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  #1  
Old 08-04-2020, 01:31 PM
OjaiAndrew OjaiAndrew is offline
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Default What key is Aimee by Pure Prairie League?

So, I've seen a couple things online about the key of this song
Some way D Major, others Say A Major
But, the chords confuse me: We have A, G, D, C, E and Bm

The Key of A has no G Major chord or C Major chord

The Key of D has no C or E Major chord

So, is the song borrowing chords from another key, modulating or what?

I just want to understand the harmonic structure

thanks and, by the way, it's a great song, fun to play and sing
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Old 08-04-2020, 02:10 PM
MartinGibsonFan MartinGibsonFan is offline
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A quick try gives me D to C to G with an A at the end.

There could be some minors, sixths or sevenths along the way, but that's how I read the line on this.

J
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Old 08-04-2020, 02:32 PM
EZYPIKINS EZYPIKINS is offline
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I always played it, tuned to open G
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Old 08-04-2020, 02:37 PM
MartinGibsonFan MartinGibsonFan is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EZYPIKINS View Post
I always played it, tuned to open G
That makes sense.

Then you have the Am to D at the end, seems to work quite well.

J
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Old 08-04-2020, 03:49 PM
DCCougar DCCougar is offline
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Looks like they're playing it in G, with the main hook G, F, C. Love that song!

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Old 08-04-2020, 03:52 PM
J Patrick J Patrick is online now
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...it’s in Amajor....thats Vince himself capoed up at the 2nd fret out of the G position...
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Old 08-04-2020, 04:01 PM
DCCougar DCCougar is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DCCougar View Post
Looks like they're playing it in G, with the main hook G, F, C.
Well, those are the shapes, but is that a capo on the 2nd fret?
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Old 08-04-2020, 04:02 PM
DCCougar DCCougar is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by J Patrick View Post
...it’s in Amajor....thats Vince himself capoed up at the 2nd fret out of the G position...
Ah, beat me to it!
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Old 08-04-2020, 04:20 PM
MartinGibsonFan MartinGibsonFan is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by J Patrick View Post
...it’s in Amajor....thats Vince himself capoed up at the 2nd fret out of the G position...
It could also be played barred at the fifth fret with Emaj shape down to 3rd fret, then up to 5th fret again with Amaj shape.

Finally, brought down to Emaj

J
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Old 08-04-2020, 06:31 PM
12barBill 12barBill is offline
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The original recording is in A major.
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Old 08-06-2020, 02:24 PM
Earl49 Earl49 is offline
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I do it in A, but G shapes with a capo on the second fret gets the same pitches, and allows for open strings during solos (easier).

Chord progressions do not HAVE to stay within the diatonic scale [C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, Bdim]. Many songs "borrow" chords from outside the key. Two examples among many are the country/bluegrass classic Rocky Top, and Rambing Man by the Allman Brothers (which adds a D chord but is otherwise a I-IV-V song in E).
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  #12  
Old 08-08-2020, 10:56 AM
jseth jseth is offline
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It's in the same form as "Sweet Home Alabama"...
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