What key is "Sweet Home Alabama" in?

Steve Green · From: Gulfport, MS, USA

If someone plays Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" using the chord progression: D - C - G - G

Would that be considered in the Key of G, with the chord structure as follows:
5 - 4 - 1 - 1

Or would it be considered in the key of D, with the chord structure as follows:
1 - b7 - 4 - 4
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Skip Edwards · From: LA,CA

What do your ears tell you it is?
To my ears, it's 5 4 1.

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Funny---I am reading Al Kooper's book (he is the producer) and he discusses how the players were 'wrong' in the way they thought about the key. I forget which key he said was the right way of thinking about it. Obviously, it is somewhat ambiguous.

John Booth · From: Columbus Ohio, USA

Original key is D
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Jeff Garden · From: Center Sandwich, New Hampshire, USA

You're evidently not the first person to ask,Steve Smile

Here's a rather lengthy discussion with some interesting points from the Joe Bonamassa guitar forum. Looks like most people agree it's in D...
http://forum.jbonamassa.com/viewtopic.php?id=6695

Rich Upright · From: Florida, USA

Actually, that is one song I wish would go away from bands repertoires for good.
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Andy Eder · From: North Florida, USA

It's in D.

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

Man, we've had some old-argument threads the last few days. The decision about whether to call SHA D or G will never be resolved to everyone's satisfaction, depending on how you think about the concept of 'home', 'key', and 'key signature'. I say you can look at it either way, D or G. For example, see http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=153174 - but YMMV. Some people are gonna insist it has to be D. Others are gonna insist it has to be G.

If I was talking to a rock and roll or blues guitarist, I'd tell them D - 1, b7, 4, and based on the blues or mixolydian scale if they knew what that meant. On the other hand, a piano player reading from a score would be reading using a G key signature, then it's 5, 4, 1. I think it's useful to be able to think about it both ways. In fact if you listen to the original, I think it's clear that different soloists were effectively (by their choice of notes) thinking about it different ways.

It's generally annotated in G - think "Play the Greatest Hits for Piano" book type of thing. This leads to the most efficient transcription. That's great, but not the only way to think about it. In most situations, I think about it as in D and based on a blues/mixolydian scale. But I started out as a blues guitarist, and think about a 1, b7, 4 type of progression as being keyed in the 1 chord. When I form a mental image, I'm thinking about choosing the scale notes from D mixolydian, although I admit I'm not thinking modes, that's just a the particular mode that goes with the notes that "go over" that song. But even that doesn't really cover it - the blue notes modify that thinking.

I would take bets that Skynyrd was not reading this song from a score, and I doubt they ever have. But if a symphony played it (shudder the thought!), I bet they'd be reading a score in G.

Rich Upright · From: Florida, USA

Play the lead break in the key of D & it fits. Play it in G...NOT!

It's in "D".

man; I hate that song with a passion.
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Joachim Kettner · From: Germany

Did they steal it from "White Room" by Cream?
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Doug Beaumier · From: Northampton, MA

"on paper" it appears to be in the key of G... 5 4 1 1. But when I solo over the chords (D, C, G)... D major pentatonic or D minor pentatonic sound right to me. G major scale patterns do not sound right to me over those chords. So I think "D" when soling over that song.
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Doug Beaumier · From: Northampton, MA

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

at least the chords aren't difficult.

Les Cargill · From: Oklahoma City, Ok, USA

1) Ain't no C naturals in the key of D. It's D mixolydian perhaps - IOW, key of G.

2) Throw a C# in there whilst soloing. It'll stick out like a sore thumb.

3) Ed King says "G" and he wrote it.

This moment of musical pedantry brought to you by nothing in particular.

Joseph Napolitano · From: New Jersey, USA

I think some of the confusion stems from the fact that D major pentatonic(d e f# a b), D minor pentatonic (d f g a c )and G major pentatonic (g a b d e ) all work well for soloing.I'm thinking the g minor pentatonic won't work so well , mainly because of the e flat.I hope this is

accurate, because I just came home from a gig where they let us eat and drink for free, and I did. As stated earlier by someone else , Gmajor and D mixolydian have the same notes,and will work well

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Joseph Napolitano · From: New Jersey, USA

Also, I agree with Rick that I'd
like to see this song go away, but you see this same chord progression in many different songs, in many different keys

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

Yeah, a bunch of tunes use this same type of 1, b7, 4 type of progression. E.g., Dear Mr. Fantasy, which I think most people think of as in D because it comes back to D in the verse, i.e., D, C, G, D, and thus just slightly less ambiguous. But I'll bet it would also be annotated in G, again because it's easier. To me, there are other issues with the concept of "key-center" besides what makes it easiest to annotate. To me, it's about, "Where is home?".

So let's just say that I agree with Al Kooper, for my own purposes - home is D for me. I really think part of this is how you think about the tune. I think of it as blues-based, i.e., more pentatonic/mixolydian, rather than major-scale based. And I never did like that majory solo on it - it's a blues-based rock and roll tune and that major scale feel just never fit, to my ears. I'd even almost go so far as to say that it feels "wrong" to me, and always did. But this seems to me to be sort of the inverse issue of blues/rock guitar players playing strict blues pentatonics over a very major-scaley country tune - and I know plenty who also insist on doing that. Arghhh. Yeah, I know it's all about perspective. But to me, it's all about, "When in Rome ...".

I also admit, if I never had to play this song again, it would be too soon. To be honest, I'd even rather play Free Boid.

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

Skip Edwards · From: LA,CA

Well, as a piano player I kind of enjoy playing the solo and channeling Billy Powell. Good thing is, I only may have to do it once every 10 years or so. If I'm lucky.
As far as the key, when I do a solo, I think D...when I'm comping I hear it in G...especially if I listen to the bass.

As far as Skynyrd...can't say that I've ever been a fan, but when I was touring with Chris Hillman in '76 we did a handful of shows with them and they were absolutely awesome...at the top of their game. Went on their plane once...didn't fly on it...was just invited to check it out by Billy Powell one day in Billings, MT.
But that's another story...

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

D mixolydian. It's the same key signature as G (one sharp), but the root note is D. Lots of rock songs are like that - the b7 note is in the scale instead of the major7.

Try the listening test: if you end on G, it sounds unresolved. It naturally ends on D.

I don't need to play that song ever again.
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Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

Bill Terry · From: Bastrop, TX

I'm not on pins and needles, hoping that song gets called, it loses it's charm after about the 3,000th rendition to a crowd of drunks.. However, the real problem I have is that most bands don't play it anywhere even close to the original version. They just learn the little D riff (incorrectly most of the time) and barge ahead.. amps on 10.

The real arrangement with all the little cool guitar interactions and subtleties (perhaps unintentional?) and subtle rhythmic stuff, is actually pretty neat IMO. It can actually be fun if you try to play it right, most bands just don't.

So it's not the song I hate, it's the zillions of crappy bar band versions.. Of course not everybody sees it that way, just my 0.02.
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Joachim Kettner · From: Germany

Yes Bill, if you see it this way. I also notice the use of a B-Bender and the piano, (is it Al Kooper, Jon Light?) lightening the mood.
But the message as an answer song to "Southern Man" is dubious. I remember an album by Don Nix and the Alabama State Troupers, it was more of my taste.
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