Alternate Tuning Help

Re: Alternate Tuning Help

feeds@yuku.com (benjsutt) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 18:45:58 GMT

i have to admit that, while all of the tappity-tappity stuff is very clever and interesting, i've not found any one player that can hold my attention using that alone - Justin King is a great example of someone who uses the techniques of the tapping and the slapping and the whacking to good effect in nicely written 'songs'. i prefer the open tunings used as alternatives to standard tuning and as accompaniment. here's an example of a CGDGBE tuning and great fingerstyle by...

Re: Alternate Tuning Help

feeds@yuku.com (summeroflove) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 13:05:32 GMT

Here's an amazing open tuning queen featured in the July Guitar Player. Vivki Genfan. She is tuned Bb Bb Eb F Ab Bb

Re: Alternate Tuning Help

feeds@yuku.com (Csapo) — Sun, 31 May 2009 18:11:52 GMT

summeroflove wrote:

Our class worked on a number of artists such as Crosby, Stills &Nash's "Suite:Judy Blue Eyes", tuned to EEEEBE. Who the hell came up with that tuning? Actually it was Buffalo Springfield bassist, Bruce Palmer who tuned a guitar and handed it to Stephen Stills and said, "Have fun with this". "Judy Blue Eyes" was born.

...

Re: Alternate Tuning Help

feeds@yuku.com (summeroflove) — Sun, 31 May 2009 16:40:12 GMT

Our class worked on a number of artists such as Crosby, Stills &Nash's "Suite:Judy Blue Eyes", tuned to EEEEBE. Who the hell came up with that tuning? Actually it was Buffalo Springfield bassist, Bruce Palmer who tuned a guitar and handed it to Stephen Stills and said, "Have fun with this". "Judy Blue Eyes" was born.

On the CSN 'The Acoustic Concert' DVD Stills is the lone guitar...

Re: Alternate Tuning Help

feeds@yuku.com (Csapo) — Sun, 31 May 2009 16:31:06 GMT

dparker wrote:
keith richards played in open d or never trimmed his fingernails?

Thought Keith played mostly in open G with the 6th string removed?

Re: Alternate Tuning Help

feeds@yuku.com (dparker) — Sun, 31 May 2009 15:15:11 GMT

keith richards played in open d or never trimmed his fingernails?

Re: Alternate Tuning Help

feeds@yuku.com (The 5cientist) — Sun, 31 May 2009 04:56:57 GMT

keith richards too...

Re: Alternate Tuning Help

feeds@yuku.com (dparker) — Fri, 29 May 2009 17:17:17 GMT

Don't forget Richie Havens who played just about everything in "open D" ....althought, he never trimmed his fingernails....eww

Re: Alternate Tuning Help

feeds@yuku.com (Csapo) — Fri, 29 May 2009 16:03:09 GMT

benjsutt wrote:
open tunings can be an absolute eye opener...

as for being the lazy man's option: my professor says your professor spent an embittering amount of time trying to learn barre chords and not enough time learning about open tunings!

ben.

Ben has got it right!!! I was fortunate to take a class at the Old Town School of Music, in Chicago (I used to live there and...

Re: Alternate Tuning Help

feeds@yuku.com (handonam) — Fri, 29 May 2009 14:44:12 GMT

oh shit haha

gotta relearn iris

Re: Alternate Tuning Help

feeds@yuku.com (dparker) — Fri, 29 May 2009 13:29:30 GMT

Wow, "iris" by Goo Goo Dolls is tuned G G G G G E, now that's wierd

Re: Alternate Tuning Help

feeds@yuku.com (TrueBlueDrew) — Fri, 29 May 2009 03:12:51 GMT

^Great recommendation, I really liked that song. It was definitely a great demo of the wonders and endless possibilities of open tuning.

Re: Alternate Tuning Help

feeds@yuku.com (Patchyy) — Thu, 28 May 2009 18:27:57 GMT

yeah open tunings are awesome. you should listen to john butlers 'ocean'.... its played in open C and still my favourite insturmental to date.

Re: Alternate Tuning Help

feeds@yuku.com (zaddN) — Thu, 28 May 2009 16:05:34 GMT

that taylor comment might get a response from thomps...but yeah, open tunings are awesome!

Re: Alternate Tuning Help

feeds@yuku.com (TrueBlueDrew) — Thu, 28 May 2009 14:08:08 GMT

^Fully agree. The first time I tried the open tuning I was amazed by how much of a FULL sound it had. My acoustic's sound jumped from a cheap Ibanez to almost like a full-sounding Taylor. I, too, get bored playing the same stuff in standard tuning, so, after messing around a bit, I instantly wrote 3-4 songs (at least chord progressions).

If you ever get bored or feel a little experimental, OR if you're in a writing rut, like I was, the open tuning is worth a shot. I...

Re: Alternate Tuning Help

feeds@yuku.com (Alex98) — Thu, 28 May 2009 14:02:55 GMT

I agree with benjsutt. In the case of neon, I'm pretty sure he tuned down on purpose. On In my Atmosphere, he tuned and said lets see what I can write. But overall, open tunings are amazing and benjsutt's explanation is good. They're also amazing for slide which is what I use them for. If you want a nice example of the different sound you get from an open tuning (without a slide), theres crow jane by the derek trucks band, she talks to angels by the black crowes and there's...

Re: Alternate Tuning Help

feeds@yuku.com (benjsutt) — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:48:37 GMT

open tunings can be an absolute eye opener - writing-wise and sound-wise. I rarely use standard tuning having adapted to DADGAD over the last few years. it means that you're essentially in what is a modal tuning so you are centred around a key [D in this case, but that's where a capo and knowledge of the DADGAD chord structures comes in] but i reckon the trade in tone more than makes up for it. it also makes you think about what you're playing more than i standard does. i became a...

Re: Alternate Tuning Help

feeds@yuku.com (CaitSings) — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:40:07 GMT

should've checked before i wrote that...i was just being lazy. i don't play mayer's music on guitar...can't alternately tune 88 keys so easily. whoops.

Re: Alternate Tuning Help

feeds@yuku.com (TrueBlueDrew) — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:36:08 GMT

IYA and Something's MIssing are not in drop D tuning. It is E-B-E-F#-B-E. This is technically an open tuning, but it's not really a major chord, because you would have to play the second fret on the F# string to make it an E-major--still very close though. Strumming this tuning open would be like playing 0-2-4-x-0-0 in standard tuning, if you get what I mean.

Re: Alternate Tuning Help

feeds@yuku.com (Luca1079) — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:32:29 GMT

IYA and Something's Missing are NOT in dropped D, they're in Esus. So is Heart So Heavy.

Alternate Tuning Help

feeds@yuku.com (dparker) — Thu, 28 May 2009 12:37:19 GMT

Is there a basic theory behind alternate tunings, such as "atmosphere, something's missing" or is it just randomly, "hey, i'll tune these strings really wierd and see what happens" ?