Since I'm not a real musician who knows and understand musical notation and things like that, I'm not ashamed to ask something that is in my mind for so long. What defines the vocal key inside a song? I mean, for my ears I don't really think that some rappers (just for example) sing in the right key.
Let me take for example Lil Wayne or 2 Chainz. The whole track behind their voices sounds good, but I don't think their voices are really in tune.
So, for my untrained ears, are they really singing in tune, and if they are, what defines that? Or what are they following inside the songs to know they are in tune?

Thanks.

 

rap (rhythm and poetry) doesn't really involve the artist being in a certain key, since it's percussive speech (if they're really rapping).

i also rap/rhyme, and never did i have to tune myself to a track, or the track tuned to me. i've rapped to all different kinds of beats, made in different keys/root notes/whatever/etc. those rules don't really apply.

with rap, it's about the performance of the vocal & how clear you get your message across...and being on count. timing is more important than just abt anything else in regards to the art of emceeing. delivery should be a tight 2nd. some might say different, but they may also have a different interpretation/understanding of what rap music/hip-hop culture really is.

 

The music that is being played around it, (within it's own context), is what defines the key. If there is no music, i.e. a capella, then harmonic analysis of their singing melody would yield the key of the song.

Technically speaking, everyone speaks and converses in varying pitches. What makes a song, "a song," is establishing a context of rhythm and harmony.

You're correct, most aren't aware of being in key or can't execute it, others can. But that idea is obvious by the fact that Autotune is so popular in certain genres these days.

Your last question is it's own answer. Yes, one would have to follow what the song is doing in order to be in key what that song. Otherwise, what point would be the point of singing over that particular piece of music. But you don't need music theory to answer such general questions. A little deductive reasoning goes a long way.

 

As an aside, it's possible to be on pitch and still be off key. Although people tend to use the terms just to mean that your singing sucks, the accompanying music uses a certain set of music notes. Those chosen/omitted notes are what determines the key of the song.

So let's say you've got a song in A-minor. You can sing a perfect C# (100% on pitch) but you'd still be out of key because C# isn't in A-minor. Contrast this with singing a note that's relatively close to an A, but it's not dead on. Let's say it's an A that's flat (dropping into G# territory) but still closer to A than G#. That would make you off pitch yet still basically on key, because A is in the key of A-minor.

So there's singing out of tune with any notes whatsoever and then there's using a note that's not in the key of the song. A properly tuned piano (for example) can't be off-pitch, but you can definitely hit a bum note that doesn't gel with the key that has been established. The human voice doesn't have any "tuning" or set pitches, so it's very easy to sing off-key or off-pitch if you either lack the inner ear / pitch sense or the physical coordination to pitch your voice properly.

 

what is presented by Lil Wayne or 2 Chainz is kinda in tune or at least are hoovering over the correct pitch.
and I know they use a delay-less version of auto tune and it sounded like crap if you where in the same room while recording without headphones

but that is the effect they are going for...

 

coolbeanz, Funk U and Rasputin hit the nail on the head. With rap especially, key is often not a factor when performing. Good question PAULOPAUZUDO. No question is too Newb to ask.

 

Thanks everybody for the replies, everybody have helped me a lot. Every single one of you gave me the direction I needed for so long.
Sorry for the very, very late reply here, I got really sick last months, now I got better and ready for record my terrible voice!

Thanks guys!

 

I'm still learning music theory, so far graduating from finger painting to crayons, and I thought normally, the first chord of a song (whatever inversion, or form) is the tonic or root for the progression. Though, I also noticed you can figure out the key, by seeing what notes are being played--some notes exclude others (unless they are using exotic scales, mixolydian is as exotic as I'll go for now cause it sounds good to me) and then counting the sharps or flats...I've done that for "All of me" for example, which I think is Ab as performed by the original artist. Then you can use ur handy dandy circle of fifths and cheat and say 4 flats and they're the right ones: Ab. Being a studio musician memorizing everything would take me years and years, but all I have left to do is die, so I got the time. (I think, unless a robot has me as a target in the near future)

You have to ask about RAP, in an ambulance next to the biggest black man you've ever worked with and say, "wtf is RAP? you don't think it's music, right?" [I always tried to relax between EMS jobs, and listening to RAP for me in no way allowed me to relax] He said, "No, RAP means Rhyme and Poetry" (like stated above) I said, "Oh crap, now that makes sense." (I protected him from the cops, and he protected me from the hood, it worked out pretty well).
A recent "Chopped" Episode had Station 49, [my mom just showed me, elderly parents into competition cooking shows] which was the station I was in when I was "punished" and I practiced baroque music on the acoustic guitar all day. The building looked different though, maybe the hospital actually gave them a property that was useful... that was the same black couch I'll bet any money, I sat on in the corner, with my foot rest and thigh cushion playing all day moved to the new place. I actually knew half those ppl on TV! Freaky, really. Miss the ppl, don't miss the pain. That was paid product placement, imo. 17%/yr turnover in FDNY EMS, NYC years ago, it can only be worse now, cause it didn't get easier, and ppl got fatter.

So Lil Wayne is auto tuned here? His voice is definitely processed hard, is that to cover he can't sing?

 

Last edited: Jun 9, 2016

That's not rule at all and you shouldn't back yourself into a corner thinking that will be case all the time. Having said that, yes can assume that is the case and work from there, but you need to be privy of the alternatives as well.

Obviously he can't sing, considering he needs to use autotune on his voice for lines he sings that are a-melodic at best.

 

My crayons have failed me, but at the same time, you've motivated me enough to continue studying my music theory courses instead of finishing how to faux master with Ozone 7, which I had no motivation to watch at all today.

 

yes that is auto tune and well, it is not singing in the traditional sense.
most of his music does not tell us if he can sing in the "traditional" sense (whatever that is)
but believe me,

it is a returning concept in the "music" world that new styles are not excepted right from the start.
Jazz rock and metal, hip hop itself had to go thru the same thing.

This were exactly the same with this type of people that did not try hard enough to be open minded back then,
they got paid with "missing the boat" or sort of.

1. I think it is real musicianship,
2. I know nobody that could do it exactly like him,
3. its also a talent to use this amount of tuning and still be able to separate yourself from the rest or sound "different"
4. Charts are not lying, I know it's more about promotion, but you can't promote a turd now can you?

 

Yes you can. Just paint it gold and sale it to people who don't know what shit smells like.

 

@Kwissbeats I have to say I see both ur and @Funk U's perspective. My wife could dance but I literally wanted to muzzle her when she tried to sing (loud too, you would think if you suck you would stay more quiet) and she was offered "promotion." And then I didn't realize until recently, Bieber can actually sing, or Miley can actually play the piano, I just thought one was the first boy toy for men, and the other a girl that shook her tiny little butt, at the wrong places, but they both have talent.

Either way, I've been studying music theory again and flamed out on this, so I don't have anything to add to finding the key yet, but realizing, I think I have to memorize all the keys to read chords and their inversions. This is where I flamed out now:

The guy just went thru naming the chords like I can sight read single notes. wtf.