Are Tranposers Musicians?

[musallio]

yo no se.

Ok, i think it's all in this thread. Yo man, wyh do yuo repsond in Marandin?

[Metronome]

Wow!

In all sincerity ,most of the people here
condemning people who use transpose button
are the ones who need re-orientation in their psyche.

1st of all, consider the fact that the transposer guy

may not even have enough time to rehearse songs in all keys.

So what do u expect him to do? He should back off the keyboard on sunday cos he

doesn't know how to play the song in its original key; c'mon guys.

Its very possible the guy doesn't know much about theory on how to play several keys and BTW all of u crying that a TRANSPOSER is this or that... How many people can boldly point to you and say thank God becos you helped developed their play


Don't have much to say for now but let us learn to address issues as they are.

God bless

But at the same time why does a musician get a free pass?? Does the preacher get a pass for preaching the same message everysunday just using different words??

Transposing is the worst crutch of all time.  You get nowhere fast using it.  BEcause EVERYONE ive ever know to transpose has had that "oh crap" moment where they got publically blasted...

You wanna be a beast? stop transposing

You wanna do ya church justice? stop transposing

You wanna have a sense of fulfillment at the end  then come back to LGM and be like "yall told me so"?

STOP TRANSPOSING!!!!!

[T-Block]

But at the same time why does a musician get a free pass?? Does the preacher get a pass for preaching the same message everysunday just using different words??

Transposing is the worst crutch of all time.  You get nowhere fast using it.  BEcause EVERYONE ive ever know to transpose has had that "oh crap" moment where they got publically blasted...

You wanna be a beast? stop transposing

You wanna do ya church justice? stop transposing

You wanna have a sense of fulfillment at the end  then come back to LGM and be like "yall told me so"?

STOP TRANSPOSING!!!!!

A-to-da-Mezen!!!

[aerhodes]

Since this is a question geared toward the individual to answer for themselves, yall already know what I'm gonna say:  REAL MUSICIANS PLAY IN EVERY KEY!!!

So, to answer the question, transposers are not REAL musicians.  They are still "musicians" to some degree, but outside of their key, they are "fakers".  In the past I've said that transposers aren't musicians at all, but I have to take that one back.

The way I approached this question is with attitude, heart, behavior, and all that stuff aside.  I looked strictly at playing ability.  Like 4hisglory said, if u can play in only one key and u do just that, then u are in fact a REAL musician, who at that particular point in time can only play in one key.  As soon as u hit dat T-button, u cross the line into the "faker" category for that particular key.  Does that make sense to anyone?

I truly find all the responses interesting especially this one.  I can speak from experience as a Minister of Music, it’s often frustrating when you have someone who has to transpose everything, but on the other hand I have had even worst experiences with nasty musicians who can play in every key. I think a real musician is someone who realizes the that the craft is never perfected and is a stage that always changes as time progress. I had a unique situation recently. A young man came to my service and he was a transposer but he could read music. I have another music who could play in every key but couldn't read a thing. So who is the real musician? A music major who can't play the piano in every key but plays every other instrument in the band well and reads music or a man who plays in every key with ease but can’t read a note? So when you speak of ability, what defines the borders of what musical ability  to say what a REAL musician is?

[under13]

I truly find all the responses interesting especially this one.  I can speak from experience as a Minister of Music, it’s often frustrating when you have someone who has to transpose everything, but on the other hand I have had even worst experiences with nasty musicians who can play in every key. I think a real musician is someone who realizes the that the craft is never perfected and is a stage that always changes as time progress. I had a unique situation recently. A young man came to my service and he was a transposer but he could read music. I have another music who could play in every key but couldn't read a thing. So who is the real musician? A music major who can't play the piano in every key but plays every other instrument in the band well and reads music or a man who plays in every key with ease but can’t read a note? So when you speak of ability, what defines the borders of what musical ability  to say what a REAL musician is?

good question. It really depends on the arena your in. But in the black church, you need to be able to know every key and know it with confidence. Example: I was at a funeral today, and the guy playing for the soloist (she sang "the battle is not yours") was reading the music instead of playing by ear. All throughout her solo he was flipping pages back and forth, and I guess he didnt have em in the right order, but when she modulated, he couldnt keep up at all, probably because he was lost in the music.  and knowing him, I just knew that would happen

I just share that to show that in many situations reading and not being able to transpose (the real way)  is a hinderance, and in some situations not being able to read music and will be a hinderance. So like I said, it depends on the environment you are playing in.

