Amazing Grace (Backup) Beginner Banjo

[Mike]

This is the discussion topic for the lesson Amazing Grace (Backup) Beginner Banjo. Please leave your comments or any questions you might have about the lesson here!

[yochanan]

Hi Mike and banjo players.
Can I get the Amazing Grace beginner transposed in C? It’s a better key for my fiancé who sings and plays guitar with me lol or me with her. Thanks.

[Mike]

Sure, you can add your capo on the 5th fret and spike your 5th string at the 10th fret (C) and you can play this exact tab and that will transpose it to the key of C!

If you have any more questions let me know.

Best,
Mike

[Jon]

Kind of an off the wall question, but even though this song is in the key of G, you use a G7 to lead to a C chord in measure 2. I guess that’s OK due to the circle of fifths, where a G7 -> C, but I’m curious why there’s never a D7 leading back to a G in this set of backup material. All of your D chords seem to be straight up D chords. Is that because this is a hymn? Is there some kind of rule that says stay away from V7 -> I chord progressions in hymns?

[Mike]

Jon,

Thanks for your question.

You could definitely use a D7 if you wanted in this backup, there’s nothing that rules that out in hymns and nothing harmonically that would make the D7 not work.

This just came down to personal preference in this case, a D7 has a little more tension harmonically (because of the C note) than just a standard D chord. I just enjoyed the sound of the standard D chord when I wrote up this backup arrangement.

But there’s definitely times when I’ve played this song and added a D7.

If you have any more questions let me know.

Best,
Mike

• This reply was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by Mike.

[Cliff]

Mike where is the melody you reference throughout the back up. Did not see it.

[Mike]

I teach the lead part in this lesson:

Amazing Grace Beginner Banjo

This was the melody part I was referring to.

If you have any other questions let me know.

– Mike

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