My Love Will Not Change - what is the key?

[Darren Bailey]

I love this song and have been trying all weekend to put a nice break together for it. But I can't work out the key that it's in, nothing I play sounds like Ronnie's solo. Now normally this would be true of anything I and the great ronnie play, but in this case it's more pronounced, I just can't locate what he's doing. Any advice most appreciated.

[Raymond E.]

Evenin'...
Is he not playing a Mandola on this tune ?

[Mike Snyder]

Yes, and I always assumed, by the sound, that he was in an alternate tuning. It has that Get up John drone thing going on.

[Darren Bailey]

Thanks fellas, my problems have all become clear to me. But - when Dave Grisman appears with Del and the boys he plays his regular mandolin, would that be in an alternative tuning too (in fact would it have to be - I don't know anything about such things) when playing this song?

[Ivan Kelsall]

Regardless of whatever tuning is used,it's still in a specific 'key',& that's on all our Mandolins.Just play though a few chords to see what fits,it'll be there somewhere. I used to mess around with all sorts of Banjo tunings years back,but got out of that habit. I don't care to re-tune my Mandolin for tunes such as 'Get Up John', i play it 'straight' in standard tuning.OK,it doesn't sound the same, but the tune's all there,
Ivan

[Darren Bailey]

Sound advice Ivan.

[Martin]

Well I've played along with that song several times and I believe I played it in the key of "D".

[Darren Bailey]

Thank you to all for the responses, as far as it is possible for me to say anything in life with authority I'm also plumping for D. And very relieved I am too.

[ralph johansson]

Del plays D, C and G chords, so I would say it's in D mixolydian.