slou92 - Posted - 03/09/2026:  05:33:24

Looking for some advice here and I apologize for the dumb question.

I play Shady Grove in Dm but need to transpose to Am.

I’m torn between playing in an open position around the Am chord or transcribing to Gm and cappoing at 2.

I think the advantage of Gm and a capo is I could use patterns I’m already used to by playing out of G.

Any advice on which way to go? I’m not the best at this and I admire folks who can do this on the fly. That’s not me; I have to work at it longer than I’d like to admit.

Nopix - Posted - 03/09/2026:  06:39:25

Do you need to transpose for your voice? Otherwise what's the goal?
I think if you've been playing in Dm, in standard open G tuning. (Without capo)
Then capo 2, I'm thinking your new key would be Em. Would this work?
I usually have a keyboard in front of me to check these things.

slou92 - Posted - 03/09/2026:  06:46:42

I should have said that I’d like to transpose because my son sings it better in Am and requested to change.

Old Hickory - Posted - 03/09/2026:  07:05:49

What is your tuning for playing it in Dm? What are your chords?

If you're in standard G tuning playing in D minor is there a reason you can't stay in G tuning and simply transpose all your chords to A minor? You'll have to work out different fingering, but it seems to me you'd have to that with any of the approaches you're asking about.

Ira Gitlin - Posted - 03/09/2026:  07:20:34

Running through it in my head, I think either way will work just fine. Try both (you probably have done so already) and see which one speaks to you the strongest.

Old Hickory - Posted - 03/09/2026:  08:02:15

quote:

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Originally posted by slou92

I’m torn between playing in an open position around the Am chord or transcribing to Gm and capoing at 2.



I think the advantage of Gm and a capo is I could use patterns I’m already used to by playing out of G.

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I've hardly ever played this song, so I did a quick internet search to confirm it's what I thought.

In A minor the chords would be Am and G. Sometimes C, depending on your arrangement.

Those are common and extremely easy chords in G tuning for three-finger banjo. They will let you use patterns you're already used to. The melody notes are all easily accessible. You can render a melody with only a little breaking out of a roll pattern or mixing up of roll patterns. Which is good technique, anyway.

Culloden - Posted - 03/09/2026:  09:58:43

I've usually played this in Gm, tuned in modal tuning gDGcd. You could use that tuning and capo at the second fret.