I think they always played it in B. When Keith gets on stage with a tele with the capo on the 4th fret they may open with Jumping Jack Flash or Street Fighting Man.

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hockenheim95
I think they always played it in B. When Keith gets on stage with a tele with the capo on the 4th fret they may open with Jumping Jack Flash or Street Fighting Man.

Yes. As well as a capo on 4 for Tumbling Dice. I think he did here and there for IORR in 1975-76. Dande or a few others I can't remember how to spell might know more about that.

I think that's it, song wise. At least for open G tuning with a capo at B. Obviously he uses one for YCAGWYW in open G at the fifth fret for C and the 7th fret for B in standard for Midnight Rambler and the second fret for F sharp for Sweet Virginia.

Didn't he recently use a capo for Paint It Black in E? I can't think of any other tunes he's used a capo for live.

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GasLightStreet

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hockenheim95
I think they always played it in B. When Keith gets on stage with a tele with the capo on the 4th fret they may open with Jumping Jack Flash or Street Fighting Man.

Yes. As well as a capo on 4 for Tumbling Dice. I think he did here and there for IORR in 1975-76. Dande or a few others I can't remember how to spell might know more about that.

I think that's it, song wise. At least for open G tuning with a capo at B. Obviously he uses one for YCAGWYW in open G at the fifth fret for C and the 7th fret for B in standard for Midnight Rambler and the second fret for F sharp for Sweet Virginia.

Didn't he recently use a capo for Paint It Black in E? I can't think of any other tunes he's used a capo for live.

Happy (4th fret)

Oh come on - how obvious. Dunno how that one slipped by.

Although with the Winos he did it in A.

In Cardiff 2018 Keiths capo was missing on You Can't Always Get What You Want. Mick started singing in G instead of C and when the whole band joined in they all switched to C (Keith with a new guitar).

Later that show for JJF the capo was in the wrong fret. After a few seconds Mick told the band to stop and they restarted with the capo in the right fret. Nice memories....

I believe the studio recording was in C, but they played it in B live from 1969 to the present.

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MelBelli
I believe the studio recording was in C, but they played it in B live from 1969 to the present.

Correct.

Which really surprised me. I grabbed a guitar. I've only ever played along to the YA-YA'S version back when I was learning Stones songs. The movie version Mick is flat! For a good bit of it anyway until the YA-YA'S version is spliced in for the middle part of the song. At least in this one:

[www.youtube.com]

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mrpaulincanada
So they seemed to play it in B when playing live, in the Gimme Shelter movie, Keith is playing it with a capo on 4th fret...

It seems they later switched to playing it in C.

Anyone know when? and Why? generally bands lower the key for singers and they loss vocal range but it clearly wasn't for that reason....

Gimme Shelter MSG Nov 1969

Do you have an example of a live version played in C? I have never heard it.

They have always played it in B live, except for the Stripped versions from 1995 when they played it in C.

Mathijs

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Mathijs
They have always played it in B live, except for the Stripped versions from 1995 when they played it in C.

Mathijs

What do you mean with Stripped Versions? The acoustic one they did at the Paradiso? I just had a look at the video and Keith got the capo on the 4th fret as well. But I didn't check with my guitar if it's really in B or not but I doubt He tuned up his guitar by half a step.

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hockenheim95

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Mathijs
They have always played it in B live, except for the Stripped versions from 1995 when they played it in C.

Mathijs

What do you mean with Stripped Versions? The acoustic one they did at the Paradiso? I just had a look at the video and Keith got the capo on the 4th fret as well. But I didn't check with my guitar if it's really in B or not but I doubt He tuned up his guitar by half a step.

I stand corrected, the acoustic besides me is tuned half a step lower....

They played it in B.

Ps: it's been years since I listened to Stripped -actually quite an excellent release!

Mathijs



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026-02-01 11:29 by Mathijs.

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MelBelli
I believe the studio recording was in C, but they played it in B live from 1969 to the present.

Could it be that on the studio version tape was sped up a bit from B to C?

