I find the problem is not just playing in the key but the fact that even though I can, my brain is so acclimatised to C/D/G/A/E that it seems to disconnect itself from my fingers! I play mandolin rather than fiddle but when I've tried retuning down a semitone I still cannot play an Eb song in D fingering. Same thing happens when I switch whistles, Harvest Home on an E whistle is a no-no even though the fingering is identical to a D whistle playing in D.

I have now learnt all the major and minor scales in closed positions on the mandolin (no open strings) but even this doesn't seem to help, I can only conclude that I have hard-wired my brain to 'folk' keys I am now doomed never to play in Eb.

All the best

oggie (aka Steve)