Which Octave do you play in?

[YammyFan]

I  play by ear ,and usually start playing my songs on Middle C  on my Yamaha SX900. It  can be a bit boring if I always do that, and quite often start on the D next to Middle C.   Recently, I watched a really good  keyboard player , and discovered that he always  started his songs in the octave higher than me. I tried doing this and it sounded really good. We both play our music using Styles. I am thinking of changing my habits.

[DrakeM]

With a Yamaha keyboard you can move any octave to the middle C area. That is how I arrange the OTS and their octave on each of my custom song styles.

I play by ear and 90% of pop songs begin with the G note according to Karen Ramirez.

Here is her link to lessons.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOxo6V7HTSc&list=PLKYNAd1fui_ioqWChSXRZzbzoOdtKgu34

[rattley]

Hello!

I usually play the right hand melody on the lower octaves. I like having 76 keys and all its extra real estate on the lower and upper octaves, but I could easily do everything the same way with 61 keys.  I think the number or keys you have somewhat determines which octaves you use. -charley

[BogdanH]

Most hobby keyboard players usually play in C key, simply because it's the easiest to play. But, as YammyFan said, it can get kinda boring (for listener) if every music we play is in the same key -especially if we also play similar kind of music all the time.
But that's not the only reason why we should consider learning to play in other keys. Did you noticed, that majority of songs is not in C key originally? There's a reason for that.

Let's say that you play at the party, where people would wish to start singing along your playing (in C key). They start singing/humming and struggle to catch the right pitch. At some point they succeed, but as soon melody gets too low or high (depending if it's 3rd or 4th octave), they give up.
That's because C key isn't really best suited for human singing -if we play in F, G or A key instead, then singing becomes more comfortable for majority (men and women).

Bogdan

[mikf]

Songs do not begin in particular octaves or notes. They start where the melody starts, and where the player wants to pitch that. It will typically - but not always - be a note in the scale of the key you choose, or the composer chose, most commonly - but again not always - the 1st, 3rd or 5th note of the scale. But many songs do not start with the opening chord being the root chord of the key, so that can also place opening notes elsewhere.
The key is not important to singers - it's the range that matters. Singers have different vocal range so key will need to be adjusted to keep the melody in their range. Most composers will write the song in a key where the vocal range suits many people, or in some cases, the range of the kind of singer they are targeting. So it may be written to suit a tenor, baritone, soprano etc. Or if it is written as a Classical orchestral piece, it might be where the composer thinks it sounds best.
In other words there is no simple answer. It is where it is.
As a player you need to play where you think it sounds good. Or where it is easiest for you. As someone said, the tools available on a digital instrument will often allow you to play in an easy key, but pitch it in a different key where it suits a voice, or sounds better.
Basically the OPs question has no answer, it's like asking an artist which color of paint is best to use.....
Mike

[BogdanH]

...
The key is not important to singers - it's the range that matters. Singers have different vocal range so key will need to be adjusted to keep the melody in their range.
...

-and so at the end, key is important 

Bogdan

[mikf]

Well key is always important, because that is a fundamental of music. But the range of the song matching the range of the singer drives the key choice. I have heard many simplistic statements, even by singers, like "I sing in F" or whatever. It's all nonsense. They sing in a range, and the song has a range - the two must meet, and where they meet selects the key, particularly true if the song modulates through keys.
As a former professional accompanist I can confirm that pretty much every song a vocalist does will have a different key. If a few songs are in the same key, that's just coincidence.
The only thing is that whoever does their arrangements is usually an experienced enough musician to avoid the really hard keys which makes it easier for the accompanying musicians to sight read. So if the ideal key for that vocalist and song happens to be F# they will often slip it into F because a semi tone usually doesn't matter to a singer and gives the accompanist an easier job.
For a top musician there is no really such thing as hard or easy keys, makes no difference to them. But for the much less experienced players that typically play arrangers they will nearly always use C, and change key electronically. But it's really a good idea if they can try to get comfortable as well in F and G. These keys are not that much harder than C, and have enough pitch separation from C to give reasonable cover for playing in different vocal ranges.
Mike

[Fred Smith]

-and so at the end, key is important 

Bogdan

But Mike's point is valid. Pick the key that provides the best range for the singer. It's the range that determines the key.

I just play in a key that's comfortable for me (typically C, F or G), and have the keyboard transpose to the right key for the singer.

Cheers,
Fred

[BogdanH]

hi Fred,
But aren't we actually talking about the same thing by using different words?
I said: pick the key (F, G or A) at which singer(s) are able to sing...
You: pick the key that provides the best range for the singer....

Bogdan

[Fred Smith]

But aren't we actually talking about the same thing by using different words?
I said: pick the key (F, G or A) at which singer(s) are able to sing...
You: pick the key that provides the best range for the singer....

I find that the key that's best for the singer (E, A, B, Ab, etc.) is a key I can't play in.

So I set things up so I have a comfortable key to play in, and use transpose to provide the best range for the singer. That way the singer is not limited to a key I can play.

Cheers,
Fred

[BogdanH]

Same for me -we can afford a little cheating now and then 

Greetings,
Bogdan

[mikf]

That doesn't work when the singer hands you his music - and it's in Bb. Most pro singers I played for give you a whole set of lead sheets, and off you go. Yes, you could ignore the lead sheet, play it in C by ear, transpose it using the electronics on the keyboard to the key on the lead sheet. You could........ but that's not what players do.
In any case most of my public playing days were before we had transpose buttons, no cheating possible.
Mike