Grateful Dead Music Forum

ebick wrote:

cunamara wrote:"Correct" is relative given that the Dead reharmonized tunes and changed arrangements all the time- sometimes from one performance to the next. You have to pick what you think is the definitive version.

In "Brokedown Palace" the version on rukind.org is transposed down a whole step- as you note- but also has a variation in the harmony compared to the version on "Dead Set," the line:

All the tabs list the album that the version represents. In this case, American Beauty, not Dead Set. For American Beauty, the key is correct.

...which would be the same as the live versions from 1970-1974.

For live versions 1977-1995, simply raise the key by one whole step, and drop the "doo-doo-doo"'s.

ebick wrote:

cunamara wrote:"Correct" is relative given that the Dead reharmonized tunes and changed arrangements all the time- sometimes from one performance to the next. You have to pick what you think is the definitive version.

In "Brokedown Palace" the version on rukind.org is transposed down a whole step- as you note- but also has a variation in the harmony compared to the version on "Dead Set," the line:

All the tabs list the album that the version represents. In this case, American Beauty, not Dead Set. For American Beauty, the key is correct.

Yep. It's interesting to note that your version doesn't completely match the official sheet music from the time, but to my ears the official sheet music sounds incorrect and yours sounds more correct.

causebass wrote:I was there when Jerry sang the broke brokedown in Pittsburgh ...didn't start in the wrong key but started in the verse..

Ha! Yeah - I was at that one too! Only time I've ever see the band stop a song - the whole place was silent for a second - like it was a collective "oh fuck" - then Jerry said - "that sounded real good didn't it?" and they started it over with the correct verse - ha! it was great!

I always thought the song was in the F, this version doesnt seem right to my ears, I guess it depends on which version are listening to at the time/ what sounds better to you

The song WAS in F for a long time. Somewhere in the late 70's they canged it to G. There's a chord missing in this transposition though - it's an Em - in the same place where the Dm would be in the F version.

After I started playing it in G I much prefer it. Just personal preference though.

bobbybobbob wrote:I always said the key of Dm was the sadest keys of them all, it's enough to make a man cry just by hearing it

NAME THAT MOVIE

Spinal Tap

p.s. anybody wanna start a Barber-shop Reggae band?

"That's a really beautiful piece"

"Yes, well, I'm really influenced by Mozart and Bach.....this is sort of a Moch piece"

"What's it called?"

"Oh this one? This one's called Lick My Love Pump"

ok we're getting a bit off the subject (that never happens here) but every musician should see Spinal Tap... and A Mighty Wind... in fact, all Christopher Guest movies

did you know he was the 6-fingered man in Princess Bride?

anyway, back to the subject... my band is playing Brokedown at our next show this Sat and a mandolin player is sitting in for it! Anybody know if a certain key would be better suited for mando?

I don't mind the version on the site at all. My problem is I really suck at a normal F chord (short little finger) so I drop it down to the Barre Chord on the 8th and 10th fret and it has seemed to help. Adds a little sweetness to it in my opinion. Any other versions out there? One of my all-time favorite Dead tunes

A / D intro version for me
great tune !

rkubik wrote:My problem is I really suck at a normal F chord (short little finger)

Garcia had the same problem apparently! Not really, but I never saw him actually barre an F chord- just play the top 4 strings and no barre is ever needed.

came here to post a photo of billy sunday. Clicked on this link because it it tied for my #1 favorite Dead Tune. You have it ALL wrong:

INTRO
A-D (yes)

A Bm C G D A Em C D
fair u well my honey. fair u well my only true one all the birds that were singing are flown, except you alone......

start verses in G

BEEN PLAYING IN A DEAD BAND SINCE 1981 when I saw my first show. Stephens Answer broke up in '89 but I know pretty much EVERY song, especially Jerry's. This is my favorite and this is how the intro was played LIVE since 1980 and earlier. have not checked the LP lately, but it might be in a different key. Like Casey Jones is in the key of C on the LP and they played it in D live, at least post 1979.
-peace~

drkstrcrashes wrote:came here to post a photo of billy sunday. Clicked on this link because it it tied for my #1 favorite Dead Tune. You have it ALL wrong:

INTRO
A-D (yes)

A Bm C G D A Em C D
fair u well my honey. fair u well my only true one all the birds that were singing are flown, except you alone......

start verses in G

BEEN PLAYING IN A DEAD BAND SINCE 1981 when I saw my first show. Stephens Answer broke up in '89 but I know pretty much EVERY song, especially Jerry's. This is my favorite and this is how the intro was played LIVE since 1980 and earlier. have not checked the LP lately, but it might be in a different key. Like Casey Jones is in the key of C on the LP and they played it in D live, at least post 1979.
-peace~

Sorry...but here we go again......try this......put a capo on fret 2 and play it the way it is posted on the site and THEN tell me that it's all wrong. After that, take the capo off, play the original recording from American Beauty and play along with it (go ahead and try your "right way" first). Finally, Google "transposing a song". Happy travels.

I would consider the definitive version of this song to be the original version on American Beauty. That's the version shown on rukind. The key and the chords are an exact match.