Johnny B. Goode What key do you play in? - Page 2

Dru Edwards · #16 03-05-2021, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nymuso

I’ve only played it electric with rock bands, always in A. Our acoustic group doesn’t do it but we do I Know a Little, also in A. Maybe we could hook Johnny B to the end of it. Hmmm . . . .

Same here, key of A on electric. I didn't even know the original was in Bflat. I wonder what version I was jamming to back in the 80s?

nightchef · #17 03-05-2021, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by _Mike_

I’m rhythm on this one. A D and E over Bb Eb and F.

Why does it make a difference, though? It's just one fret up or down unless you're cowboy-chording it, right?

alnico5 · #18 03-05-2021, 07:22 PM

The singer gets to pick the key. Usually A.

Kittoon · #19 03-05-2021, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nightchef

Why does it make a difference, though? It's just one fret up or down unless you're cowboy-chording it, right?

Key of Bflat is physically rather tight. In that, A, E has more open strings.

endpin · #20 03-05-2021, 10:12 PM

Hardly a “strict arrangement” kinda guy as:

1 - He really never played anything the same way twice.

2 - He used a different group of pickup musicians every night who had no idea what he was gonna do.

nightchef · #21 03-07-2021, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kittoon

Key of Bflat is physically rather tight. In that, A, E has more open strings.

That's what's hanging me up, though -- I don't get why you'd need open strings to play Johnny B. Goode.

Kittoon · #22 03-07-2021, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nightchef

That's what's hanging me up, though -- I don't get why you'd need open strings to play Johnny B. Goode.

No “need” for open strings. Just preference! Physically easier/faster in general. -Also, open strings have the advantage of ringing/droning more.

I found a complete list of Beatles songs arranged by key. Even they (and also the Rolling Stones) chose key of A for Johnny B. Goode.

According to the list, the Beatles engaged the key of Bflat on only 4 of 230 (or so)
recorded songs.

I’ll take a wild guess and say Chuck Berry used Bflat to accommodate the horn players and not his voice range.

JonPR · #23 03-08-2021, 05:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kittoon

I’ll take a wild guess and say Chuck Berry used Bflat to accommodate the horn players and not his voice range.

Yes, possibly.
He liked C for live performance (almost every time), but that's when he would naturally be singing with more power, able to push his voice higher.
In the studio, Bb probably felt a little more comfortable, might have been the pianist's preferred key, and would certainly suit any horn players better than A major would.

Italuke · #24 03-08-2021, 07:53 PM

There were no horns on the original. It was likely more so for his piano player, Jai Johnny Johnson.

nitram · #25 03-08-2021, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Italuke

There were no horns on the original. It was likely more so for his piano player, Jai Johnny Johnson.

That's what I heard, too. Johnson did the arrangements and Chuck's hands were so big that it didn't matter to him what the key signature was.

Italuke · #26 03-11-2021, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kittoon

No “need” for open strings. Just preference! Physically easier/faster in general. -Also, open strings have the advantage of ringing/droning more.

I found a complete list of Beatles songs arranged by key. Even they (and also the Rolling Stones) chose key of A for Johnny B. Goode.

According to the list, the Beatles engaged the key of Bflat on only 4 of 230 (or so)
recorded songs.

I’ll take a wild guess and say Chuck Berry used Bflat to accommodate the horn players and not his voice range.

Respectfully, if you're using open strings on stuff like Chuck Berry, then you can't possibly capture the original essence of those songs. You need barre chords, and the muting, staccato, and other "effects" that we all employ, UNCONSCIOUSLY, when we play it.

Open strings would make it a different song. Kinda Muzaky, in my humble opinion. (And the number of Beatles songs in Bb is irrelevant to this topic. Again, my opinion. Apologies.)

wguitar · #27 03-11-2021, 07:50 PM

IMHO just find the key that best suits your voice and go with it. Audiences love this song regardless of key.

Have fun!

pegleghowell · #28 03-12-2021, 02:35 AM

Flat keys are used loads in jazz and I believe that Chuck was heavily influenced by Charlie Christian(and T Bone),playing in a flat key would be no big deal.I`d play it in whatever key the vocalist requested.

JonPR · #29 03-12-2021, 04:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Italuke

There were no horns on the original. It was likely more so for his piano player, Jai Johnny Johnson.

Right - no horns!
As I said, although he liked C for live performance, he wanted to bring it down a little for the studio, and Bb was probably what Johnson preferred out of the other nearby choices: B or A, with Chuck not wanting to go lower than A.
Likewise, having worked with horns in the past, Bb would be a familiar key.

Italuke · #30 03-12-2021, 05:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wguitar

IMHO just find the key that best suits your voice and go with it. Audiences love this song regardless of key.

Have fun!

Yup, people love it. Just DONT fall into the cheesy cover band trap of playing the chorus wrong! Once you get to the five, it stays there, it does NOT go back to the four.