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songs for open c tuning?


mja155

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I'm been playing the guitar for about 10 years now and have just recently discovered open c tuning. I've learnt how to play Ocean, by John Butler. Does anybody know of any other songs in open c that are similar to this song, I've been looking around but can't find anything good. Thanks.
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Welcome to the GPF, mja155!

 

Aaaah, at first I mistook this for being the same as Open-D tuned down a whole-step; but, apparently it's C G C G C E, low-to-high - am I correct in this?

 

If so, I think it's new to me, though I've tooled and fooled around with a number of open and alternate tunings. Cool, thanks!

 

And, I'm sorry that I don't know of any other tunes for you off the top of my head that are already tooled-up for this particular Open-C tuning- sorry!

 

Anyone else know of any?

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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Suite:Judy Blue Eyes is in one of the other odd tunings that those guys used.

 

Guinnevere is another odd one, EBDGAD

 

Traction in the Rain is another odd one.

 

Johnnys Garden is in open G

 

I've got most of my stuff packed, so I cannot access the music for Suite:Judy Blue Eyes. I had a nice arrangement of it in D Vestapol that sounds great but when you want to play what Stills plays on the leads, it really helps to tune as he is tuned.

 

 

"I believe that entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot."

 

Steve Martin

 

Show business: we're all here because we're not all there.

 

 

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Isn't "D Vestapol" the same as "Open-D", D A D F# A D lo-to-hi?

 

Speakin' of that tuning, I really prefer tunings that have a greater variety of available intervals between given pairs of strings, to those with a lot of repetition like this C G C G C E "Open-C". Except for that 1st/E, it's almost like a two-string tuned to C and G with an octave or "Whammy" pedal kicked in.

 

I know that's an oversimplification and that a creative artist can do much with little, but I still wouldn't want that to be the only tuning I used most of he time- it would get stale really fast.

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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I really prefer tunings that have a greater variety of available intervals between given pairs of strings, to those with a lot of repetition l...

 

Don't forget that CSN were hanging with Joni Mitchell back then, and she was 'inventing' tunings for almost every song that she wrote, and the drone thing was big as we were not that far out from Ravi Shankar, and a few rich droning strings can really evoke a mood (even Micheal Hedges was onto that, 20 years later).

 

I really like some of Jonis music, and the tunings are just tough to deal with. But songs like "Sex Kills" are wonderful, and I keep promising myself that I'll come up with a reasonable alternative under some more do-able tuning ... some day... yeah...

 

But what the open tunings seem to do int he hands of masters like Lawrence Juber or Ed Gerhard or Pete Huttlinger is to put wide ranges of melodies, chord partials, and bass parts within reach of four fingers all at the same time.

"I believe that entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot."

 

Steve Martin

 

Show business: we're all here because we're not all there.

 

 

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Welcome to the forum...

 

The slapped guitar tune from the movie "august rush" is in C...a student of mine recently incorporated that into a medley with Ocean (JB Trio is awesome by the way...). I think Kaki King recorded the "august rush" tune, check her out, she is amazing.

 

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The slapped guitar tune from the movie "august rush" is in C...a student of mine recently incorporated that into a medley with Ocean (JB Trio is awesome by the way...). I think Kaki King recorded the "august rush" tune, check her out, she is amazing.

 

Yeah, her Dad's a member of the Forum here, going by "popcritic"- he's very proud and supportive of her! He often keeps us posted on new developments in her career.

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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Isn't that the tuning Steve Stills uses a lot? If so, Suite: Judy Blue Eyes is done in it, and a number of other Steve Stills tunes.

 

I've read somewhere that "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" is tuned E, E, E, E, B, E, but can't remember where I saw that. As for songs in an open "C" tuning, I've seen that "Question" by the Moody Blues is in some sort of open C tuning. Can't remember my source for either tidbit - most likely an old GP mag, but CRS has eliminated the particulars from my brain.

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I do "She Talks to Angels" (Black Crows) "Thats All You Need" (Rod Stewart) and "So Good for Me" (Humble Pie) in D or E, as well as Joni Mitchells "California",though I doubt that it is her tuning, but it works.

"I believe that entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot."

 

Steve Martin

 

Show business: we're all here because we're not all there.

