AboutBill Pere Expertise Can answer questions on : Technical aspects of lyric and music compostion; How to give and receive objective critique; Arranging and production; Concrete vs abstract imagery; Use of metaphor; Rhyme techniques; Song Structure; Collaboration; Songwriter Associations; Promotion; Guitar technique;
Experience President of the Connecticut Songwriters Association; Named Independent Artist of the Year,by the 2003 national Independent Music Conference; 30 years as a professional singer-songwriter; 13 original CD's released;
Have had songs placed on other artists' CD's. Twice named Connecticut Songwriter of the Year.
15 years as Executive Director of the LUNCH Ensemble. Have attended more than 200 presentations by top industry professionals and have critiqued thousands of songs. Have written and produced dozens of stage plays and hundreds of concert events; Have coached hundreds of aspiring songwriters, and collaborated with several award winning writers. Have written commissioned songs as an Official Connecticut State Troubadour. Music Director of youth choirs and music camps.
Organizations Connecticut Songwriters Association (President); LUNCH Ensemble (Local United Network to Combat Hunger -- Exec, Director); CMEA (Connecticut Music Educators Association); Folk Alliance; Association For Psychological Type; Songsalive;
Education/Credentials Masters Degree Molecular Biology; Certified MBTI Practitioner (Myers Briggs Type Indcator); Connencticut Secondary Public School Teaching Cerftificate;
Awards and Honors Independent Artist of the Year, (2003 national Indie Conference); Official Connecticut State Troubadour, appointed by CT Commission on the Arts, 1995 ; 1982 and 1992 CT Songwriter of the Year; 2000 Award for 20 years of Outstanding Service to Songwriters;
2002 CSA Award for Outstanding Contribution to Education through Music; Numerous awards for outstanding community outreach through music; 1997 Citation from Connecticut Legislature for exemplary dedication to community outreach through music. 1995 Renaissance Award for multiple music achievments in a single year. Invited Presenter and Mentor at various Music Conventions
Expert: Bill Pere Date: 4/27/2008 Subject: Chord theory, vocals and song writing
Question Hi Bill
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 Lennar,
Hi - thanks for your questions - I'll answer those that can be dealt with in the short space given here. I have recommended some books at the end which will help you. These arer all very good questions and show that you are thinking about the right things.
<<1)Is there such a thing as the best key for your voice, What is the correct to find that?>>
Yes, every voice has a most comfortable range. To find it, play the "A" on the guitar (2nd fret G string) and sing "laa-laa-laa-laa" in full voice matching that note. It should feel comfortable for most voices. Then, go higher one fret and do the same thing - keep going up one fret at a time until you can no longer comfortably sing the note (you may get up to the F, G, or A on the high e-string and then feel like you need to switch into falsetto, and then you can continue higher). After you find your highest comfortable note, go back to the starting "A" and go lower, one fret at a time. Do this a couple of times to find the consistent upper and lower ends. That is your range, and you should be able to sing any song that is within it. (it 's the notes in the song that matter most, not the exact key)
The average voice can sing about an octave and a fifth; Example: From the C -(3rd fret A-string) to the C (1st fret B-string) - that's one octave, and then up to the G( 3rd fret high E string), that's the fifth. Singing in the key of G, C, or F, D would generally work out in that range. You could sing in any key where your range covers at least one full octave.
<<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? >>
Tenor is the higher male voice, baritone sits in the middle, and bass is the lowest.
Tenor is usually C below middle C to C above middle C with falsetto break around A.
Baritone is usually 2 G's below middle C with the falsett break around F above middle C.
Bass is usually 2 C's below middle-c with a falsetto break around D above middle C.
This of course varies a few notes either way depending on each individual.
<<3)Are there certain chords that are better for your voice and how do you found out which ones are? >>
Once you know from above what your range is, you then know what the best keys are (any that give you at least one full octave) and then you know what chords are in that key from the Circle of Fifths (If you don't know the circle of fifths, look it up in any basic music theory book. It is essential for any songwriter to know. )
<<4) Should you start songs in different chords for variation.>>
Definitely. Start on different chords and in different keys, and the chorus and bridge should start on a different chord from the verses and from each other.
<<5)Is there something like “power acoustic chords?>>
A power chord is just an open fifth interval, on any instrument. The difference is the style in which you play it. Power chords, because there are just 2 notes, are somewhat limiting, as opposed to 3,4, and 5-note chords that offer many more harmonic possibilities.
<<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? >>
Open-D tuning is a convenience when playing in any of the keys that contain the note D, like D or G, so that the open low string can just ring and be in the key. The advantages of open tunings is that they can let you play more strings with less finger work. The disadvantage is that you don't learn to do more complex fingerings that work in normal tuning.
<<7)What the difference in terms of singing on power chords as apposed to singing on more fuller technical chords.>>
With full chords, you have additional notes to harmonize with or to provide melodic guidance. Power chords have no 3rd, thus by themselves, they give no sense of major or minor. When you add thirds, 7ths, Major 7th, 9th, s etc., you get so much more harmony to sing with and put melodies over.
<<8)Do power chords have their equivalent in “normal chords”? >>
A power chord is just a standard major or minor chord without the third.
Add the third (learn the standard fingerings) and you can have many more options in how your songs will sound.
A power chord on the 3rd fret low-E has the 2 notes G and D. Add B (G-B-D) and you have a G major. Add Bb (G-Bb-D) and you have G-minor.
<<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? >>
2 reasons: 1) They are "Easy" to do and can be learned quickly without much effort or music knowledge 2) If using distortion, the wider space of the 5th interval gives more clarity to the 2 notes -- if you use a 3rd (smaller interval) with distortion, it will sound muddy in the low strings - however it would be okay on the higher strings.
Without distortion, a third on the lower strings will sound fine; if the notes are played individually rather than together then it's okay even 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? >>
Aside from the 'lazy' factor, you also are limited to certain fingerings and keys with open tuning. You can't play all the available chords or in all keys like you can with normal tuning.
<<11)Why is it easier to sing on fuller chords, why do I get much more melodically inspired? >>
Because you are hearing more notes and more harmonic possibilites in the full chords
(with thirds). Power chords and open tunings giving you just 2 notes with no other cues for directions that a melody can go.
<<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? >>
Yes - no problem either way. If going from power chords to normal chords, you have to make sure that you choose correctly between which are major and which are minor.
The melody will tell you that by looking at the thirds.
<<Are there other books or dvd video courses that you can recommend on the questions outlined above>>
You need to get a basic music theory book and learn:
Scales and keys
Intervals
Circle of fifths.
Make sure any book you get covers those things, and make sure you thoroughly know where every note is on the guitar. That is the absolute most important thing that unlocks the understanding for everything else.
Also, get this book:
"Melody in Songwriting: by Jack Perricone, Berklee Press.
And you can get songwriting articles at my website http://www.billpere.com (click Songwriters Tools)
Good luck to you in your writing and learning.
Bill Pere
President, CSA
Official CT State Troubadour
IMC Indie Artist of the Year
