I'll sometimes transpose a song to accommodate my own vocal register, and I've noticed many bands do that with their own work when playing live. The lead singer may have been able to hit those notes when it was recorded, but the passing of time often lowers the voice a couple of notes. Other times, I'll transpose a song down a couple of notes, and then capo back up to the original key. This is if I want to use different chord shapes on the fretboard.

You've given me a boost and given reassurance that what I HAVE to do is transpose. I don't think the retirement communities notice - perhaps only the trained ear might, but my vocal register is way down there. It does produce some interesting results when performing a tenor-based song. It's fun, whether it's right or wrong...

There is a movie 0ut there that was made someware in the fifties or sixties.

I looked it up, it is in fact named "The Legend of Tom Dooley" from 1959.  It is based on the Kingston Trio's version of the legend, but not on the actual historical records of the event.    Michael Landon (you know, the dad from Little House on the Prairie) stars in it.   

Bill - I think I know what you were trying to get at.  Like BlueJeep said, just to try to challenge yourself.  That's an interesting way to spend some time.    Makes me think of vocal warm ups, going through the "do re me fa..." and then kicking it up a half step until it's just too high to sing.

Tom Dooley
Misc. Traditional

G    D7    G    D7

G                                            G
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley,
G                                          D7                               
Hang down your head and cry,
D7                                          D7
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley,
D7                                       G
Poor boy, you're bound to die.

G                          G                                           
I met her on the mountain,
G                          D7 
There I took her life,
D7                        D7                                                                                             
I met her on the mountain,
D7                                         G
And I stabbed her with my knife.

G                                            G
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley,
G                                          D7                               
Hang down your head and cry,
D7                                          D7
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley,
D7                                       G
Poor boy, you're bound to die.

G                       G
‘Bout this time tomorrow,
G                           D7     
Reckon where I'll be,
D7                                     D7
Down in some lonesome valley
D7                                      G
Hangin' from a white-oak tree.

G                                            G
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley,
G                                          D7                               
Hang down your head and cry,
D7                                          D7
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley,
D7                                       G
Poor boy, you're bound to die.

G                                            G
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley,
G                                          D7                               
Hang down your head and cry,
D7                                          D7
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley,
D7                                       G         G          G…
Poor boy, you're bound to die.

Tom Dooley chords
The Kingston Trio (North Carolina folk song, first recording by Grayson / Whitter)

Throughout history there've been many songs written about the eternal triangle.
This next one tells the story of a Ms. Grayson, a beautiful woman, and a condemned man
named Tom Dooley. When the sun rises tomorrow, Tom Dooley, must hang

E
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley,
                        F#m
hang down your head and cry

Hang down your head, Tom Dooley,
                          E
poor boy, you're bound to die

  E
I met her on the mountain,
                 F#m
there I took her life

Met her on the mountain,
                    E
stabbed her with my knife

E
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley,
                        F#m
hang down your head and cry

Hang down your head, Tom Dooley,
                          E
poor boy, you're bound to die

E
This time tomorrow,
                  F#m
reckon where I'll be
[ Tab from: http://www.guitaretab.com/k/kingston-trio/276578.html ]
Hadn't a-been for Grayson,
                    E
I'd a-been in Tennessee

E
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley,
                        F#m
hang down your head and cry

Hang down your head, Tom Dooley,
                          E
poor boy, you're bound to die

E
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley,
                        F#m
hang down your head and cry

Hang down your head, Tom Dooley,
                          E
poor boy, you're bound to die

E
This time tomorrow,
                  F#m
reckon where I'll be

Down in some lonesome valley,
                         E
hangin' from a white oak tree

E
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley,
                        F#m
hang down your head and cry

Hang down your head, Tom Dooley,
                          E
poor boy, you're bound to die

E
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley,
                        F#m
hang down your head and cry

Hang down your head, Tom Dooley,
                          E
poor boy, you're bound to die

F#m                       E
Poor boy, you're bound to die
F#m                       E
Poor boy, you're bound to die
F#m                       E
Poor boy, you're bound to die...

Today, just sitting around, I thought about our transposition feature.

What I wanted to do is take one of the simplest songs to chord and transpose it to the point where it might be impossible to play.

So while this post is for everyone, it is especially for  Russell Harding, who, instead of me trying to write this , can do this little so-called "experiment"  justice.being that he's our Professor of Music Theory here.

The song I chose first was "Tom Dooley" - The Kingston Trio version - but alas I found only tabs and I am not as adept with tabs as most of you are.

So the next attempt was The Bee Gees' "To Love Somebody": very easily chorded.

I began transposing first with "plus one semitone" and the higher I got, the more difficult (for me, anyway)  it was to play, and I told myself, "No way can you make these changes as smoothly as they need to be!"

Now, please don't misunderstand: this is in no way meant as a criticism. I have used the tool many times to help myself and love it!

It was something I had always wondered about and now I am forming it into a question for my talented friend(s) to answer.

Thanks very much and Peatle and Mojo: Y'all have mail on Sound Cloud. I am slowly and surely catching up!

Bill