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Mary Chapin Carpenter
Tunings and capo positions
These charts have been compiled from various sources over the past few years. The best way to find out about capos is to watch performances live or on television/YouTube, although sometimes I have to make assumptions based on how the songs sound (especially with the older ones which aren't performed as much anymore).
The charts try to list six things for each song:
- The key that the song was originally recorded in. Sometimes this changes in live performances.
- Where Mary Chapin Carpenter has her capo (0 if there's no capo).
- The key MCC plays it in.
- MCC's tuning. If it's blank, she uses standard tuning. If there's a question mark, that means it might be standard, but I'm not sure.
- Where the lead guitarist has his capo. This is usually John Jennings (especially in concert), so I put his name there.
- The key the lead guitarist plays it in. John Jennings rarely, if ever, uses non-
standard tunings (he told me once that Chapin uses "Martian" tunings), so there's no "JJ tuning" column.
If I wasn't sure about MCC's capo or tuning, I put a question mark. If I wasn't sure about Jennings', I left it blank. If you can help me fill in any of the blanks (from concerts or old TV appearances, perhaps), let me know!
Hometown Girl
| recorded key | Mary Chapin Carpenter | John Jennings | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| capo | key | tuning | capo | key | ||
| A Lot Like Me | F | 5? | C? | |||
| Other Streets and Other Towns | F | 5 | C | |||
| Hometown Girl | G | 0 | G | |||
| Downtown Train | G | 0 | G | |||
| Family Hands | F | 3 | D | DADGBE | 5 | C |
| A Road Is Just a Road | A | 2? | G? | |||
| Come On Home | A | 2? | G? | |||
| Waltz | E | 2? | D? | |||
| Just Because | E | 4 | C | EADGBD | ||
| Heroes and Heroines | F | 5? | C? | |||
State of the Heart
| recorded key | MCC | JJ | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| capo | key | tuning | capo | key | ||
| How Do | A | 2 | G | 0 | A | |
| Something of a Dreamer | B | 2 | A | ? | 4 | G |
| Never Had It So Good | G | 0 | G | 0 | G | |
| Read My Lips | G | 3? | E? | |||
| This Shirt | F | 5 | C | 0 or 1 | F or E | |
| Quittin' Time | D | 2 | C | 0 | D | |
| Down in Mary's Land | A | 2 | G | 2 | G | |
| Goodbye Again | C# | 4 | A | DAC#EAE | ||
| Too Tired | E | 2 | D | 0 | E | |
| Slow Country Dance | A | 2 | G | 0 | G | |
| It Don't Bring You | F | 5 | C | |||
Shooting Straight in the Dark
| recorded key | MCC | JJ | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| capo | key | tuning | capo | key | ||
| Going Out Tonight | F | 5 | C | 0 | F | |
| Right Now | Bb | 3 | G | 1 | A | |
| The More Things Change | Gm | 3 | Em | 0 | Gm | |
| When She's Gone | F | 5 | C | |||
| Middle Ground | A | 2 | G | |||
| Can't Take Love for Granted | F# | 4 | D | ? | ||
| Down at the Twist and Shout | A | 2 | G | 0 | A | |
| Halley Came to Jackson | E | 2 | D | 4 | C | |
| What You Didn't Say | Bb | 3 | G | |||
| You Win Again | D | 2 | C | |||
| The Moon & St. Christopher | F | 5 | C | DADGBC | ||
Come On Come On
| recorded key | MCC | JJ | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| capo | key | tuning | capo | key | ||
| The Hard Way | D | 2 | C | 0 | D | |
| He Thinks He'll Keep Her | A | 2 | G | 0 | A | |
| Rhythm of the Blues | F | 3 | D | 5 | C | |
| I Feel Lucky | B | 7 | E | 0 | B | |
| The Bug | D | ? | ? | |||
| Not Too Much to Ask | F | ? | ? | |||
| Passionate Kisses | D | 2 | C | 0 | D | |
| Only a Dream | Ab | n/a | n/a | |||
| I Am a Town | C | 3 | A | DAC#EAE | 0 | C |
| Walking Through Fire | A>B | 2 | G>A | |||
| I Take My Chances | C | 5 | G | 0 | C | |
| Come On Come On | Bb | 3 | G | DADF#GD | 3 | G |
Stones in the Road
| recorded key | MCC | JJ | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| capo | key | tuning | capo | key | ||
| Why Walk When You Can Fly | B | 7 | E | ?????? | 4 | G |
| House of Cards | A | 9 | C | 0 | A | |
| Stones in the Road | Bb | 3 | G | DADF#GD | 3 | G |
| A Keeper for Every Flame | A | 2 | G | |||
| Tender When I Want to Be | F | 5 | C | 1 | E | |
| Shut Up and Kiss Me | A | 5 | E | 0 | A | |
| The Last Word | Eb | 3 | C | -1* | E | |
| The End of My Pirate Days | G | 3 | E | |||
| John Doe No. 24 | E | 9 | G | DADF#AD | 0 | E |
| Jubilee | Bb | 3 | G | 3 | G | |
| Outside Looking In | A | 2 | G | |||
| Where Time Stands Still | G | n/a | n/a | |||
| This Is Love | G | 5 | D | DADF#AD | 0 | G |
| * On the album, the lead guitar is tuned down a half step. In concert, they play it in F rather than Eb, and the lead plays in E with a capo on the first fret. |
A Place in the World
| recorded key | MCC | JJ | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| capo | key | tuning | capo | key | ||
| Keeping the Faith | C | 5 | G | 0 | C | |
| Hero in Your Own Hometown | C | 5? | G? | |||
| I Can See It Now | G | ? | ? | ? | ||
| I Want to Be Your Girlfriend | E>F# | 4 | C>D | 0? | E>F#? | |
| Let Me into Your Heart | C | 5 | G | 0 | C | |
| What If We Went to Italy | A | 2? | G? | |||
| That's Real | F | 5? | C? | |||
| Ideas Are Like Stars | E | 7 | A | C#AEG#BE | ||
| Naked to the Eye | A | 2? | G? | |||
| Sudden Gift of Fate | D | 5 | A | ? | 2 | C |
| The Better to Dream of You | B | 4? | G? | |||
| A Place in the World | F | 3 | D | DAC#EAD | ||
in concert
| key | MCC | JJ | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| capo | key | tuning | capo | key | ||
| April Rain | F | 3 | D | ? | ||
| Dreamland | F | 5 | C | ? | ? | |
| Girls With Guitars | C | 3 | A | 0 | C | |
| Hearts in Her Eyes | D | 2 | C | 0 | D | |
| Real Real Gone | Bb | 3 | G | |||