Lee Flier Posted May 2, 2001 Share Posted May 2, 2001 What's up with this tune? I've always dug the nice finger picking in it. Some people seem to think it was played with a dropped D tuning and the capo on the 4th fret, which means you have to keep the first 4 strings barred through the whole thing. Others say it was done with the low E string dropped all the way to C, the A string dropped to G, and the capo on the 6th fret. This seems more likely - at least, the open strings would probably sound nicer. What do y'all think? Anybody ever play this song? --Lee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nrg music Posted May 2, 2001 Share Posted May 2, 2001 Lee wrote: >> Others say it was done with the low E string dropped all the way to C, the A string dropped to G, and the capo on the 6th fret. This seems more likely - at least, the open strings would probably sound nicer. What do y'all think? Anybody ever play this song?>> Hi Lee Yes I have played it and used your first method with the consistant bar chord... It was very hard and a total bitch to play!! I've always loved the song though. Would the E string really handle being dropped to a C? Can't imagine it although I'm intrigued enough to give it a go in the morning... Have you tried detuning to a C? wow!! I'll let ya know how I get on. Be Good Simon http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif ...remember there is absolutely no point in talking about someone behind their back unless they get to hear about it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beagle1 Posted May 2, 2001 Share Posted May 2, 2001 Well, here's a vote for the second approach Lee mentioned--capo at 6th fret, 5th string down a whole step, 6th string down two whole steps. It works very well this way, lots of open strings and no big stretches. Bit of a hassle retuning for such a short song. Gotta love Lindsey Buckingham's playing. He has it all--good singing, songwriting, lead playing, rhythm playing, acoustic, electric, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantasticsound Posted May 2, 2001 Share Posted May 2, 2001 Been playing this tune for years with the dropped D, capo 4th, but it is a bitch in places. I have no idea which (if either is) the way Lindsey plays it, but I notice differences between the recording and my playing. Could be he just smokes me on the technique! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif I'm not entirely clear what you mean by holding the barre throughout, though. I half barre the first four strings on the initial F# chord (barre C shape, no root on the 5th string). It pulls off to a C# (open A minus the first string which is muted by the barre). The C#7 that leads back to the F# is a partial, made up of open 5th string (4th fret), and the 4th and 2nd strings fretted at the 9th fret. When playing subsequent F#'s, I add the pinky on the 1st string, 9th fret. The odd, droning C#7 chord is fretted by the index on the 1st string, 6th fret and pinky on the 2nd string, 9th fret, along with the open 3rd and 5th strings. The first 3 strings are played in downward succession with 1/4 note bass on the 5th string. The high part is pretty simple on the 1st 3 strings. A barre E partial at the 14th fret to an open D at the 13th fret with open 5th and 6th as bass notes. The trickiest part is the turnaround from the high part back to the 1st phrase. I don't think I can explain it thoroughly. This may be difficult to understand in explanation. I'll see if I can get the time to tab it out. Good luck, Lee. It's a fun tune to play. Neil It's easiest to find me on Facebook. Neil Bergman Soundclick fntstcsnd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Flier Posted May 2, 2001 Author Share Posted May 2, 2001 Well it's not too uncommon to drop the 6th string all the way to C. Quite a few old-time country and blues players have done it. Heck, Pete Townshend tuned the whole guitar down a couple of steps for the "Underture" in Tommy! I like alternate tunings and I got very fast at retuning on stage, cuz for years I only had one guitar. