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SILVERWOODSTUDIO
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9/23/2007 11:52:05 PM
guitar tunings----and capos!
We use two main tunings besides normal concert: open "D" and open "E"-----sometimes we drop the bottom D string an octave with the Open D tuning.
When Hannibal And Rob used to play 2 piece in Barracuta with 2 guitars, we replaced the bottom "E" string with a bass string (G) so he could play both bass and lead.
Capos are also handy for key changes, and to get different sounds from two guitars when that's all you got-------------any other Musos here use their own tunings?
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Travlin Dan
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9/24/2007 12:01:32 AM
i use to tune down so i could cover the tunes which were out of my range,,, made some people mad, when they had to play scales on unfamiliar frets,,, open d tuning is cool for a lotta stuff i once played,,, gave it an earthy feel and supported my low toned voice,,, since i gave the cigs my range improved and i got my highs back,,, guitar is tuned closer to normal now ,,, the sideman is happier too,,,,, i still have a capo, but i dont use it much,, kind of a way to remember the past,,,,, i was able to play slide easier using the d and e tunings,, but i stick the standard tuning now,,,i love to play the slide guitar,,,, i use a bic lighter instead of a beer bottle or a glass or steel slide,,, i think it helps slow the action down for me and lets me stick the landings when i play ...
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SILVERWOODSTUDIO
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9/24/2007 8:15:11 PM
AAh the Bic lighter------a true Muso!
Yes it certainly makes slide more accessible---------lead too?
Do you use a tuner to get concert pitch?
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Travlin Dan
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9/25/2007 5:26:04 AM
i use a hohner big river e harp to get my top and bottom strings, then i play the first position chords until all the other in between strings sound good,,, ive been doing that since i was 14 y/o... when i started out,,,, never learned to read sheet music beyond " evry good boy deserves favor" learned by ear from memorizing the stones and beatles, then saving my paper route money to buy the song book that went with evry new release of my favorite albums,,, coundnt read the notes but positioned my fingers with the chord box above the words and faked it until i got it right,,,, my brother marty use to get really mad at me,, when he would g o work at the grocery,, i would wait til he was gone and play his electric til i wore the frets off of it,,, he wasnt ever really mad for sure, i think maybe he knew it helped me to get along in our house,, 7 boys and one sister,,,dad at the factory all day,,mom always sick...... us boys still get together for guitar night back home,,,, but im a long way from there,,, without my older brother and the old craftsman sears guitar of his,,, i d be running a punch press at a gm plant in the rust belt, it was kind of a joke on me when marty and jerry and ray would push me to the front of the band to sing, cause they knew i loved it and maybe they were scared to do it themselves ,, iwas too dumb to know any better ,, and the girls seemed to like me f or it too....another good reason to love music! man i m just too long winded ,,, but im up all night again after 90 minutes of sleep,,, and i better not rock out ,,, the walls are thin here in the hotel, and the neighbors are twits sometimes,,, wish i had a grilly boom to share....... cheers dan
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Hugh Hamilton
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9/25/2007 10:33:16 AM
Your story reminds me of one of my favorite mid-80s live bands, back in the days when I was a nightclub bar manager (Jack's, 952 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA, USA)...TREAT HER RIGHT's Mark Sandman (later of Morphine fame) played the basslines on a low-tuned guitar string and occasionally joined in on guitar work with the other strings. Treat Her Right was a fabulous live band, and another quirk of the band was Billy Conway's use of a cocktail drum rather than a standard kit. Complemented by David Champagne's guitar work and Jim Fitting's outstanding harp playing these guys really rocked and were among the top Boston bands of the era. SO...good for you for doing things your own way...
I bought a small-scaled child's guitar for my young daughter a few years back...tuned it to an open tuning...and played it for a year (not kidding)! I wrote a few of my favorite songs on it, and even used it to record a few songs posted on my page - "Time To Remember" features the guitar most prominently - but "Birthday Song" and "What To Do?" also feature that guitar in the open tuning...
