Need My Guitar-Playing Butt Kicked Off The Planet!!!!!

Bill,
First of all, don't ever worry about singing out of key - some of the most popular singers in the world do that. Just have fun with it!

With respect to moving to the A7, lots of players tend to remove their hand from the fretboard when switching chords and then rebuilding the chord from the ground up. This is a mistake and is the "hard way" of doing things. The A7 is fingered very similarly to the D chord, just a string down. if your D chord is fingered like this:

-------2-------   middle finger
-------3-------   ring finger
-------2-------   index finger
-------0--------
-------x---------
-------x---------
....All you have to do to make that A7 is lift up your ring finger and slide the other two down a string while they are still in position:

---------0---------
---------2--------- middle finger
---------0--------- (pick up your ring finger to let this sound open)
---------2--------- index finger
---------0----------
---------x---------

So, resist the urge to pick up all your fingers and put them back down in the new position. The lazy way is the way to go.

-BGD

opie if Dondra belives you can do it she is telling you she that she thinks you have the talent too do it. She would not want you too be embarresed. It is a very easy song play and seems like he is just talking through it. Maybe You could do a duet or Have the rest of the family sing with you.

This was good advice! I also have been a lot more critical of players when I see Awards shows on TV, etc. I noticed performers, especially those who are backed by a few, or many, other musicians and who still play along with singing, actually walk, finger at a time, to the next chord played. I really noticed it first when I saw a "tube" video of Kathy Matea doing "Goin' Gone" live. It was obvious to me, watching her play, that I had been putting too much effort into chord mobility. Now I walk to the chord, and it helps me with note familiarity also. Thanks, Kathy!