September: key, vocal range and notes
Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind & Fire sings September in A major at 121 BPM. The melody spans E3–A4, about 1.4 octaves, and 81% of the time stays between A3 and D4 — comfortable for tenors in the original key. Difficulty: 52/100, medium.
- Key
- A major
- Vocal range
- E3 – A41.4 octaves
- Sits mostly
- A3 – D481% of singing time
- Highest note
- A42 times, first at 1:44
- Difficulty
- 52medium, out of 100
Notes of September on the keyboard
Every note the vocal line touches. The brightest keys are the ones you hold most of the time.
The melody uses 7 different notes: A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G.
The whole song, note by note
The vocal melody from the first word to the last. Each colored block on top is one phrase: blocks with the same letter sing the same melody. September has 3 phrases but only 3 different melodies — learn those and you know the whole song. Tap a letter to see where it comes back.
Notes and syllables as on the Vocaberry song screen: a line joins the notes of one syllable.
- Highest note
- A4 at 1:44, 2:33. Altogether 1 seconds in total.
- Lowest note
- E3 at 1:10, 1:11, 1:12, 1:13, 1:14, 1:15, 1:16, 1:17, 1:18, 1:19, 1:20. Keep it relaxed, don't push the low end.
- Biggest jump
- A minor sixth, C#4 → A4; first at 2:33.
- Longest note
- A3, held for 3.8 s at 3:28.
- How much singing
- 2:42 of 3:48: 411 notes in 3 phrases.
- Tempo
- 121 BPM — a quick one; learn the lines slowly first. Vocaberry Karaoke lets you change the tempo.
How long each note is sung
Seconds of singing on each note across the whole song.
Intervals: how the melody moves
Every move from one note to the next inside a phrase — 376 in total. Steps are easy to sing in tune, wide leaps are where most people miss the note.
- 73% of the moves are repeated notes or steps — the melody mostly walks rather than jumps.
- The most common move is major 2nd (162 times). The fifths mostly go down (4 up, 11 down).
- The widest jump is minor 6th, 1 time — 1 up, 0 down. Practise it slowly: the far note has to land exactly in tune.
The best key for your voice
The smallest key change that puts September in the comfortable part of each voice type. Don't know your type? Take the free vocal range test.
| Voice | Change | Key | You'd sing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bass | −8 semitones | D♭ major | G#2C#4 |
| Baritone | −3 semitones | F♯ major | C#3F#4 |
| Tenor | original key | A major | E3A4 |
| Contralto | +3 semitones | C major | G3C5 |
| Mezzo-soprano | +7 semitones | E major | B3E5 |
| Soprano | +10 semitones | G major | D4G5 |
Sing September in your key. Vocaberry Karaoke shows which note to sing and whether you hit it. Key and tempo adjust to your voice.
Get Vocaberry Karaoke
What's your range? Sing a few notes in the online test: it finds your lowest and highest notes and your voice type.
Test my rangeSongs with the same range as September
If September fits your voice, these will too: the same lowest and highest notes and the same middle.
More Earth, Wind & Fire songs
Key, range and difficulty of other Earth, Wind & Fire songs in Vocaberry. All Earth, Wind & Fire songs and Philip Bailey's vocal range →
| Song | Key | Range | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Let's Groove1981 | Key Bm | F4A5 | hard · 60 |
| After The Love Has Gone1979 | Key A♭ | C3F5 | hard · 71 |
| Fantasy1978 | Key G | B4C6 | medium · 55 |
| Shining Star | Key Em | E3E5 | hard · 66 |
Questions about September
What key is September by Earth, Wind & Fire in?
September is in A major at 121 BPM. If it feels too high or too low, change the key: a bass lowers it 8 semitones (D♭ major); a baritone lowers it 3 semitones (F♯ major); a tenor can sing it in the original key.
What is the vocal range of September?
The vocal line goes from E3 to A4 — 1.4 octaves. 81% of the singing time stays between A3 and D4.
What is the highest note in September?
A4. It comes 2 times, first at 1:44: altogether 1 seconds out of 162 seconds of singing.
Is September hard to sing?
It is rated medium — 52 out of 100 in Vocaberry. The range is moderate (1.4 octaves); the tricky part is the jump of a minor sixth up to A4.
Can a woman sing September?
Yes, in another key: a contralto raises it 3 semitones (C major); a mezzo-soprano raises it 7 semitones (E major); a soprano raises it 10 semitones (G major). Vocaberry Karaoke lets you change the key and tempo of a song.
Notes, range and timing come from the vocal transcription used in Vocaberry Karaoke; the key and difficulty are Vocaberry's. Voice type ranges are the ones Vocal Range uses.