Playing in Many Keys

The Strumstick is super easy, in part because it only plays in one key, D (or G with the G Strumsticks). Does that mean you are stuck if you want to play in some other key? Heck no! You can reach an amazing number of other keys by combinations of retuning and/or Capo use. This page will show you how.

I've been playing Strumstick in bands and multi -instrument jams for many years. When I'm there with just a D Strumstick and the group is starting up Country Roads in A (guitars playing in G-Capo 2), I have to make a quick shift of key. Capo doesn't work quite the same way on Strumstick as it does on guitar; on guitar is simply raises the pitch, on Strumstick it raises pitch and changes the kind of scale you get.

Without going into the Music Theory weeds of scales and keys, here are instructions for playing in many commonly required keys. Also see Playing In Other Keys in the Strumstick Learning Center.

Video 1. Keys available with a DAD tuned Strumstick (that is the main Strumstick tuning)
D, Bm, Em, F#Blues, G, A/Am (D Tuning)