sethb - Posted - 11/26/2025:  07:50:58

I need someone with better ears than me to figure out what Don Van Palta is doing in his performance of "California, Here I Come," which is part of his "San Francisco" medley.  The YouTube link is youtube.com/watch?v=qBpd5mq_2J...t_radio=1

The "California" tune starts at the 2:00 minute mark, and his fingering seems to indicate that he's in the key of C.  Then around the 2:36 mark, it sounds like he changes key, perhaps into Eb or F. 

The effect is wonderful, especially with the song in question.  I'd like to try and replicate it, but I can't quite figure out what key he went into, if in fact he did change keys.  Can someone suggest exactly what he did?  Thanks in advance for your help with this!  SETH 

Edited by - sethb on 11/26/2025 07:55:20

Mojesty - Posted - 11/26/2025:  10:03:17

Don Van Palta starts in the key of C, then goes to the key of G, then goes to the key of A, and then finishes in the key of C, with a fancy ending. Jim

sethb - Posted - 11/26/2025:  10:20:04

Hmmmm, I hadn't expected that!  At what points in the song do the keys change?   SETH

TB4 - Posted - 11/26/2025:  10:22:02

I can listen here to four basic keys C >Eb>F>Db.

Edited by - TB4 on 11/26/2025 10:26:31

Mojesty - Posted - 11/26/2025:  11:44:29

I am going by version No.1 The song starts at 1:23 in C, changes to G at 1:59, to A at 2:26, to C at 3:01. (within a second or two)

sethb - Posted - 11/26/2025:  12:46:39

Jim --- Thanks for your guideposts!  When you refer to "version #1," is that the same piece that I posted a link to?  I ask because in my YouTube link, the "California" tune actually starts at 1:59.  At 1:23, the tune is "Toot, Toot, Tootsie."  I just want to be sure we're comparing apples to apples. 

Unless my ears deceive me (which is quite possible!), "Tootsie" and "California" are in the same key,  which seems to be C.  (Although the fingering in "Tootsie" does look suspiciously like he's in G, the fingering on California appears to be in C.)  

Then at the 2:26 mark, the chorus of "California" repeats at a faster tempo, but apparently in the same key.  It's at 2:38 where something seems to be going on and the rest of the chorus seems to be in a different key.  Either that, or maybe Don is just using different chord inversions of the same chords? 

I agree that when Don finishes off with San Francisco, he appears to be back in the key of C, based on the plectrum fingering.  But if that's so, I have no idea how he got there.  His musicianship is just amazing.  SETH

Edited by - sethb on 11/26/2025 12:50:54

sethb - Posted - 11/26/2025:  15:01:49

As a side note, Don had offered his arrangement of this medley and several others for sale on his website.  Unfortunately, I didn't take advantage of his offer. 

Either before or after he passed away, his medley arrangements as well as over 800 leadsheets with his fingering diagrams for each melody chord were given to the American Banjo Museum in Oklahoma.  When I contacted the museum a year or so ago to inquire if the arrangements or the leadsheets were available for purchase, I was told that they were deposited with the Museum for safekeeping but that copies were not available for purchase.  

So while the original documents are unavailable (but are very safe!), plectrum players can't access this valuable information, and the Museum and Don's estate is also deprived of any possible revenue.  That makes no sense, and can't be what Don -- always the consummate teacher --- would have wanted.   SETH  

Edited by - sethb on 11/26/2025 15:05:04

Omeboy - Posted - 11/26/2025:  16:25:18

The guy who had Don's arrangements for sale is  banjohangout.org/my/jerryh927   Jerryh927 had a complete listing of available Van Palta diagrammed arrangements. Perhaps if you contact him, he might still have them available.  Worth a try.

Mojesty - Posted - 11/26/2025:  19:08:45

The version I used shows "you tube". The version you used shows the the word "radio"according to my computer. They are slightly different. Jim