Picking keys for songs can be confusing. Do I just do what feels good for my voice? What if it feels good for my range but the other vocalists can't hit some of the notes? Should I try to put this song in the same key as the one before it so it doesn't interrupt the flow of worship?
The answer lies in the purpose of our singing. Singing is denoted throughout scripture as an act of worship. We are reminded to "sing to the Lord" throughout scripture. As musical worship leaders, it's our responsibility to give people the opportunity to worship God through music. We cannot force them to sing but we can remove any barriers that are keeping them from doing so. One of the largest barriers I've observed is the key of the song.
So what key should you put a song in? The one your congregation will actually be able to sing!
How do we find that key? First, we need to know the average range of our congregation. People much smarter than I am have found that the range of an average singer is between a low Bb (1st fret of the A string on a guitar) and a high Eb (6th fret of the G string on a guitar). Therefore, our aim should be to place the melody of the song somewhere between those two extremes.
This is how you do it: First, learn how to play the melody of the song on your instrument. This may take a while to figure out at first but as you do it more often you'll get faster at it.
Next, note where the highest note of the melody and the lowest note of the melody fall. If they lay outside of a low Bb (1st fret of the A string on a guitar) or a high Eb (6th fret of the G string on a guitar), you need to change the key of the song.
Finally, move the melody around until the range of the song falls within the average range of the congregation.
Worship leaders, it is not our job to "sound the best we can sound" at the expense of congregational participation. Give your congregation the opportunity to participate in singing by removing the barrier of song key even if it means you don't sound as good as you can.
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