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif Simon, maybe I'll try the tune with the lower tuning as well and we can compare notes! And thanks for the tips Neil! --Lee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. Gauss Posted May 2, 2001 Share Posted May 2, 2001 oh yeah you can go down to c. page does it on physical graffitti. hell, i think can't get enough of your love by bad co is in low c! dropped c is kinda like spinal tap dropped d... it's one lower! -d. gauss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strat0124 Posted May 3, 2001 Share Posted May 3, 2001 The thing has two or three guitar parts which keep you from hearing the individual guitar. I learned it in standard tuning, though I know it's wrong, it still sounds really good, and very close to the original. I just add all the Travis picking thing, fills, and all at the same time. That song is an example of how we hear songs on the radio and learn to play them based on the recording. Sometimes stuff gets slaughtered, but then who the hell wants to hear somebody play a song EXACTLY like the original artist? Might as well play the CD. Down like a dollar comin up against a yen, doin pretty good for the shape I'm in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantasticsound Posted May 3, 2001 Share Posted May 3, 2001 Welcome, Lee. Haven't gotten a tab, but I'm sure there is already one out there. I seem to remember picking out the parts with the help of somebody's teaching cassette that had it in pieces, about 15 years ago. (I didn't have the tab, though.) Sometimes stuff gets slaughtered, but then who the hell wants to hear somebody play a song EXACTLY like the original artist? Might as well play the CD. IMHO, I believe people appreciate BOTH exact copies and creative enhancement to recorded versions. There is something magical about a "Help", or "Honky Tonk Woman" or "(insert one of your favorites)" that we love to hear recreated by a live band, be it the original artist or your buddies at the local brew house. If they choose to create a different vibe to a familiar song, that can be cool, too. For some radical examples, Michael Hedges playing, "All Along The Watchtower" or "A Love Bizarre" come to mind. "And I Love Her", as done on Paul McCartney's unplugged album is fantastic despite a very different flavor to the arrangement. The latter seems to enrich our opinion of the musician being a "real" artist. I kind of like solid tribute bands. The only time exact copies bug me is when some national act re-records a song with their voice being the only change, and claim to be artistic and original. This may not be the most known example, but country artist, Sara Evans redid Edwin McCain's "I Could Not Ask For More." I heard it yesterday, for the first time. It sounds like she borrowed the actual music bed and added some steel guitar to make it country. Then she sang on top of this. It sounded pretty fake to me. No class or style of her own. I was surprised to hear Edwin McCain on a country station.. until I realized it wasn't him! But I've WAAAYAYYYYYY digressed! (apologies to all http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/redface.gif ) Neil It's easiest to find me on Facebook. Neil Bergman Soundclick fntstcsnd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Posted May 5, 2001 Share Posted May 5, 2001 Wow, I can't believe so many of you know and like this song. I'm a huge Lindsey fan and learned this song when it came out (yeah, I'm old...) in standard tuning but couldn't sort doing the bass bit when you change positions up the neck. I just tried that whole step down on the 'A' string and two whole steps down on the 'E' string and it works out great! Now if I can get the solo right in 'Landslide' like on their recent live album with just the one guitar going. I'm also quite impressed with Lindsey's solo 'Big Love' version from same album. Anyone tried 'Stephanie' from the Buckingham/Nicks solo album? Or any of the classical sounding bits from the solo Buckingham album 'Out of the Cradle?' -David http://www.garageband.com/artist/MichaelangelosMuse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strat0124 Posted May 7, 2001 Share Posted May 7, 2001 I guess I must clarify here, what I was referring to was that when a band or solo artist tries to cop line for line songs of their heroes it rarely if ever comes close, and comes of hokey as hell. There are exceptions and surprises. I saw Mohagoney Rush do an excellent cover of Hendrix in concert back in the day, Jerry Douglas does a wonderful cover of the Beatles "I will" that sounds way fresh. ZZ Top's rendition of "Jailhouse Rock" is just ripping. Dave Mathews version of "All around the Watchtower" is surprisingly fresh sounding. What do these few examples have in common? They aren't done note for note like the originals, they take the song as their own, while still paying tribute to the writers and to the song. Hearing a band do Zep material and the lead guy does all Jimmy Pages licks EXACTLY is technically proficient, but to my ears...BORING. Down like a dollar comin up against a yen, doin pretty good for the shape I'm in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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