How do I get the keys for the songs I sing in karaoke?

Question

I have some sheet music and can sing the notes but I don't have sheet music for every song I sing and I don't "get" key signatures. My voice teacher accompanies my exercises but isn't a strong sight reader and can't always figure out the key with confidence. He can tell me my first note but transposing a whole song is a challenge. I want to sing with bands/orchestras. What steps do I need to take?

Answer 1

Usually the note that a song starts and ends with is the keynote. For example, if a song starts and ends with the note C, then it is usually in the key of C.

This is a very general rule and there are definitely many exceptions. But if you want to learn about key signatures, they are quite easy to understand if you try looking up some resources on the net :)