IMO a real real musician is one who is versatile and is able to read and play by ear (without hitting the T button)

[musallio]

Agreemento U13. Im in a new church now & the current player is taking advantage of fact that im available for now, today he told me to up the game and learn all their songs with very weird progressions. So when learning the songs i use notes, but at church there are no notes & i allow the lead singer to start the song in any key because their biggest problem is an inability to keep the key you give them-hence another aspect of the importance of versatility. 70% of the time its E or F!

Another problem: when the choir guys write the key a song was sung in, they write '-3', meaning i have to check each time if da guy is playing in G or some other key. The least someone transposing can do is call a key by its name, not minus this,plus that etc.

peace fam.

[kodacolor]

Hi musallio!  ^_^  Long time, no see!  How's it going?

[musallio]

Hi musallio!  ^_^  Long time, no see!  How's it going?

Hi Koda

Yeah, it's been a sad period for me--I was away from practising, playing & more importantly, my fam!!

I finally managed to settle in this new place, couriered my board, identified a church where I could assist in the music department etc.
I'm glad to see that you guys are still keeping the family strong.

Saying I missed you guys really isn't enough to express my grief- you guys are really my heartbeat!


To everyone who has not seen this, please download & read.  I was really assessing my areas of lack as I read through it.
I know soon enough I'll be as good as you Koda

[kodacolor]

Hi Koda

Yeah, it's been a sad period for me--I was away from practising, playing & more importantly, my fam!!

I finally managed to settle in this new place, couriered my board, identified a church where I could assist in the music department etc.
I'm glad to see that you guys are still keeping the family strong.

Saying I missed you guys really isn't enough to express my grief- you guys are really my heartbeat!


To everyone who has not seen this, please download & read.  I was really assessing my areas of lack as I read through it.
I know soon enough I'll be as good as you Koda

IRT the part in bold:  Praise God!

Thanks for the link! I hope to start reading it in depth sometimes this week, but not today because I have a short story to finish writing for class that I need to email in by the end of the night. 

[robdown]

To everyone who has not seen this, please download & read.  I was really assessing my areas of lack as I read through it.
I know soon enough I'll be as good as you Koda

that's a real good read! thanks for sharing!!

[musallio]

Koda:

I hope you aced that story & get a 1st sis


RobD:

I'm glad if you find it useful- I just get excited & want to share when I see something that could potentially make someone better in anything good 

[sonicfoxbody]

But at the same time why does a musician get a free pass?? Does the preacher get a pass for preaching the same message everysunday just using different words??

Transposing is the worst crutch of all time.  You get nowhere fast using it.  BEcause EVERYONE ive ever know to transpose has had that "oh crap" moment where they got publically blasted...

You wanna be a beast? stop transposing

You wanna do ya church justice? stop transposing

You wanna have a sense of fulfillment at the end  then come back to LGM and be like "yall told me so"?

STOP TRANSPOSING!!!!!

I can admit, I'm not the best organist out there by far but, I can play in every key. However, I don't like to play in some keys. We all know that every one of us musicians out there have our comfort keys. On to the reason for my post;

About being blasted, lol (the reason for my post). I had a guy who played the keys usually took him a while to catch on to a song but when he got it he got (or at least it seemed). My guitar player always told me "I think that dude is transposing" But I never knew for sure since he sat on the other side of the church. Finally we went on program to another church, the day before the pastor called me and wondered why this guy always have to take his keyboard with him, I didn't have an answer. We get to the other church and there's no room for him to add his keyboard in the crammed musicians area. Comes to find out he could only play in Eb. The pastor referred to him as an embarrassment. He was nothing without that button.



On a side note, I usually open a can of worms with this one, if I'm expected to play in every key I think real singers should be able to sing in every key.

[T-Block]

On a side note, I usually open a can of worms with this one, if I'm expected to play in every key I think real singers should be able to sing in every key.

This is open for debate cuz some peole don't have the voice range to sing a song like it's supposed to be sung in every key. On the keyboad u can play in every key cuz it's available. With voices, u can only work wit what u got and that's it.

[musallio]

I think a real musician is one who does not try to pretend he is something he's not.

