Keys of songs modified to accommodate the guitar player?

Cal Sharp · From: the farm in Kornfield Kounty, TN

Price did "A Way To Survive" in C on the original record that we all know and love, but he's been doing it in A more recently. Maybe not convenient for the steel player, but Mike Cass doesn't have a problem making it sound good, and I doubt they've had any complaints. Loretta did "Don't Come Home" in C# on the record, but in D on the Wilburn Brothers show. I subbed with Johnny Bush one time and he dropped "Whiskey River" down a step on the last set. Faron would migrate from the record keys sometimes. So, it varies, grasshoppers. Your job is to make the singer and the song sound good, if you can.
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Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

My band also plays "A Way To Survive" in A. After too many years of playing this as an instrumental in C, it was a rough change to play in A. But it works and sounds just as good.
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Henry Matthews · From: Texarkana, Ark USA

John Castelletti · Posted 26 Nov 2013 5:42 pm

Henry Matthews · From: Texarkana, Ark USA

Don't understand John?????
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D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes.

Pete Burak · From: Portland, OR USA

I read somewhere that Buck said the reason they tune down a half-step is because his voice sounded better coming through the Radio that way.
I guess he was a big radio station guy in the 60's.
fwiw, In my own trials, tuning down a half step doesn't seem like much on a musical instrument, but it makes a big difference for the vocal chords... alot less tension.
In my case it drops alot of songs that were a bit of a struggle right into the middle of my range.

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

John Castelletti · Posted 27 Nov 2013 11:10 am

Oopsâ€¦ i forgot to ask my question, that being;

Did Tom Brumley also tune down a 1/2 step?

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

I've seen references here about "strange keys"........
and the difficulty in changing from one key to another.

Please, explain what a "Strange Key"is.........

It's been customary for decades, to play in whatever key the vocalist or band leader indicates. With the steel guitar, changing keys is a snap when compared to many other instruments.

Henry Matthews · From: Texarkana, Ark USA

F# or C# on a fiddle (to me anyway)

No, I don't think Tom tuned down a half step.
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Henry Matthews

D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes.

Roual Ranes · From: Atlanta, Texas, USA

Tell the tele picker that your doing "Folsom Prison Blues" in Eb.

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

Ray said:

Joachim Kettner · From: Germany

Michael Coggins · From: Sligo, Ireland

Everything was fine until the singer/rhythm guitarist "discovered" the capo! Now good ole open string friendly G and A on 6-string guitar and mandolin are hard work.....good for practice though! Btw, in Winnie Winston's book, he describes Ab and F# as "off" keys.
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Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

In the classic country band I play in, it isn't uncommon to have songs in "strange keys", Ab or Bb. We play some songs in Ab and. Other flat keys pop up on occasion too. If that is what the singer needs to sing it in, I better be able to play it. Some of it is also that the leader of my band is in his 70's, and he may not be able to sing a half step higher or a half step lower to put the song in a "not so strange" key.

I just find it hard to play in G# or A#. Oh Well

I by no means am a great singer. I won't sing on stage, but probably could if I had too. But I often will pick up my acoustic guitar, or when I had my keyboards, I would play piano, and sing some songs. Almost always I couldn't sing them in the keys on the record. Sometimes I couldn't even get close. One example of a song that is in Db on the record ( a girl song) and I have to do it in Ab to get the full range of notes she sings.
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Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting.

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

Joachim Kettner · From: Germany

Maybe nobody in the crowd except the guitar players cared, yes.
But that little figure at 1.41- 1.45 can only be played on the first fret, A and B pedals down (B-flat). Nobody can do it in another key, I'm sure. Smile

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zv6fdib3GBI
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Dave Hopping · From: Aurora, Colorado

Unless you were the leader of the band, I really wouldn't recommend you telling the singer, and maybe leader, to change keys because it better suits you. If you do, see how long you will have that gig.[/quote]

Dead-on,Richard.That's EXACTLY what happens in the real world.It's why singers get a pass on doing it wrong and sidemen don't.That's just business,but I think we'd all agree with Van Morrison's statement about how he felt about music and how he felt about the music business. Winking

Happy Thanksgiving,all!

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

Herb Steiner · From: Spicewood TX 78669

Played a gig a couple years back filling in for my buddy, and the fiddler/guitarist/singer made this big intro "now we're gonna feature the great Herb Steiner on a famous steel guitar tune he will regale you all with, one entitled 'Steelin' the Blues."

Then he turned to me and said "Key of D." I came back with "Eric, the song's in Db." He got a smartass look in his face and in a smarmy voice told me "Hey, the singer calls the key!"

Mad

Okay, I played it in his key, which came off great anyway. But I longed for the moment when I could call of "Orange Blossom Special, Johnny Cash version, key of G#. Kick it off, kid" simply for the opportunity to say "hey, singer calls the key."

FWIW, after he had the same conversation with Biller and a number of other steel players, still clueless, something must have dawned on him because he later came up to me at another gig we were on and profusely apologized... "I guess I get a little arrogant, sometimes. Embarassed

"

So, all was forgiven. He IS a great musician, after all; simply ignorant of how the steel guitar is played.
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Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg?

Earnest Bovine · From: Los Angeles CA USA

Herb Steiner · From: Spicewood TX 78669

No, I played it on the correct C6 neck, only sliding the bar from f.1 to f.2, instead of hammering on f.1 like on the Byrd original. It was no big whup doing it there, it's just... you know, "let's feature Herb, but uh... in MY key." Wink

I do work occasionally with a married couple, he on lead Atkins-style guitar and she on upright bass. Because she sings the majority of stuff, we do songs in her keys, which means "Milk Cow Blues" in B, as well as "Right Or Wrong" also in B. You fiddlers out there will understand. Laughing

In that band, we do "SGR" in D, because that's where he learned it on the guitar. They're such totally nice people, and they always pay REALLY WELL, so WTF, if they want it in D, that's where they shall have it and I smile all the way back to Austin, where I bank. Smile

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My rig: Infinity and Telonics.

Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg?

Henry Matthews · From: Texarkana, Ark USA

Herb, you are always dead on with your post and I now admire you even more as a musician which was a lot anyway.

Being a decent fiddle player as long as you stay in major keys, you know A,C,D, E and G and a horrible fiddle player in sharps and flats, I can truthfully say to the singer, do it in this key or we do something else, that is if you want fiddle on it. Players like B. Flores, Snuffy Elmore and many many more can play in those keys, I can't. But and I say again as I posted above, steel and guitar really don't make that much difference, I can improvise but if you are a singer and playing either a dance or a stage show, I still don't see why you can't go a half step either way on most occasion and let me play my part right. in the studio, I can retune down a step which is what a lot of fiddlers do any way.
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Henry Matthews

D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes.

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

Don't they do MODULATIONS anymore?

Moving up or down the neck to go into a key better suited to this or that?

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