The key and chords I use is the one that suits my voice,too many singer/guitar players insist on playing a song
only in the key provided with it, As we all have a different range of voice there is a need to accompany a song in a key that
really suits your voice.
Often a key right for one singer may cause another to force the voice into a squeak or a groan,There is a certain amount
of change possible without too much fuss with the use of a capo on up to four or five position on the neck,but it pays off
the extra effort to change the key without the use of a capo.
This is called transposing a key and gives access to accompaniments either lower or higher in sound than originally printed,once
understood any song in any songbook may be tailored to suit your voice, this really pays off when backing up a singer at a
session, lets say you already know and play the song yourself. You find yourself with guitar in hand and someone starts to
sing a song you already know, you try to back him/her up with the chords that you would normally play for the song and find
they are singing in a different key, what to do ? well try find the root chord, thats the chord at the start and mostly the
end of each verse. once you find that then you will know what key they are in and play the chords that go with it.
Example , in the key od D you would play D, G and A.
In the key of G you would play G, C and D
In the key of C you would play C, F and G
Key and keychord chart for Major key
A B C D
E F G
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D E F G
A Bb C
E
F# G A B
C D
F#m G#m Am Bm C#m Dm
Em
E7 F#7 G7 A7 B7
C7 D7
A7 B7 C7 D7
E7 F7 G7
Bm C#m Dm Em
F#m Gm Am
C#m Ebm Em F#m G#m Am Bm
Em
F#m Gm Am Bm Cm Dm
G
A Bb C D
Eb F
B C# D
E F# G A
B7
C#7 D7 E7 F#7 G7
A7
D7 E7 F7 G7 A7
Bb7 C7
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The top line is the keys,and the chords below are the the chords that would normally go with that key.
For example
the song below is in the key of D and the chords used are: D,G,and A,
This[D] land is[G] your land,this land is[D]my land,To
the northern[A]highlands to the western[D]islands
To change the key and chords of the song to G just move over a few spaces to the right to G ,Now the new chords will
be G,C and D.
So D=G and G=C and A=D
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This is the chart for the minor keys
Am Bm Cm
Dm Em Fm Gm
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Dm Em Fm Gm Am
Bbm Cm
D7 F#7 G7 A7
B7 C7 D7
G A
Bb C D Eb
F
Em F#m Gm Am Bm
Cm Dm
C D Eb
F G G# Eb
D
E F G
A Bb C
E F#
G A B
C D
F G
G# Bb C C#
Eb
Bm C#m Dm Em F#m
Gm Am
F#m G#m Am Bm C#m
Dm Em
C#m Ebm Em F#m G#m
Am Bm
B7 C#7 D7 E7
F#7 G7 A7
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