Rock on, Silverdoods!
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Michael Steele
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9/25/2007 10:35:15 AM
i use droped D and open E alot.i also use the Nashville high strung tuning
on one of my acoustics when i want a different voicing.it can bring life to
an otherwise dull acoustic track.on my dobro i mainly use an open G
tuning.sometimes an open E when a more bluesy feel is required.there
are so many open tunings that it boggels the mind.some are quite exotic.
if your playing is in a rut,different tunings(not just open ones)can inject
new life into your playing.it's like getting a new guitar.you can't put it
down because that new flavour is just soooo sweet!
Annie DeFranco has some of the most bizzarr tunings out there.
on top of that she sometimes drops the whole thing down by as much
as 2 1/2 or 3 full steps!incredible stuff.
Myke
http://iacmusic.com/artist.aspx?ID=37553
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Hugh Hamilton
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9/25/2007 10:36:08 AM
oops...actually I replaced the guitar part with piano on "What To Do?" but I wrote it on that guitar in the open tuning...I'd make a rotten historian, even of my own life...lol...
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Eaglehead
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9/25/2007 11:27:35 AM
Heres a few as used by Mister Page:
D A D G A D
For Jimmy Page, the most famous alternate tuning is an Indian-based structure, which gives the guitar a sitar-like sound. Page first learned it in 1966, when Al Stewart taught him to play "Black Waterside", (by folk musician Bert Jansch). The next Yardbirds' album ("Little Games" released in 1967) featured Page's "White Summer" in this D modal tuning. The first Zeppelin LP would then include "Black Mountain Side", similar to Jansch's arrangement. "Kashmir" and later "Midnight Moonlight" (a left-over song from the Zep era called "Swan Song") would also feature this tuning.
C A C G C E
The Led Zeppelin III era contained a stronger focus on acoustic sounds. This folk tuning was used on "Friends". Also recorded during this period (and in the same tuning) was the instrumental "Bron-Yr-Aur" (later released on "Physical Graffiti") and "Poor Tom" (finally released on "Coda" in 1982).
C G C G C E
An open C tuning was used for the slide blues "Hat's Off to (Roy) Harper" in 1970.
D G D G B D
Open G was used by Page on several songs including: "Black Country Woman" & "Going to California". Tune it a semi-tone down for the studio version of "That's The Way".
D A D G B E
Simply drop the 6th string to a D for "Moby Dick" and "Ten Years Gone".
Rain Song (DGCGCD - studio version) (EADADE - live performance)
Probably the most "pretty" chords were achieved with these tunings for the Rain Song, which raises a step for the live performance.
Have fun, but dont drive yerself mad ;)
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Hugh Hamilton
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9/25/2007 11:36:36 AM
Thanks to Dr. Chris Eaglehead for the extensive open tuning lesson! I just got a pic in the mail from my zany uncle (who got me started on guitar) and it includes me demonstrating the use of the little guitar I mentioned, as well as a bad hairpiece...I wish I knew how to paste it here, but you'll have to visit my collab station if you'd like a peek:
iacmusic.com/collabs
BWAHAHAHAH!
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SILVERWOODSTUDIO
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9/25/2007 5:20:40 PM
Fantastic-------------------- Chris Eaglehead-------------------
We are gonna try some of those today!!!
'Travln Dan ----------you tell stories so well ! I'd guess you lay down a ballad. so folks mouths drop open--------
Hugo-----------I also have a childs guitar in open "E" -----I use it as a teaching tool with the disabled students both with and without a bottleneck (Steel pipe)
Joni Mitchell had some interesting tunings -----I always wondered about Stevie Ray Vaughn??
Anyone?
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Spank Momma
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9/25/2007 7:27:53 PM
Hey man those Eagles know their zep shit. Awesome. 4 out of my last 6 songs were drop D but dont like to tune the A down though.
