Grateful Dead Music Forum

they never played it in this key

While you may very well be correct that this was never performed in C, (it's in Bb on the album), I disagree that it should be taken down for that reason. I found myself wondering how I ended up in C, and I checked the Grateful Dead Anthology vol I, and that was the key it was presented in there, so at least that answers that.

Regardless....learning to transpose is a practice that has immeasurable benefits. Although the song is in a different key, it is not incorrect. And, btw, no one ever said that for this song or any other, that you have to do it in the key they did it. People get too hung up on that stuff imo. They changed keys on songs when it made sense for them to do so. It doesn't make it wrong.

My guess is he wrote it in C, published it (hence Anthology), and then later changed keys in order to find the best match for his voice (or harmonies). Although some keys do evoke slightly different ambiences for some discerning ears than others (of the same type), it often is just practical considerations (like horns and Bb, or guitars and E, piano and C, etc. or vocalist range) that end up influencing key choices.

The key is placed where a singer sings.

I usually drop Garcia's keys a whole step to fit me (older now).

A cool exercise is to sing to tune acapella then get the instrument. You might be surprised.

I agree Bb and don't open the door to other possibilities.

MHO

Much easier for me to play it in C on keys.
Harmonically, it's laid out more sensibly for that key IMHO.