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" ?
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Alternate Tuning Help
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 dparker |
Alternate Tuning Help |
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Posts: 214 (05/28/2009 12:37 PM) |
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 CaitSings |
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Posts: 8405 (05/28/2009 12:39 PM) I'm calling it love soon... |
IYA and something's missing are just tuned in drop D. i know neon is tuned in drop C because he wanted to be able to play a slap bass-like part in the
lower register (sorta charlie hunter bass and guitar at the same time). drop D's been used for a good long while...maybe somebody else has a better
explanation except "everybody else does it".
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fredromaniszen |
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Posts: 2556 (05/28/2009 12:41 PM) |
I think that open turnings (don't know if that's the case for those songs) are tuned so that when you play all the open strings at once they sound like
a major chord.
I'm brazilian, if you'd like to know. Sorry for any english mistakes!
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CaitSings |
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Posts: 8405 (05/28/2009 12:44 PM) I'm calling it love soon... |
my professor in college used to call open tunings the lazy man's barre chords
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Luca1079 |
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Posts: 1294 (05/28/2009 1:32 PM) Midnight...lock all the doors. |
IYA and Something's Missing are NOT in dropped D, they're in Esus. So is Heart So Heavy.
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TrueBlueDrew |
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Posts: 100 (05/28/2009 1:36 PM) |
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.
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CaitSings |
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Posts: 8405 (05/28/2009 1:40 PM) I'm calling it love soon... |
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.
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benjsutt |
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Posts: 198 (05/28/2009 1:48 PM) I'm never over...over you. |
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 little tired of standard, DADGAD and some other C-based alternate tunings [see any Nick Drake album!] really gave me a bit of a fresh
start -with acoustic, that is. admittedly, i play a lot of Irish stuff - rhythmic accompaniment and melodic tunes - but Mike Errico uses DADGAD a lot and to
great effect. The good thing about DADGAD is that it's easy to use but easily made challenging...if that makes sense!
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. |
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Alex98 |
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Posts: 511 (05/28/2009 2:02 PM) |
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 black mountain side on zeppelin I (originally by bert jansch). Actually, any Bert Jansch is sick alternate tuning stuff.
Also, it's worth noting that once you learn open e and way the notes relate to each other, open d is almost the exact same thing. |
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TrueBlueDrew |
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Posts: 100 (05/28/2009 2:08 PM) |
^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).
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zaddN |
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Posts: 1161 (05/28/2009 4:05 PM) |
that taylor comment might get a response from thomps...but yeah, open tunings are awesome!
---So here goes: close your eyes, get out of your own way, and JAM.---
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Patchyy |
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Posts: 25 (05/28/2009 6:27 PM) I'm never speaking up again... |
yeah open tunings are awesome. you should listen to john butlers 'ocean'.... its played in open C and still my favourite insturmental to date.
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TrueBlueDrew |
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Posts: 100 (05/29/2009 3:12 AM) |
^Great recommendation, I really liked that song. It was definitely a great demo of the wonders and endless possibilities of open tuning.
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dparker |
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Posts: 214 (05/29/2009 1:29 PM) |
Wow, "iris" by Goo Goo Dolls is tuned G G G G G E, now that's wierd
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handonam |
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Posts: 1994 (05/29/2009 2:44 PM) |
oh shit haha
gotta relearn iris |
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Csapo |
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Posts: 242 (05/29/2009 4:03 PM) I'm never speaking up again... |
benjsutt wrote: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 it is an GREAT school), called "Open & Alternate Tunings". It blew me away!!!! It was taught in such way that it opened your eyes to exploring the neck. Our teacher would put us in a tuning and say, "OK, make a "D" chord and move it up 3 frets and over 2 strings". Voila, a beautiful tone!!!!! An additional great benefit, for me, of this open/alternate tuning training was, as I stated, it led me to explore the neck more once I was back in standard tuning. 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. We also covered Jimmy Page and Nick Drake (both noted here in earlier posts), who used alternate tunings for a number of songs. But the master (as I have come to learn) is/was..........Joni Mitchell. In addition to being an amazing songwriter and singer, she was one hell of a creative and innovative guitarist. She used so many different tunings that to keep track of them, she devised her own notation. If Joni wanted to tune to DADGAD, she would transcribe the bass or 6th string note (D), fret it on the 7th fret, tune the 5th string to that note and transcribe the fret number used. So her transcribing of DADGAD would be, D75335. She had so many different tunings that when she toured, she ran her guitar through a Roland VG Synth, which would store all of the tunings and could be called up by the tap of a foot. She was ready to give up touring and then she discovered this unit. The bottom line for me is with open/alternate tunings, all the rules get tossed!!! History class is adjourned... 
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dparker |
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Posts: 214 (05/29/2009 5:17 PM) |
Don't forget Richie Havens who played just about everything in "open D" ....althought, he never trimmed his fingernails....eww
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The 5cientist |
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Posts: 714 (05/31/2009 4:56 AM) I'm calling it love soon... |
keith richards too...
check out my music :)
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dparker |
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Posts: 214 (05/31/2009 3:15 PM) |
keith richards played in open d or never trimmed his fingernails?
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Csapo |
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Posts: 242 (05/31/2009 4:31 PM) I'm never speaking up again... |
dparker wrote:Thought Keith played mostly in open G with the 6th string removed? |
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summeroflove |
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Posts: 694 (05/31/2009 4:40 PM) I'm tired of being alone... |
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 and I'm pretty sure he's tuned DGDGAD |
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