[Melissa]

I have to agree with Cathy, and I was thinking the exact same thing when James said, "why not just play it in C?" The structure of the G chord on the guitar and the ensuing "lead ups" to the C chord (i.e., the Am and the B), as well as the reverse - the "lead downs" from the C back to the D before resolving to the G, in IYCRMM, just don't work in any other form. Sure, you can play the song in any key you like, but when you try to get that unmistakable sound that makes that song what it is, you just need to play it in G, imo. And, like Cathy, I can't SING it in G! So thank goodness for Mr. Shubb!

For me, it's not just a matter of what KEY I play the song in, it's also the structure of the chords and the relationship of the strings to each other. When playing in G form, for example, you will always have your top string as your bass note, and can hear the ring of all 6 strings. Same for E. However, in D form, it's a much lighter sound since you're only playing 4 strings (not counting dropped-D tuning or, in standard tuning, keeping your left thumb on the F# and playing all 6 strings), and that "lighter" sound just doesn't work for some songs, certainly not for a lot of GL songs.

Well, certainly, each of us has our own way of doing things. But, for me? Well, I just couldn't do much without my trusty capo. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

Melissa