Hugh in Bean Town, no wonder why you like Jon Butcher. Peace
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Hugh Hamilton
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9/25/2007 7:49:27 PM
you're scarin' me
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Hugh Hamilton
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9/25/2007 7:49:28 PM
you're scarin' me
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Hugh Hamilton
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9/25/2007 7:53:46 PM
Haha. Damn - did I hit that button twice in one second? Nah. I don't really like the Axis, either. Was confused for a moment, months ago. Now you're scarin' me, Ewe Dude...
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9/25/2007 10:22:30 PM
Sometimes I'm in tune. And who is Capo?
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Pulse Eternal
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9/25/2007 10:34:51 PM
Eaglehead,
That is some inspiring info on Zep tunings. I'm going to give some of those a go and see if it induces some new SuperPuss tunes :-)
Larree,
You can read all about who CAPO is HERE
*insert cheesy grin here*
Silverwood,
I hope you don't mind my sneaky little plug there!!!! lol :-D
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9/25/2007 11:47:21 PM
Thanks, SuperPuss! I thought Capo was a flamenco guitarist!
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BJ
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9/26/2007 12:25:02 AM
I use Drop D (D,A,D,G,B,E), Double Drop D (D,A,D,G,B,D) and DADGAD on the acoustic. I capo anywhere as far as the 10th fret to get different inversions when I'm playing with another guitarist or to "fake" a Nashville tuning sound (Nashville replaces the bottom 3 strings with unwounds and tunes them an octave up to get a "zingy" sound - but I've never got any spare strings!)
I use my resonator guitar in either open D (D,A,D,F#,A,D) or open G (D,G,D,G,B,D) tuning.
Electric is mainly standard tuning but I occasionally use fiddle tuning (G,D,A,E) on the top 4 strings and capo up 12 frets to double with the mandolin - just have to be careful not to hit the bottom two strings!
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Two Silo Complex
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9/26/2007 1:07:26 AM
Well I don't know if you all ever heard of a fellow named "Arlo Guthrie". Maybe one of the most infamous folk guitar pickers that ever was. He uses some drop d tuninings as well as standard open E with capo on 2cond and 4th fret. I have have the privelege of seeing him twice live. All I can say is If I could be half the guitar picker he is by age 50 it would be a miraculous. There are many experimental tunings to try and some will give you "new" sounds. I am all for experimenting but I also say give the standard open E with capo a chance. Hell if its good enough for Arlo Guthrie its good enough for me.
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John Pippus
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9/26/2007 2:26:45 AM
Did anyone mention dropping the B string down to an A? I've got two songs written with that simple adjustment, and two more riffs waiting to be made into songs. Have a listen to "Complete Man" or "Wish I Was Here". Those are the two written (and played) in that tuning.
And "Let's Legalize It" is played with the capo on the second fret BUT only across the bottom five strings. The high E is left open. The main chords in the verses are Em to E7th but with that high E string ringing through, it gives it a cool sound.
Side note: I'm out of the country for two weeks - a holiday in Italy! - so my silence only means I'm not spending my entire time hunting out internet cafes. Ciao folks. Plane leaves in eight hours....
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Tinny Bennett
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9/26/2007 4:26:51 PM
I like to use an open E chord with the "A" left as it is. E A E G# B E
You can get some nice tunes out of that key, especialy when you use the E and the A as bass notes if you are finger picking
I think the next song i record will be in that key, i will keep you posted.
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Bruce Boyd
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9/26/2007 8:12:30 PM
I've seen a guy here in Australia called Jeff Lang use TWO capos - the higher one of the two has holes cut in it two allow different strings to ring free from the first capo. With different holes and different capo positioning he gets some really unusual tunings.
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SILVERWOODSTUDIO
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9/26/2007 8:51:34 PM
These posts are pure gold--------------Mike I'm coming to check you out!
there's enough new stuff here to keep me busy for a while.
BJ -----------2 capos, maybe we should give one to the guitar god-------------I see you found my myspace------I'l be there later!
SP my place is your place-------always
2 silos-------you're an interesting chap---------I'm finding your other posts around the place and putting the jigsaw together!
