The first nuance of the git commit --amend command is that it doesn't technically change the last Git commit message. Instead, it creates a new commit identical to the prior one, except for the ...

The Git index, along with the need to use the "git add" command before performing a commit, is often a source of confusion for beginners. These "git add" examples will make things clear.

Git is very flexible, but you do have to know the magic incantations. For example, suppose you mess up a commit message — we never do that, of course, but just pretend.