You’re better of knowing no music theory but hearing something doesn’t sound right, than knowing the theory but not hearing something’s wrong😉
@mundeli
My problem is that I have an engineering mind and don’t like to just accept things I tend to want to know why.
You can certainly get by not knowing any theory but would have thought basic chord construction and chords in the key would be helpful. Just my opinion.
Michael
Hi Michael,
Good questions. Key signatures and capos can often be confusing.
Justin uses the chords Em, G, D and A to demonstrate how to play Mad World. If you want to play along with the Gary Jules version, you would need to put a capo on the first fret. So, the Gary Jules version is one semi-tone higher than how Justin demonstrates it.
You are correct to say the chords Em, G, D and A would imply the song is in the key of D major. It could be written in D major (2 sharps). That would be one way to write this song.
However, as you noticed, the TAB for this song on the website has one sharp in the key signature, which would be either G major or E minor (the relative minor). The first chord in this song is Em. Em also feels/sounds like “home”, so it makes sense for us to think of this song in the key of E minor. The A major chord would then be viewed as a borrowed chord and an accidental would need to be added every time there is a C# note.
This song could be written with 1 or 2 sharps in the key signature. I think it would be acceptable for it to be written either way. It’s just personal preference how we like to write and read music.
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Dave @Dave_Birnie
Interesting discussion.
I nearly ended my first post by saying “you pays your money and take your choice” and think that’s often the case.
I did look some other references and they came up with Eb or F Dorian, amongst others, at which point I thought I will just enjoying playing and singing the song.
Michael
Ah, well that is interesting.
Personally, I would agree that the Gary Jules version of the song is in F Dorian, which is the second mode of Eb major. The chords he plays are Fm, Ab, Eb and Bb, which all come from the key of Eb major. Fm sounds/feels like “home” though, so it would be correct to think of this song as being in F Dorian. In this case, we would use the same key signature as Eb major, which has three flats.
All that is far too confusing for most students though, so I presume Justin intentionally simplified it. By using a capo on fret 1 and using the chord shapes of Em, G, D and A, we can achieve the same sound as the chords Gary Jules is playing. It’s much easier with a capo though. The TAB is also intentionally written in the key of G to save confusion for most students.
Great questions and well spotted. I hope that clarifies everything now. I agree with you. It’s probably best for us to just enjoy playing the song and not to worry too much about the theory.
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David @Dave_Birnie
I bow to your better judgment on this, I am just up to modes in Justin’s theory course, so am just aware what they are and getting my head around them.
As you say Justin has simplified this as after all it is a Grade 1 song.
Michael
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I’m pretty sure most of the videos I’ve seen him playing live he uses a capo on fret 1 when playing the song 
This is what started this thread. Playing along to Gary Jules was painful. By experimenting up and down the fretboard with a capo I found what sounded the most harmonious to my ears was with it at fret one. Playing along on with JustinApp sounded fine, but playing along with Gary did not and I was perplexed.
Thank you for taking the time to explain why it sounds better with the capo on fret one.
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I would like to say thank you for this tutorial. This song reminds me one of first songs I learned to sing in English on primary school. It was part of my English lessons, because I am Czech.
Also I would like to mention and say… is it just me, or Justin is in a really really great shape? I am really happy for seeing that. Just look on that like Popeye the Sailor. You got it Mr. Justin Sandercoe. Great playing.
still trying to figure out which strumming patterns to use, going old faithful the whole song is really boring just as justin said, but can’t find a good and simple pattern to continue for the sections either