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Michael Steele
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9/27/2007 12:13:48 PM
just interested if(long as we're talking capos too)anybody has used
a dropped D capo?the one i have is made by Kyser.it only covers 5
strings instead of 6.and cool thing is is you can use it either way.
clamped normaly it leaves the low E open.just turn it around and it
leaves the high e open.it opens up worlds of new possabilities. i also
use capos on my mandolin and dobro.combined with alternate tunings
it seems to take me to places i probably never would have gone,let
alone try,in standard non-capoed tuning.and the unknown is always
a wonderfuly fresh thing isn't it?
Myke
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Stegor
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9/27/2007 1:27:43 PM
Thanks everyone for all these alternatives. After 20 years I'm just starting to feel like I can play in a standard tuning, so I never thought it made sense to throw another level of difficulty at myself.
...Let's see... Every..Adolescent..Deserves..Golf..Balls..Everyday...
I can never remember which string is which without that stupid phrase.
But DADGAD - that has a ring to it!
So I gave it a shot. Of course I have no idea what notes I'm playing any more or where the scales are or chord fingerings, but shoot - it's like a different instrument and I can immediately relate the sound to songs I've heard, probably mostly Jimmy Page.
So now I realize alternate tunings aren't so intimidating after all. I don't pay that much attention to what chords I'm playing or what key I'm in anyway!
CHORD HOUSE is a website that has some pretty cool tools for figuring out weird tunings and scales. Mela Dhirasankarabharana scale anyone?
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Eaglehead
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9/27/2007 1:55:06 PM
Also be good to check out Bert Jansch, Davey Arthur and your very own John Fahey and Leo Kottke...............highly recommended by the Eagledoods :)
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Eaglehead
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9/27/2007 2:25:28 PM
.....and if you can get hold of a copy 'the guitar book' by pierre bensusan, king of the DADGAD. Not so much a book, more a way of life...some pretty good recipes in there too...................also highly recommended!
:)
CE
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Eric Steffensen
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9/27/2007 2:35:02 PM
I use open D minor (D A D F A D) quite a bit. I find it gives me a lot of options using the octave differences in the D and the A strings to play around with. I'm sure the same is true for the other variations of this tuning listed here like D A D G A D or D A D F# A D
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SILVERWOODSTUDIO
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9/27/2007 6:27:52 PM
what is cool about capos is when you are just getting a bit sick of your own sound---------so you throw on the capo 4th 5th 7th fret and try out different keys----I often jam with no expectations of remembering what I am playing -----maybe it's the dope?
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Tinny Bennett
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9/27/2007 8:27:30 PM
I found that a capo on the 2nd and the 4th fret most suit my voice. a complete night mare when you try and sing a song, and you have put the capo on the wrong fret and you are trying to sing in the right key. did that at a gig the other week..... (still cringing at the thought).
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SILVERWOODSTUDIO
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9/28/2007 5:35:42 PM
---------If you don't hit that first note right ---------you're in trouble ----blush!
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9/28/2007 7:11:30 PM
WOW - this is a popular topic.
I used alternate tunings all the damn time. G, C, E, A and variations on them too.
The song I did called "Slide Guitar Stomp" was tuned to some kind of open C tuning. But I didn't even know it - I just tuned the guitar that way because it sounded cool.
The song "When the Levy Breaks" by Zeppelin is a cool C tuning that I play sometimes.
I do use a capo too sometimes - if you put the capo way up high, it sort of makes the guitar sound kind of like a mandolin.
Sorry I'm too lazy to list out all the tunings I use!
Great thread - very informative!
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9/29/2007 2:32:53 AM
According to a tab I saw on the net, Jimmy Page plays (low to high) FACFAC on "When The Levy Breaks".
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SILVERWOODSTUDIO
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9/29/2007 9:46:17 PM
I was waiting for you Paul------now we're all here!
John P and Tinny ----these little tweaks are what makes for our individual creative sounds------those part open tunings are the gems-----------I guess there's an infinite number?
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