Can anyone please tell me which key signature this tune is played in - the banjo break is fantastic and I’d like to try to figure out what Steve Barr is doing here.
Which Key Signature?
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They’re in E and he’s playing out of C position (your fave!).
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Ben, have you done a lesson on ear training? I’m convinced I’m on the verge of being able to identify chords and notes just by hearing them, but I’m not sure how to nurture that. This seems like it might be one of those lessons you could listen to in the car.
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I feel like he talked about this at the inaugural camp theory lessons; that was one of the most useful things I learned! Now I have the ability to identify a song’s key 95% of the time (if there is a mando or fiddle) and maybe 75% if there are only capoed instruments… I can 99% of the time identify the position played out of.
I just listen to the fiddle or mando; you can hear when they are playing an open string. Then, use your theory knowledge to identify the relation of that note to the root.
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Yes, he did cover that. That’s cool that you’ve gotten so much out of that conversation.
I was thinking more like a lesson on the theories he talked about at that camp, followed by some practical application like “OK, here’s a series of notes / chords. Let’s see if you can name them.” Something that would allow me to develop a skill while I’m in the car or otherwise away from my instruments.
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Killer idea
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@BanjoBen & @Mark_Rocka Sign me up for that one too!
@Michael_Mark you obviously retained (and applied) more out of that class than I did!
I do remember Ben describing how watching the guitar player can help to pick up on what chords are being played in live situations. I also remember thinking to myself at the time, “That’s only helpful if you happen to know anything about guitar chords!”
The comment about hearing open strings on a fiddle or mandolin also assumes one would know something significant about these instruments firsthand.
All three of you have exposure to multiple stringed instruments…how much of a role do you think this has in answering these types of questions?
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I don’t want to say “a lot” so I’ll just say “a significant amount” and leave it at that. 
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