Plea: Songs with small range

Subject: Plea: Songs with small range
From: Tony Burns
Date: 29 Dec 99 - 07:27 PM

Thank you Timbrel for the Plea: heading.

OK folks, how about some songs that those with a small (real or perceived) range can lead at a song circle? It is a reality that beginners are worried (amongst other things) that they can reach the notes at both extremes of a particualr song.

Hints for where to start could also help here. After all my years of screwing up Happy Birthday I learned that the first note is the lowest note in the song. What a valuable piece of information.

Subject: RE: Plea: Songs with small range
From: kendall
Date: 29 Dec 99 - 07:35 PM

how about "I ride old paint."

Subject: RE: Plea: Songs with small range
From: catspaw49
Date: 29 Dec 99 - 07:41 PM

Tony, I really don't think anyone objects to making song suggestions for you here, but to ask them to come with a stove, no matter what size, is simply outrageous. Where's your pride man? If you need a few bucks, Ok, but asking for a new range? What's next? A Cuisinart?

Spaw

Subject: RE: Plea: Songs with small range
From: emily rain
Date: 29 Dec 99 - 07:46 PM

"jubilee", as in "swing and turn, jubilee / live and learn, jubilee" has a very moderate range, though it jumps around a bit. starts near the top of its range.

ditto for "katy cruel", as in "when first i came to town / they called me the rovin' jewel".

don't worry about the fact that both of these songs are "supposed" to be sung by women. the first two versions i ever heard of "katy cruel" were sung by men, and beautifully. "jubilee" doesn't take too much adjustment to make it a guy song.

"mole in the ground" is great, too. it starts right at the middle of its range.

if you're into modern funny ones, "white collar holler" is perfect. starts near the top.

Subject: RE: Plea: Songs with small range
From: kendall
Date: 29 Dec 99 - 07:54 PM

how about."They cant keep me from singing" it is supposed to be done off key

Subject: RE: Plea: Songs with small range
From: KevinG
Date: 29 Dec 99 - 08:36 PM

"Kumbaya", if you have no pride.

Subject: RE: Plea: Songs with small range
From: catspaw49
Date: 29 Dec 99 - 09:38 PM

A beautiful love song by Pat Sky is "Love Will Endure" and is very narrow.......but I still ain't sendin' you no stove.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Plea: Songs with small range
From: _gargoyle
Date: 29 Dec 99 - 09:49 PM

What is the range?

Eight notes (an octave)

Five notes (a chord)

Tone Deaf....(new age chant)

Subject: RE: Plea: Songs with small range
From: Charlie Baum
Date: 29 Dec 99 - 10:16 PM

The Balkan song "Vrlichko Kolo" is a wonderful song in three part harmony for those with limited ranges: the entire song, all three parts, including harmony, fits within the range of an augmented third. It's the one that starts: "Mismo rekle zapevaste ovde..."

But perhaps it's not likely that your song circle is prepared to sing songs in South Slavic languages or learn the nuances of Balkan harmony and vocal production.

In that case, you will need to learn the chant: "We like to sing Gregorian chants because we only have a two note range." Most of the song is droned on one pitch, except that the word "note" goes down by two notes.

--Charlie Baum

Subject: RE: Plea: Songs with small range
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 29 Dec 99 - 10:30 PM

Shape note songs are known for their limited range, intentional to make them more accessible to the untrained masses at community sings. Check out the Sacred Harp book.

Subject: RE: Plea: Songs with small range
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 29 Dec 99 - 10:34 PM

Tony, when all else fails, "The One Note Samba".
Got your message. Did you get mine? I spoke to someone at your place at about noon.
Rick

Subject: RE: Plea: Songs with small range
From: Ma
Date: 29 Dec 99 - 10:35 PM

Look at the old songs from back when people used to sing themselves. Bye Bye Blackbird, Roll a Silver Dollar, Johnny Comes Marching Home (and the Irish version) My Home's in Montana, I got Spurs Jingle Jangle Jingle, El Paso (if you want to go Crazy) Down By The Riverside, America The Beautiful, I Wish I Were Single Again. Jerry Silverman put out a Folk Song Ency. in two volumes and didn't miss many. The trick isn't range. It's finding the Key to sing in...and it's almost never the one the song is printed in. That's for the publisher's benefit so the printer can get the melody on the upper staff. Drop it a third or a fourth.

