Grateful Dead Music Forum

PostPosted:**Wed Oct 11, 2006 5:23 pm**

So I just saw DSO perform 05/01/77 closing with Brokedown Palace. I was up front Dead center and my eyeballs were about 10-15 feet away from John's guitar.

Even though it was the encore and I was tired, he did play Brokedown in the key of F!

As I tried to follow and transpose in my head, failingly, I was left baffelled as to why one would do this. I have been playing Brokedown in G for over 10 years now and can't really see the reasoning to change the key. I just checked with the orginal recording of this show and it is definately in the Key of G.

Anyone know anything about this phenomenon?

PostPosted:**Wed Oct 11, 2006 5:30 pm**

I know next to zilch about DSO but I can tell you the most likely reason for playing a song in ANY key is that it suits the vocal range or comfort range of the singer.

PostPosted:**Thu Oct 12, 2006 8:58 am**

I think that 5-1-77 version of "Brokedown" is one of the finest ever. It just figures that the last few seconds of the sooundboard is chopped off...damn shame.

PostPosted:**Mon Oct 16, 2006 10:08 am**

originally the opening bit was A, and then switched to G

after a few years it started in G and switched to F, I think because it's easier to sing a whole step down, plus I think it sounds better with the deeper tonality

PostPosted:**Mon Oct 16, 2006 10:50 am**

I'm pretty sure that it's G to F on American Beauty. It's a bit of a seq from Ripple, which ends in G.