Musical Question: Peter Cetera & HOF (1 Viewer)

[Encyclopedia Brown]

I know we have FBG's with technical musical knowledge, so maybe they can answer this question. 

"Chicago" was recently inducted into the Rock N' Roll "Hall of Fame", without Cetera. There was a lot of strife about Cetera rejoining the band for an on stage performance. 

It was said that Cetera wanted to sing their big hits in the key of "E", but that all of the songs were written in the key of "A", and that to accommodate Cetera would have required a big "drop" and an entire rewriting of the horn section.

What does that mean a big "drop", and why would they have to rewrite the horn section because of the change of key?

 

[bigbottom]

By your description, It sounds like Cetera wanted the band to lower the key two and a half steps, likely because he could no longer hit the high vocal notes. Put more simply, he wanted the entire band to change the notes they play to lower notes. That's the "drop."  The horn section would have to play entirely different notes to accommodate the request. 

 

[Reaper]

By your description, It sounds like Cetera wanted the band to lower the key two and a half steps, likely because he could no longer hit the high vocal notes. Put more simply, he wanted the entire band to change the notes they play to lower notes. That's the "drop."  The horn section would have to play entirely different notes to accommodate the request. 

Seems like a very reasonable request for the freaking HALL OF FAME!!!! 

 

[Encyclopedia Brown]

The horn section would have to play entirely different notes to accommodate the request. 

This is the part I don't understand. Why would they have to play different, instead of just slower and softer? 

 

[bigbottom]

Instead of playing an "A", they would have to play an "E."  The notes refer to pitch, not tempo (your reference to "slower") or dynamics (your reference to "softer").

Listen to the E and then the A note at the beginning of the video linked below. Try to sing the note being played. Do you see how the "E" is a lower tone than the "A" that follows it?

http://youtu.be/DlMrl3EQ1bs

On a horn, you change the notes by changing the fingering. So to change the key of the song and play different notes, the horn section would need to play the song using entirely different fingering.  It's certainly doable, but not ideal. 

 

[Encyclopedia Brown]

Thanks bigbottom: this is why I started the thread.

I had thought that Cetera's refusal to play with his old band was because of simple animosity, but now I see there was maybe something deeper. 

Peter Cetera will turn seventy-two this year, no one expects to hear him bellow out sitting cross-legged  on the floor, "25 or 6 to 4" like he did in 1970. 

 

[sho nuff]

Saw him with the Nashville symphony 2 years ago (wife wants to go again this year).  He was great...didn't always get up to the higher notes, but still hit plenty of them.

Didn't notice any huge drop then (wonder if things have changed a bit).