Subject: RE: Plea: Songs with small range
From: Sally
Date: 29 Dec 99 - 11:15 PM

Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey? Home on the Range. The Ash grove, On the Wings of A Dove; I Walk the Line. The Prisoner's Farewell, How Great Thou Art, Shall We Gather at the River, Morning Has Broken, The Sloop John B., Yellow Bird, Dream (when you're feeling blue, Tennessee Waltz, Blue Moon, Blue Skirt Waltz.

Subject: RE: Plea: Songs with small range
From: catspaw49
Date: 29 Dec 99 - 11:31 PM

What message Rick? Is the guy trying to get a stove off you too? I hear your oven's kinda fritzy though......

Spaw

Subject: RE: Plea: Songs with small range
From: MandolinPaul
Date: 30 Dec 99 - 12:53 AM

Hey Tony

J.J. Cale once said that he has a vocal range of about four tones. This makes his songs ideal for those of us with a limited range.

Paul.

Subject: RE: Plea: Songs with small range
From: _gargoyle
Date: 30 Dec 99 - 02:33 AM

The publisher's benefit....

I LIKE THAT....

it has always been a puzzelment...

why EVERTHING was not printed in C or it's relative minor.

Subject: RE: Plea: Songs with small range
From: Escamillo
Date: 30 Dec 99 - 02:43 AM

Tony, I would like to refer you to the many threads that have been discussed here about the singing voice. You may see the "Threads on the Singing Voice" If you have never taken classes on vocal technique, this may be very useful, and may produce a dramatic change.

I was an amateur singer as a bass/bariton with a range of one octave and two tones extension. After 150 1-hour classes (once a week) and good choral experience, now I'm a tenor (!) with a range of TWO octaves and TWO tones (which I never need, but makes a solid and WIDE center)
Perhaps you will never ask for a short range song again !
Yours, Andrés Magré

Subject: RE: Plea: Songs with small range
From: Escamillo
Date: 30 Dec 99 - 02:50 AM

I'm so sorry, Tony, now I see I misunderstood your request, and thought that those songs were requested for yourself. My recommendation still applies to beginners you may find.
Yours, Andres Magré (sorry)

Subject: RE: Plea: Songs with small range
From: Bert
Date: 30 Dec 99 - 09:39 AM

The Barley Mow.
The Old Sow Song.

Subject: RE: Plea: Songs with small range
From: Tiger
Date: 30 Dec 99 - 02:08 PM

Any song by Neil Diamond.

Subject: RE: Plea: Songs with small range
From: Neil Comer
Date: 31 Dec 99 - 10:04 AM

Try the song Erin og Bragh as sang by Dick Gaughan on the Album Handful of Earth

Subject: RE: Plea: Songs with small range
From: kendall
Date: 31 Dec 99 - 12:36 PM

that wouldn't be the famous Sally Jennings would it?

Subject: RE: Plea: Songs with small range
From: Frankie
Date: 01 Jan 00 - 10:41 AM

Tony, I think Ma's got the right idea. Finding the right key for your voice is important. I have a kind of limited vocal range as well (you ought to hear my yodelling attempts) but I'm able to sing most songs I want to by changing keys and using a capo when needed. Takes a lot of experimentation. Tough to beat mother's advice (also a great tune).

One easy to sing tune that most people know and love to sing is Freight Train but the problem is getting to it before someone else does. Good Luck, Frankie

Subject: RE: Plea: Songs with small range
From: Mountain Dog
Date: 01 Jan 00 - 11:12 AM

"The Gray Funnel Line" (or "Grey", if you prefer) works well for me at the end of a long night's singing. Relatively narrow range and plenty of room for others to harmonize.

Subject: RE: Plea: Songs with small range
From: Abby Sale
Date: 01 Jan 00 - 11:59 AM

That's one of the reasons I got into Scottish song. They generally have a limited range and, just as good, tend to be 5-tone so you don't have to mess with all those extra notes.

Subject: RE: Plea: Songs with small range
From: Pixie
Date: 01 Jan 00 - 07:07 PM

I like to open with "Carmelita" when I'm feeling shaky; also try some Gillian Welch tunes (Miner's Refrain is REALLY great!). Alot of her songs are "gender-free" if that's a concern.