Hi Jana,

In the sessions I used to go with I could fake another key, for example D if I was tuned to G, by playing chords without the note which would clash in the different key to the one I was tune in.

For example, if I was playing an A major chord in the key of D major, but I was tuned to G major then I would miss out the C# (sharp) note in the chord and just play the A & the E.

If you are playing along with a melody it is harder, but what we used to do in our sessions was play all of the C major songs & tunes, then allow time for re-tuning and then play the G major songs/tunes and then re-tune for the D major songs/tunes. It slowed the session down a little bit but it allowed for the needs of a few musicians with instruments which could not easily jump from one key to another.

It is worth asking the other musicians about changing the keys of some tunes to help you to be able to play with them.

In some tunes I just didn't play if I could not play in that key.

Helen
in Australia