Finding the Right Key

It is bound to happen to every musician…that one key you dread at a jam session. That one key of music that feels more like a lock. Hypothetical jam scenario: “Let’s play that one song…you know in the key of (fill in blank).” Sweat forms on the brow. You quickly look at the fret board in hopes of magically figuring out the notes. “Suuuurrrre” you say, all the while kicking your ineptitude and frantically thinking about how you are going to piece together a solo that will save a at least a little of your musical dignity.

As a mandolin picker with roots in old-time music, the key of B is my kryptonite. A, D, G, C…no problem. B? I feel the sweat forming now. I share an affinity with the great fiddler Kenny Baker, who, in response to a question about playing with Bill Monroe said something to the effect of “sure if like playing in the key of B for 25 years…” (paraphrase). The consummate musician can do it all, any key, any tempo, any rhythm. But for the rest of us there is a learning curve, and quite frankly to move another step in the direction of becoming a consummate musician, you have to take these instances head on.

Key of B? Perhaps a problem now, but how can you make it a strength?
Music theory is great, if you understand it and can use it. But, if you are like me you kind of get it and can’t really use it to your advantage. So how do you start to branch away from the standard keys and venture into territory that, while foreign to you, is really a staple of many bluegrass musicians (even those that can’t capo!)? Here is how I am doing it…

Learning the key of B means investing some serious time into listening, looking and, for lack of a better phrase, messing up. Obviously leveraging the scale is the first step…but that only takes you so far. You have to know the scale and then know how to use it all over the fret board to your advantage. But more than that, playing in the key of B on an instrument tuned in fifths requires closed positioned playing. On a first position scale there is one open string note in the key of B. For beginners and folks that continue to cling open strings beyond the beginner level, playing in closed positions requires a bit of re-learning.

For me there are two things going on here. First is pinky strength. Second is building confidence in closed position playing, so that the “go-to” open stings become something of a second thought. Working on the key of B helps close the gap on both of those issues…which can be leveraged across the fret board in other “closed position keys” (like F#m) and in up-the-neck playing.

So that is my approach up front. Work on pinky playing and closed scales for all keys, with a focus on learning and mastering B. Two birds, one stone, and a lot of practice time. Next comes the hard part for someone with limited theory application skills. What sounds good and why? I’ll tackle that subject in my next blog….

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Cole Christensen

After falling backwards into bluegrass and Americana music in college, Cole Christensen has devoted much of his adult life to learning and promoting traditional American music. In addition to playing mandolin, old-time banjo, guitar and scratching out a few tunes on the fiddle, he is also a freelance music writer and host of Warped Frets, a weekly bluegrass and old-time music radio show on Bowling Green State University’s community radio station WBGU 88.1 F.M. (Sundays from noon to 2 pm EST). He enjoys conversing with all music lovers and can be reached at colemchristensen@gmail.com with questions, comments and suggestions.