It's possible the studio version was sped up, but there's a 1972 bootleg (maybe Philly?) of SFM and JJF that is *definitely* sped up. Maybe that is the one you heard, mrpaulincanada?

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MelBelli
It's possible the studio version was sped up, but there's a 1972 bootleg (maybe Philly?) of SFM and JJF that is *definitely* sped up. Maybe that is the one you heard, mrpaulincanada?

I don’t think any of the 1972 bootlegs were sped up.They were playing fast that tour.I think they played faster on later tours.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026-02-01 17:28 by Taylor1.

There’s at least one recording where SFM and JJF are up a half-step to C. I’m sure of it. Will try to locate it.

I have yet to hear a live version in C.

Many old bootleg tapes were sped up, but also many of them got remastered and speed-corrected.

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hockenheim95

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GasLightStreet

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hockenheim95
I think they always played it in B. When Keith gets on stage with a tele with the capo on the 4th fret they may open with Jumping Jack Flash or Street Fighting Man.

Yes. As well as a capo on 4 for Tumbling Dice. I think he did here and there for IORR in 1975-76. Dande or a few others I can't remember how to spell might know more about that.

I think that's it, song wise. At least for open G tuning with a capo at B. Obviously he uses one for YCAGWYW in open G at the fifth fret for C and the 7th fret for B in standard for Midnight Rambler and the second fret for F sharp for Sweet Virginia.

Didn't he recently use a capo for Paint It Black in E? I can't think of any other tunes he's used a capo for live.

Happy (4th fret)

Happy was playing in 3th fret during the licks tour

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mosthigh
I have yet to hear a live version in C.

Many old bootleg tapes were sped up, but also many of them got remastered and speed-corrected.

That’s quite possible. This was on a bootleg CD I would’ve bought sometime in the mid-‘90s.

Here is a partial JJF recording that’s just about in C.

[youtu.be]

Jumping Jack Flash with New Barbarians in 1979 (and the Stones in Oshawa)was also played with 3th fret capo

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AntoineParis

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hockenheim95

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GasLightStreet

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hockenheim95
I think they always played it in B. When Keith gets on stage with a tele with the capo on the 4th fret they may open with Jumping Jack Flash or Street Fighting Man.

Yes. As well as a capo on 4 for Tumbling Dice. I think he did here and there for IORR in 1975-76. Dande or a few others I can't remember how to spell might know more about that.

I think that's it, song wise. At least for open G tuning with a capo at B. Obviously he uses one for YCAGWYW in open G at the fifth fret for C and the 7th fret for B in standard for Midnight Rambler and the second fret for F sharp for Sweet Virginia.

Didn't he recently use a capo for Paint It Black in E? I can't think of any other tunes he's used a capo for live.

Happy (4th fret)

Happy was playing in 3th fret during the licks tour

2nd fret. It was in A. First time for a Stones tour it was in A as far as I know.

Capos are often used to change the key for the singer.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026-02-03 17:49 by Koen.

I distinctly remember JJF and Tumbling Dice being played in Bflat on some 1976 shows. And IORR in G.

Mathijs

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GasLightStreet

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hockenheim95
I think they always played it in B. When Keith gets on stage with a tele with the capo on the 4th fret they may open with Jumping Jack Flash or Street Fighting Man.

Yes. As well as a capo on 4 for Tumbling Dice. I think he did here and there for IORR in 1975-76. Dande or a few others I can't remember how to spell might know more about that.

I think that's it, song wise. At least for open G tuning with a capo at B. Obviously he uses one for YCAGWYW in open G at the fifth fret for C and the 7th fret for B in standard for Midnight Rambler and the second fret for F sharp for Sweet Virginia.

Didn't he recently use a capo for Paint It Black in E? I can't think of any other tunes he's used a capo for live.

Like A Rolling Stone, capo on 5th for the C (open G) and Saint Of Me and That's How Strong My Love Is, capo on the 1st for F (standard)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026-02-03 11:52 by MadMax.