I started playing in the mid-70s, and most everyone we knew was in the “folk” crowd, often coming from St. Louis’ “Gaslight Square” era.
Most everyone had (and knew how to use) a capo and adjusting the key to suit a vocalist was just normal practice.
We had a couple of “trained” guitarists who were a bit snarky about this...
Vocalist... “I can’t sing it in that key.”
Guitarist... “Well, it doesn’t sound good in your key.”
Really saying.... I don’t know how to transpose on the fly and using a capo would make me look less professional....
Contrast this with a couple of well-trained keyboard guys we know who can quickly accommodate any vocalist... Even if the vocalist doesn’t know what key they sing in... “Well, sing a few notes...” Bingo... We’ll do it in “A”.
|