Sometimes I'll capo for key of D, but often not. Yes, especially if I'm singing. I don't tend to throw in many licks, just chords while I sing. I guess I'm lazy. Get good at that singing. The only folks that pay attention to your banjer is another banjer player. Audiences connect to vocals. Oh, and harmonies. Get good at that.

We often transpose to a more fitting key.

A HUGE number of the songs in bluegrass and related styles (early country, traditional folk, etc.) have a range of an octave or less, with the lowest note being a 5, the highest note also a 5, and the root in the middle. For example, see "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" or "Blue Ridge Cabin Home".

Some songs have smaller ranges. For example, "Don't This Road Look Rough And Rocky" has a range of a minor sixth, from a low F# up to a D (in the key of G).

"How Mountain Girls Can Love" has an even smaller range, from G (again, in the key of G) up to D--a mere fifth!

"HMGCL" meets your criterion.

But I have to ask: Are you singing in the same octave as you'd use when playing the banjo, or are you actually singing an octave lower? Is your low G the banjo's third string, or is it the G on the guitar's lowest string? Based on my observations of MANY students over the years, I suspect you--like many untrained male singers--may be singing in that lower octave.

Can you tell us your lowest and highest effective notes?

It can sometimes be tricky to compare octaves on two dissimilar instruments like banjo and voice. If you're not sure, see if some of your fellow pickers can help you figure it out.

Ira: "Can you tell us your lowest and highest effective notes?"

I realize the ^^ question is for Dan, but I just gotta interject*.  A year+ back I was told I should know/learn my "vocal range."  So I found a music teacher who ascertained: "G2 <> E3."  

* aside from providing some discouragement, this is the first/only use (?)  I've made of my new-found knowledge. 

I sing in different keys depending on where the melody notes are.
Detour in D/first notes a bit low,but the highs later are just right.
White Freightliner in A
Columbus Stockade in G
Baby To Cry in E

I have to run through a song to know if the key fits.

I'm curious why you don't want to use a capo to change keys?

You've told us the functional bottom end of your range, but I don't see why you are trying to stay close to that - if you're like me you presumably have 2 octaves of usable range above your lowest note to sing in. Ideally you should sing in a key that leaves some room on both the low and high end of your range.

If you can't hit the D note in the key of G I think Ira might be right that you're singing an octave lower than normal.

It's easy to take a note up an octive or down one so you can sing that note in your voice range. I have to do that on some songs where the highest note is one I can't quite reach so I take it down an octive. Usually sounds fine.

I've found that I tend to sing in about all keys, with C being the best but after that I may end up in A, B, Bb, C, D, E or G I don't like to sing/pick in F. Most of those keys one wouldn't think would be in my voice range, but many are and sound best there.

When you're picking, if you can't reach down to the 4th fret note, play one that harmonizes with it or find a note on another string that is the same tone but easier to pick.

Yes I’m a novice singer who’s trying to find songs that work best for my voice but it sounds like I shouldn’t choose ones at my low end, which is about G2 to E4 range. The reason I want to prioritize my low end though is two fold: 1) I like to sing low 2) knowing my low note is easier than trying to locate higher notes from memory (but I’m sure with practice that will be less of a concern).

Singing mid-range would certainly help open up the songs I can sing though. 

So to Ira's point - what is preferred: singing an octave below the banjo or singing at the same octave as the banjo? I don't usually play while I sing, or I'll do some type of simple non-melody metronome-style rhythm. 

In bluegrass, you'd normally sing in the same octave as the banjo.

You might try "Dark Hollow". It has a wider-than typical range: an octave and a major third. So in the key of G, the highest note is the same as the open B string, and the lowest note--which only comes at the very end of the verse or chorus--is that low G below the banjo's range.

This whole thread got me singing with a tuner. Ima playing away in D (chord not key) the tuner is saying A. Wow! I didn't trust it at first, but when I stopped singing, the tuner jumped over to D. This is a tuner app on my tablet. ( free app called Pro Guitar Tuner) One can tweak it to other instruments. Mine is usually set to violin. But it handles guitars and banjers without adjusting. So I'm singing the 5th lower than the banjer D. Goes to show, one can be in tune, but not where one thinks. Again, wow! Who knew? 

Oh I hate Dark Hollow. But anyway I revisited my other songs and if I can capo up 2 my range really opens up.

Try singing “Fireball Mail”,, it’s a doozy,,, if'n ya hate dat wun,, try "High on a Mountain"

quote:

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Originally posted by chuckv97

Try singing “Fireball Mail”,, it’s a doozy,,, if'n ya hate dat wun,, try "High on a Mountain"

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Ditto for "John Henry": an octave and a perfect fourth.

quote:

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Originally posted by chuckv97

Try singing “Fireball Mail”,, it’s a doozy,,, if'n ya hate dat wun,, try "High on a Mountain"

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That's on my list to learn to sing. I love train songs.