My local picking sessions are based around bluegrass music, therefore "g tuning" is pretty much the name of the game! mostly (as far as i can make out) the mandolin players play the likes of "soldiers joy" "angelina baker" etc etc in the key of A. however, i have recently learned that most fiddle tunes are in the key of "d" so, as my future "playing out" situations will be with these guys ( i used to play b/grass banjo 15 yrs ago) what advice would you give me regarding the banjo tuning i should begin with?. i have started with dan levensons "from scratch" book, and i just love it, but i'm thinking that after all the effort learning to play in double d etc, i'll perhaps only get to play with other o/timers two or three times a year! so, if the answer is to learn the fretboard in "g"tuning, are there any limitations (tune wise) to using "g" tuning. my aims are to play fiddle tunes (along with other musicians),and to play all manner of beautiful music on the open back 5 string. if anyone can offer advice on tunes books etc etc i'd be much obliged.
Brumski
p.s. i have no intention of going back to playing "bluegrass banjo"