As long as I work as a soloist - I'm never in the "wrong" key (if there even IS such a thing)

Well, I'm just sort of kidding, but if you, like most of us ol' farts, grew up (musically) without a transpose key, you tended to learn all the songs in the 'original' key. If you were/are a great player (I'm not), it wasn't a big problem but for most of us, if a vocalist (or E-playing guitar player) wanted to play the tune in a different key, we were, at the least, annoyed . Of course things were equally bad for those keyboard players who played everything in C (and literally WILLED the transpose button into existence ).

chas

LOL - I hear ya, Chas, but I believe that the "right" key is the one in which the lead (vocalist/melodist/whatever) can do it! I can't put a transpose on my throat, either!

Speaking of transpose - I don't see it as the devil, or a cheat - try playing the blues in E vs F .... you'd miss all those slide ups from the flat third to the third etc. It's really just a tool for facilitation, just like a capo on guitar. Sure, you can play without one, but you can't play "everything" the same. Sometimes you need those open strings for hammer-ons and pull-offs.

Who cares key of C rules!

Not criticizing but I don't see how a musician can think like that. Even allowing for what Dave is saying (which I happen to agree with), I would think a musician would want the ABILITY to play in all keys. What if you played a horn (sax, trumpet, flute, whatever) or ANYthing other than a guitar w/capo or electronic keyboard with transpose button. Truth is, if you're playing with other players and you can only play in C, you're forcing THEM to transpose. But, to each his own.

chas

Never used a transpose button in my life. Nothing wrong with them, it's just not what I do.


R.

I can play in any key but choose not to as a singer first I can't think of my fingers so key of C is best with transpose too..

FWIW, and I don't know how this works, but I'm happy in the keys of C, D, E, F, G, and A. Okay, all bar one of them contains #'s and b's, so I'm playing other than all white keys. However, if someone calls for a tune in C#, Eb, F#, Bb, or even B, I'm diving for the transpose button. I ain't above that.

Donny, just curious. When you start the process of learning a new song, do you first transpose the written score (sheet/fake book/whatever) before physically playing it? What is your process? Just interested in what other people do.

chas