle C (Octave and 5th)  -- Central Part C - C
Bass:  F below low C to Middle C (Octave and 5th)  -- Central Part A - A

[T-Block]

A quick glance looks like it would be too high (or too low) for the sopranos (I'm assuming that the melody is the note at the top of your chords.)

That's just the thing, my chords have very little to do with the melody.  I just play the song and let the choir handle the singing.

Here are the choir parts according to the sheet music:

S         A         T

(unison)
G  Praise
G  is
F  what
Eb  I
Bb  do,
Eb  when
Eb  I
C  want
C  to
C  be
D  close
Eb  to
Eb  You,

C         G        Eb      I
Bb        F        D       lift
Ab,G     Eb      C       my
G         D        Bb     hands
F         C        Ab     in
Eb       Bb       G       praise,
(repeat, sub words for the correct ones)

Bb       G          Eb    and
Bb       G          Eb     I
C        Ab         F      vow
Eb       Bb         G      to
Eb       Bb         G      praise
C        Ab         F      You,

(unison)
F  through
Eb  the
D  good
Eb  and
F  the
Eb  bad,

Eb       Bb         G       I'll
Eb       Bb         G       praise
C        Ab         F       You,

(unison)
F  whe-
Eb  ther
D  ha-
Eb  ppy
F  or
Eb  sad,

Eb       Bb         G       I'll
Eb       Bb         G       praise
C        Ab         F       You,

(unison)
F, Eb  in
D  all
D  that
Eb  I
F  go
G  through,

C         Ab        F        be-
Eb        Bb       G         cause
F         C         Ab       praise
Eb       Bb        G         is
C,Bb    Ab        F,Eb     what
Bb       Ab        Eb        I
Bb       G          Eb       do-
C        Bb         F         ooo-
Eb       Bb        G          ooo,
C        Ab         F         cuz
Eb       Bb         G         I
F         C         Ab        owe
Eb        Bb        G         it
C,Bb     Ab        F,Eb     all
Bb        Ab        Eb        to
Bb        G          Eb        You,

(unison)
Eb  praise
F  is
Gb  what
Eb  I

Db       Bb        Gb         do-
Db       Ab        F           ooo,

(unison)
Eb  it's
Gb  what
Eb  I
Eb  do.

[Ladyn]

Instead of lowering the key, can't you just change the parts around?  For example, try a different inversion so that the soprano part is lowered?

I just wanted to respond to this particular idea.  While that seems to be a fix, it is not. There are many times if you do that you will lose the melody and end up with something that sounds nothing like the song.  If I changed the inversion of the voices then you will have a high harmony going on. Now at times this is fine and even desirable, but you really have to listen to the song to determine if it will work.  I have heard this done to the detriment of the song!! The best solution to the dilemma is to lower the key and keep the melody not on top NOT in the middle. 

[playjeff]

Thanks T-Block, you da man if I had I'd give you 40 grand

[SoundofJoy]

OK, video loaded and processing on Youtube. Should be ready for viewing in 5 min. I did a 10 min video clip detailing the unision melody line and three part harmony as I "hear" it. Some times others may hear the notes differently so this is my interpretation of the choir voicing that I taught my choir.

[SoundofJoy]

Here's the link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBygtyvdIro

[amandaag]

Pretty much T-Block solved all the problems. However, if you still find the notes to be too high even when you find out the choir notes, you can always lower the key.