The Right Key for the Production of "Love Song"
Please take a moment to listen to the original version.
"Love Song" by Sara Bareilles
https://www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=qi7Yh16dA0w
Before proceeding it's an essential part of our jobs as musicians to understand what this song is actually about! To help us with this here's an excerpt from an article by The Huffington Post in which Sara Bareilles explains the motivation behind "Love Song"
https://www(dot)huffpost(dot)com/entry/sara-bareilles-story-behind-love-song_n_560fdd34e4b0768127023ecd
Keeping all of this important context in mind, let's listen to the three different cover versions sung by singer Michael Martinez. As you do, consider the five elements posted below as you decide which key best maximizes the emotion of the lyrics and the meaning of the song (note that these are for you to consider but not to answer in this activity's submission):
What is the overarching emotional goal of the song?
What are the emotional goals of each section within it?
What are the lowest and highest notes the musician is able to sing or play?
How do the musician's voice and sound change and feel in their low, mid, and high registers?
If working with a singer, I assess where the transition point is between their "head voice" and "falsetto."
(Note that Michael's proposed key is the version in Db major. The subsequent two version in Eb and F major, were suggested by other professionals)
Considering this scenario with you, answer and submit the following activity questions:
Which version do you deem maximizes the emotion of the lyrics and the meaning of the song?
Is it the original proposed version in Db major, proposed by Michael, or is it the versions in Eb or F, proposed by a professional?
Which one do you feel is the "right" key for your production of this song as interpreted by Michael Martinez?
Choosing the Best Key
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Choosing the Best Key
The Db version maximizes the emotion of the entire lyrics by having some ambient sound. At some point, this "love song" by Sara Bareilles can be termed a clever song. The record label under which Sara was working had pushed her to write a good love song which Sara found more pressing and harder. By the way, Sara Bareilles was unwilling to write any such kind of song since, according to her, the song was unrelated to her personal style. To Sara, she wanted to express herself in her way and remain true to her style. The label insists she writes a love song...