So I guess this is where we post topics concerning CDLC creation?  If there's a better place for this feel free to move it.

 

I'm working on Twenty Flight Rock by Eddie Cochran.  Every tab / lesson / video / etc., official or otherwise, has notated the song in the key of A (chords A, D & E).

 

It didn't sound quite right in my feeble attempts to play along so I plugged it into chordify and it says the song is in G (chords G, C & D). 

 

http://chordify.net/chords/eddie-cochran-twenty-flight-rock-davemusicalmente 

 

That sounds much better, or my ears are tricked into thinking it does.  I understand this could be a result of just tuning the guitar by ear to itself or slowing the recording down in the studio but I can't be the first person to realize this because I'm woefully ignorant in all things musical.

 

I think I'm just going to do the arrangements in D standard so that I (and whoever downloads the custom) can play it in stadard tuning in A, the way the rest of the world thinks it should be.  So, I suppose my only purpose in posting this is to get a second opinion and verify that I'm not crazy. 

 

Somebody?  Anybody?

IMO it is absolutely imperative that the CDLC has matching keys for the recording and the notes. Otherwise it will be very painful playing it. After a quick look at the tab it should be quite possible to transpose it to G without requiring re-tuning.

A|---3-4---3-4---3-4---|E|-5-----5-----5-----5-|

becomes

A|---1-2---1-2---1-2---|E|-3-----3-----3-----3-|

IMO this would be more comfortable to play instead of having to re-tune to D standard just for that song. (Which i look forward to play btw, great song!)

Check out this youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDFslybnkJk

 

This version's definitely in A  -- watch his hands (even though he's faking it) -- He's playing it the way the tab's written.

 

I'm not sure how you'd be able to play the riff in a different key, unless you retune the guitar.

 

Here's another verison on youtube (link below) -- it's still A, maybe a wee bit off, but it could be the audio conversion that does this.

 

BUT: I just found a THIRD version -- and that one's clearly in G! I'm guessing that's the one you have -- ditch it! It's wrong! Listen to his voice when he's singing --it's clearly been retuned.

 

A lot of old records seem to have tuning or speed issues - something got screwed up in the transfer process, I think. At least, that's my theory -- it explains a lot of songs that aren't in A440 tuning but shifting just a little higher or lower.

 

To me, it makes sense to re-tune the mp3 file to bring it to standard tuning in a case like that, where it's off by a half-note or less. To me that's a sign the transfer got screwed up.

 

But this song's definitely supposed to be in A and the version you have was retuned to G. (I'll go check my copy too, it's on another computer)

 

 

 

And here's the WRONG version:

Ah the plot thickens... because I checked the version I have (comes from a collection called Rockabilly's Gravest Hits) -- and it's the downtuned version as well!

 

But it's clearly not right. You can tell by the sound of his voice in the song -- he sounds way too much like Elvis.

 

Seems to me the real version is on the Best of Eddie Cochran. 

 

Here's another one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jc_p6uUS86o

 

 

(You can probably guess I'm pretty excited by the prospect of getting some rockabilly into my fingers!)

Marty-  Thanks, I'll check that one out after work.

 

EDIT:  I lied.  I checked it out AT work.  Those videos of the song in A just answered another question I had.  I have 2 versions of the sheet music for this song.  The solo starts out the same but diverges pretty quickly.  I realize now that one fits the A version and the other fits the G version (if it was in A).

 

I think what I'm going to do is take the one I have (since the tracking is done for the most part) and shift the .wav up to A in Audacity.  Then at some point I'll do the other version with the different solo and just have 2 versions of the same song.  A plague of riches.