 

 

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Isn't that the tuning Steve Stills uses a lot? If so, Suite: Judy Blue Eyes is done in it, and a number of other Steve Stills tunes.

 

I've read somewhere that "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" is tuned E, E, E, E, B, E, but can't remember where I saw that. As for songs in an open "C" tuning, I've seen that "Question" by the Moody Blues is in some sort of open C tuning. Can't remember my source for either tidbit - most likely an old GP mag, but CRS has eliminated the particulars from my brain.

 

First off, Welcome to the forum! :wave:

 

Yes, the tuning in Suite, Judy Blue Eyes is called E Modal tuning. It is indeed EEEEBE. He uses the same tuning in several other songs as well.

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The slapped guitar tune from the movie "august rush" is in C...a student of mine recently incorporated that into a medley with Ocean (JB Trio is awesome by the way...). I think Kaki King recorded the "august rush" tune, check her out, she is amazing.

 

Yeah, her Dad's a member of the Forum here, going by "popcritic"- he's very proud and supportive of her! He often keeps us posted on new developments in her career.

 

that's very cool!

 

Guitar Speak Podcast

www.guitarspeakpodcast.libsyn.com

https://www.facebook.com/guitarspeakpodcast

www.itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/guitar-speak-podcast

 

 

 

 

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I can't recall if I have tried this tuning or not. I'm not very good at it but I do like the sound of alt tunings. Heck, I would love to even get better at dadgad.

 

I'm still working on EADGBE (since '83)!

 

Guitar Speak Podcast

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www.itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/guitar-speak-podcast

 

 

 

 

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I can't recall if I have tried this tuning or not. I'm not very good at it but I do like the sound of alt tunings. Heck, I would love to even get better at dadgad.

 

I'm still working on EADGBE (since '83)!

 

One o' dem exotic tunings, eh? :thu::D

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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Wow, if you tune something to EEEEBE, is there any concern for the guitar? How do you know whether to tune up or tune down on any given string?

 

you'll know, it is kinda obvious. (What is the shortest distance to the desired note from the existing note? Up or down?) And no, it won't hurt the guitar. Those guys (CSN) own classic Martins, Gibsons and Gretsches from the 40s, 50s, and 60s, they are not going to intentionally damage them.

 

You'll see them throw capos on their 12 strings because the 12s are often tuned down (standard tuning intervals starting at D or C rather than E) to protect the necks against the higher tension of 12 strings.

"I believe that entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot."

 

Steve Martin

 

Show business: we're all here because we're not all there.

 

 

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I can't recall if I have tried this tuning or not. I'm not very good at it but I do like the sound of alt tunings. Heck, I would love to even get better at dadgad.

 

I'm still working on EADGBE (since '83)!

 

One o' dem exotic tunings, eh? :thu::D

 

O yeah...especially if I don't tune up!

 

Guitar Speak Podcast

www.guitarspeakpodcast.libsyn.com

https://www.facebook.com/guitarspeakpodcast

www.itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/guitar-speak-podcast

 

 

 

 

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  • 1 month later...
Wow, if you tune something to EEEEBE, is there any concern for the guitar? How do you know whether to tune up or tune down on any given string?

 

you'll know, it is kinda obvious. (What is the shortest distance to the desired note from the existing note? Up or down?) And no, it won't hurt the guitar. Those guys (CSN) own classic Martins, Gibsons and Gretsches from the 40s, 50s, and 60s, they are not going to intentionally damage them.

 

You'll see them throw capos on their 12 strings because the 12s are often tuned down (standard tuning intervals starting at D or C rather than E) to protect the necks against the higher tension of 12 strings.

 

I have come across a LOT of 12-strings with the bridge ripped up.

 

I'd also wondered why on some Kinks tunes, like "See My Friends," there's clips where the band is fingering things in E but Ray is playing a 12 string fingering on open G (D flat tuning).

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about a decade ago I had a noisy rock band and the other guitarist left. I didn't want to deal with replacing him but I missed the fuller sound, and I was having a writing dry spell, so somehow I ended up tuning a guitar CGCFBE, which inspired me for whatever reason, led to some strange voicings and fingerings but also - when played through a 4-10 Deville on one side of the stage and an AC30 on the other - covered a lot of sonic ground.
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