AboutChuck Expertise I am a professional musician, I can play by ear, I arrange music write music, teach music in the public school system, and teach privately. My father was a school music teacher, and I have written three volumes for teaching beginning string players, taking them from scratch to high school level. I have performed in a local production of Music Man (musical) with celebrities John Davidson/Susan Watson and have my masters degree in education. I retired from the classroom in 2004 with 38 yrs. experience-now still substituting for music- and writing arr. for my cello trio(with two audio cd's and one dvd of a performance)
I have directed church choirs and am principal cellist in our local community orchestra. I really love to arrange music for the groups I perform in and sing and have music in my life every day. A day without music, is a mistake, like having a day without sunshine.
Experience Employment history: I have been employed by our local school district since 1967 as a music teacher from grades 1-12 Organizations: I play cello principal chair in the local community orchestra, and sing in a chorus,and perfom in a barbershop quartet
Education: My early life in high school and college was summer workshops in choral conducting with founder of Westminster Choir College (N.J.) Dr. John F.Williamson (in Who`s Who in Music) and summer workshops with Robert Shaw in San Diego Grad. of Sacramento STate Univ.and masters from Univ. of La VErne, ca
Awards: awarded the Bank of America award in my high school senior year for music
Expert: Chuck Date: 4/27/2008 Subject: Chord theory, vocals and song writing
Question Hi Chuck
1)Is there such a thing as the best key for your voice, What is the correct to find that?
2)How do you know what voice you have, like a tenor or bass etc and how do you know in which key you sing?
3)Are there certain chords that are better for your voice and how do you found out which ones are?
4) Should you start songs in different chords for variation.
5)Is there something like “power acoustic chords?
6)Why do people use open d tuning, why not normal chords. Is it because it much easier to press the chords? What are the disadvantages, if any of playing open whatever tuning?
7)What the difference in terms of singing on power chords as apposed to singing on more fuller technical chords.
8)Do power chords have their equivalent in “normal chords”?
9)Why do people use power chords and not all just normal chords. Is it just for the sound that a power chord gives you with distortion. Why not play a normal chord with distortion?
10)Is there a disadvantage of open tuning as appose to normal tuning, the price you pay for being to lazy to learn normal chords?
11)Why is it easier to sing on fuller chords, why do I get much more melodically inspired?
12)If a song was written with power chords and vocal melody was created with the power chords can that vocal melody be transferred to “normal” chords, and visa versa?
. Are there other books or dvd video courses that you can recommend on the questions outlined above.
Thanks a million. It is much appreciated
Lenner
Answer Lenner:
HI< usually I get ONE question and take a page to answer, but you have a PAGE of questions for me, so I really can't see myself answering each one in detail- and taking up to 12 pages to answer them, so I'll give you a short answer- and if you requre more information, then you can pick which question you would like 'in depth' information about .
1) Key's are related to the MOOD of the song, and your voice should sing songs that lie in your vocal 'range'. You need to learnn what your ''good singing range '' is and choose a key that will keep that song in that range of notes. Eg. if you picked a range from c-c and the song had a range of G-G then you'd pick the KEY OF F (IF THE PIECE WERE ''WRITTEN IN KEY OF C'')TO sing that song in.(ask a musician if you dont get it)
2) Your vocal ''quality'' determines your voice part. Most amateurs pick your vocal ''part '' based on your 'range' (even if you are untrained and have a 'limited' range. Your ''vocal LIFT' is the key to knowing what PART you sing.
4) Starting a song in different chords? that would be up to your pianist, or score chart? No there is no need to just ''because'' pick a different chord to start a song.
3) Better chords for your voice? That is a new thought, -? NO !
5) POWER ACOUSTIC CHORDS? There can be 'any' name you wish to use to describe a chord. The world of 'music' uses the traditional terms so that the ''language'' of music is more universal. People in the local sector are making up their own language on music concepts all the time. I don't know what a ''power'' chord is. I HAVE CHECKED WITH MY FRIEND- PROFESSIONAL GUITARIST- AND THE WORD' POWER'' IS AN ENHANCEMENT OF THE ELECTRIC GUITAR 0NLY ON THE SOUND TO BRING OUT DISTORTION- ACOUSTIC INSTRUMENTS HAVE NO ELECTRIC POWER, HENCE NO ''POWER'' CHORDS-
6) String players tune their instruments by tuning THE STRING THAT IS PLAYED ON (hence open strings) That insures that the rest of your fingers on that string will also be playing IN TUNE NOTES- this is the ONLY WAY to get good intonation- IT IS NOT DONE BECAUSE of 'ease or difficulty'' .
7)You are asking a question based on 'terms' i dont know- In books and classes, musicians use traditional terms, not terms related to a particular genre of players-.
8) Again, terms you ask about , I dont know how to relate to them. Describe a power chord? What are the notes, how is it used in the progression- what is it's place in a song? THE POWER CHORD HAS MORE VOLUME ADDED TO THE NORMAL CHORD MAKING IT DISTORT AND -LIKE BLOWING OUT THE SPEAKERS- IT HAS MORE POWER TO THE CHORD FROM THE INCREASED VOLUME, THE CHORD IS THE SAME,- THE VOLUME LEVEL IS GREATER- SO IT IS CALLED A POWER CHORD- A TERM ONLY USED FOR DISTORTION CHORD SOUNDS ON THE ELECTRIC GUITAR
9)You are asking another question related to power chords? and DISTORTION- I ASSUME FOR A GUITAR? I don't live in the world of guitar players. I have a friend who does, I can ask. I ASKED HIM AND THE PREVIOUS ANSWER IS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW. THE WORLD OF ROCK SOUNDS TAKE EVEN NICE QUALITY SOUNDING INSTRUMENTS (ACOUSTIC ONES) AND DISTORT THEM TO PRODUCE THE ''ROCK'' SOUND- MAKING IT MORE PERCUSSIVE INSTEAD OF MUSICAL- SORTA LIKE HITTING A GARBAGE CAN INSTEAD OF ACTUAL PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS- -MAKES A ''SOUND'' JUST NOT A QUALITY SOUND-
10)Open string tuning IS NORMAL TUNING.
11) Fuller chords: are sounding all the notes you can choose from to ad lib on as opposed to hearing only a few notes and JUST KNOWING what the other notes are without actually hearing them being played.
12) I don't for one second 'assume' that POWER CHORDS are not normal chords- just instead a term to appeal to ''people learning'' to make a dramatic comment about the IMPORTANCE of some chords over others. Actually there are chords that are very little used by most amateurs that are so very effective in getting the listener to relate to the music- but they are more involved than the easy chords being played in most rock and R & B bands.
chuck (thanks for the questions- some of them you'll have to ask elsewhere I suppose- so sorry)
