Originally Posted by Cobby
So, first of all, as 1neeto says, the keys have been "laymanized" since some of them are indeed modal.
The keys I reported are just the keys I do these songs in. The first step is to find a key that is good for the singer. Most of the time, that's me, but I also have other singers in mind sometimes. But, since my voice is lower than the typical pop-singer, I often have to change the key from the original.
Sometimes, there's not much leeway but often a range of possible keys would work. The next step is to think about what I want to do on the guitar. If I'm going to fingerpick, then I'll usually want to be in G, D, A or sometimes C. So if the best key for singing is Eb say, that would usually end up being capo 1 D or capo 3 C. If Bb is the best vocal key, that almost always becomes capo 3 G (but sometimes capo 1 A).
My guitar style is often bass-driven. I usually work out a bass-line and intersperse a chord here and there. So that will influence my choice of key.
This is what leads me to play in B more often than most. Sometimes the bass line will have a lot of 7ths - B is a good choice for that since the 7ths of the three main chords in B are all open strings (B (seventh is A); E (seventh is D) and F# (seventh is E)). Creeque Alley by the Mamas and Papas is an example of a song that works well in B because of this.
I also love F more than most guitar players. I choose F for the opposite reason for choosing G,D and A for fingerpicking. I like F for the times when I don't want open strings ringing out. These are often rockier songs. When I do this, I usually won't play the standard open C chord, it'll be barred on the third fret or else C7 but not playing the top E.
So the keys are just a result of all of these decisions and the little trade-offs between the vocals and the guitar part. If the vocals have some leeway then you'll usually fall into some of the more common keys like D,G,A,C or E. If not then the capo comes out. If it's a special case then maybe B. If it's a rock song, then maybe F. (or maybe the more traditional rock E). Sometimes it's not just the lead vocal, sometimes it's finding a good spot for the harmony vocal too. Sometimes, the guitar part just needs to be in a certain key. Then maybe the vocal has to stretch a little, or I need to break out the baritone or tune down a step. (like You've Got to Hide Your Love Away: the guitar has to be in G - it just doesn't seem to work right anywhere else. But G is a bit too high for me vocally. But in this case, the guitar wins and I stretch the vocal. But. If I have my 12-string handy - I keep that tuned don a step, then doing in F with the G chord shapeds is perfect...) Anyway - you get the idea...
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