I love that. But I think that delves more into the question of character. But a very different & solid perspective to it.

[Fenix]

Just...die!!!!

[FenderJazzGuy]

WOW, I just happened upon this topic. Let me give my situation. Im truly a bass player. I started going to a church that has a full band. The only slot that was open was secondary keys. Now, being a musician I could either sit back and not play since the bass chair was taken. Or, play keys since im decent in Db. Well I tool the keys route. a few weeks later the main keyboardist decided to leave the church. So now im the only keyboardist. I'd much rather be playing bass but Im was more needed on keys. I transpose every Sunday. There are a few songs I can play in Eb but mostly in Db. I do have some knowledge in theory because of playing bass but I still lean to transposing. At my church we do alot of songs with the 1 4 5 and occasional minor 6 progressions. So I can play some songs in a few of the white keys but when It comes to flowing in worship, I can only do that in Db. Am I wrong? My heart really is not in playing keys so I just do what I can. I do sometimes feel I need to practice in all the keys but then I feel like I'm taking practice away from my bass.

[ibili365]

Yes and no.

Yes- see midi's answer + I think God would rather use a transposer with a heart for worship, than a "beast" with a bad attitude and a poor relationship with Relationship with him.
 

No- If you've been playing piano for 5, 10, 20 years, and you cant sit down on a real piano or organ and play in whatever key is thrown at you, then you evidently dont take playing seriously

Get a point

[musallio]

WOW, I just happened upon this topic. Let me give my situation. Im truly a bass player. I started going to a church that has a full band. The only slot that was open was secondary keys. Now, being a musician I could either sit back and not play since the bass chair was taken. Or, play keys since im decent in Db. Well I tool the keys route. a few weeks later the main keyboardist decided to leave the church. So now im the only keyboardist. I'd much rather be playing bass but Im was more needed on keys. I transpose every Sunday. There are a few songs I can play in Eb but mostly in Db. I do have some knowledge in theory because of playing bass but I still lean to transposing. At my church we do alot of songs with the 1 4 5 and occasional minor 6 progressions. So I can play some songs in a few of the white keys but when It comes to flowing in worship, I can only do that in Db. Am I wrong? My heart really is not in playing keys so I just do what I can. I do sometimes feel I need to practice in all the keys but then I feel like I'm taking practice away from my bass.

Answer a brother guys

I really think that you shouldn't really be cracking your head over playing in all keys- because:
i) Your heart is not really into playing keys/ the piano- you're merely filling a "temp" gap.
ii) You have bass to practice, which is more aligned to your goals and vision- just make sure you master that
iii) Most importantly, the service is able to flow because of your ability to play in Db.

But

Mna, if you can make means, do try to learn all the keys- in case you end up falling in love with them & playing them for the next 50 years

[DREICO]

now this subject has been going on for a very long time... So let the transposer say something!!!! Yes i transpose and i love to do it. AS A MATTER OF FACT IM GLAD MY MOTIF CAME WITH A TRANSPOSE BUTTON>>> but currently imlearning to play in other keys thanks to LGM and the family. Some of us musicians have no choice to transpose, because you have other musicians in your city that dont help and love to criticize. But in time I'll be one of the musicians who doesnt transpose anymore. But i will never say a transposer is not a real musican, because i look at the way God taught me to play. He had to make it simple, but through his Favor im now ready to grow. IN LEAVING I ASK ANOTHER QUESTION>> people who drive automatics instead of sticks..are they real drivers? JUst because someone chooses to use the technology doesnt make them any less than anyone else.. SO i thank the Lord for those of you who dont transpose, because you continue to set the standards that keep us fake musicians try to be real!!!!

LOL:)

[under13]

N LEAVING I ASK ANOTHER QUESTION>> people who drive automatics instead of sticks..are they real drivers? JUst because someone chooses to use the technology doesnt make them any less than anyone else.. SO i thank the Lord for those of you who dont transpose, because you continue to set the standards that keep us fake musicians try to be real!!!!

LOL:)

I see where you are going, but I think thats different. Driving is not an art or a craft to most people. Now if you said "race car driver" then yes, if they cant drive a stick, they arent a real driver.

I dont think most people have problems with casual players who transpose, but when you are a pro, you are supposed to know your craft, and playing in every key is one of the most basic parts of playing. the bible said for musicians to play skillfully, not just play any old way.