dansouth Posted September 10, 2001 Share Posted September 10, 2001 Alternate tunings seem to be all the rage in metalland these days. What's your favorite? Anyone out there ever use a Roland VG system for alternate tunings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin F Posted September 10, 2001 Share Posted September 10, 2001 I'll use a drop D tuning on some things or tune to open G for slide stuff. Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Flier Posted September 10, 2001 Share Posted September 10, 2001 Heh... open G for sure. The Keith tuning. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif I still remember what a revelation it was to read the Keith cover story in Guitar Player in 1977, when I was 14. I'd been wondering for the whole two years I'd been playing, why I couldn't get some of my Keith licks exactly right, and there it was revealed that he used the open tuning! It was my best kept secret for years, and NOW look what's happened - everybody's using some kinda weirdass tuning! I also got into Richard Thompson early on and he's always used the DADGAD tuning a bunch... so I became rather fond of that one too. But for me there's still nothing quite like the thrill of cranking up an open G tuned guitar through my Ampeg. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif --Lee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott from MA Posted September 10, 2001 Share Posted September 10, 2001 I'm too lazy to re-tune my guitar. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif No, seriously... I've tried fooling with alternate tunings before, but never really got into it. Maybe I'm just not a good enough guitarist... when you change where the notes are on the neck, I get all confused. In one of my old bands, we covered Zep's "The Rain Song". I used an open tuning for that (can't remember what it was now), but I never actually knew what notes I was playing... I just remembered the fingerings and chord forms. I really HATED playing like that! So... now I stick to standard tuning, where I'm always on familiar ground. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif Scott (just another cantankerous bastard) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve LeBlanc Posted September 10, 2001 Share Posted September 10, 2001 I'm really into strange tunings these days...the latest... C, E, D, A, Bb, Eb Lot's of fun because the two low strings are really low and the 3 highs are somewhat clustered...it's really easy to make the guitar sound like two instruments. http://www.youtube.com/notesleb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin F Posted September 10, 2001 Share Posted September 10, 2001 I read somewhere that Joni Mitchell uses something like 50 different tunings on her albums. If that is true no wonder she had Jaco and Pat Metheny (sp?) playing with her. Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantasticsound Posted September 11, 2001 Share Posted September 11, 2001 Originally posted by Kevin F: I read somewhere that Joni Mitchell uses something like 50 different tunings on her albums. If that is true no wonder she had Jaco and Pat Metheny (sp?) playing with her. Kev She became quite the user of the Roland VG-8 system, early on, to limit the number of instruments needed onstage. Retuning at the touch of a button. (But it's FAR from perfect.) I've been retuning for twenty-five years, and my favorites are: [*]DADGAD - from Michael Hedges' "Ragamuffin", to Kenny Loggins cover of Paul Simon's "St. Judy's Comet", this is one of the sweetest tunings around. [*]CGDDAD or DAEEAE - I've written several tunes in these tunings that allow me to fingerpick and strum in sweet counterpoint and chords. [*]Dropped D - Let's see.. James Taylor's "Country Road" & "Millworker", Pink Floyd's "Goodbye Blue Skies", The first arrangement I learned of Fleetwood Mac's "Never Goin' Back Again", the Doobie Brothers' "Black Water", and so many others. This tuning is the simplest of alternates, but many artists have used it to great effect. [*]DAEEAA - The tuning Hedges played "All Along The Watchtower." It sounds fantastic, but in all fairness, it's the only song I know in the tuning. Therefore, it doesn't rank in the top 3. ------------------ Neil Reality: A few moments of lucidity surrounded by insanity. This message has been edited by fantasticsound on 09-10-2001 at 11:00 PM It's easiest to find me on Facebook. Neil Bergman Soundclick fntstcsnd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D_dup3 Posted September 20, 2001 Share Posted September 20, 2001 Alternate tunings are OK but they never have the range of utility that standard tuning does, especially for slide guitar. In standard tuning (for slide) you can play major, minor, 7ths & other extensions, ALL OVER ONE FRET. Check it out,FSBs(Funk Soul Bros.)! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/cool.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantasticsound Posted September 21, 2001 Share Posted September 21, 2001 Originally posted by d: Alternate tunings are OK but they never have the range of utility that standard tuning does, especially for slide guitar... This is a joke, right?? That's ridiculous. Somehow the greatest slide players in the world have found immense utility in open tunings. I'm no expert, but I believe most don't use standard tuning for their slide playing. Some of the favorite slide chord timbres are impossible in standard tuning. You stick with what works, but I believe you're way out in left field. ------------------ Neil Reality: A few moments of lucidity surrounded by insanity. It's easiest to find me on Facebook. Neil Bergman Soundclick fntstcsnd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Posted September 21, 2001 Share Posted September 21, 2001 Yes, I love the 5-string Keith thang. Also the acoustic Richard Thompson and Lindsey Buckingham stuff. -David http://www.garageband.com/artist/MichaelangelosMuse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superG Posted September 22, 2001 Share Posted September 22, 2001 open G-a must have - regarding alternate chord voicings! AND a ...capo G out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rumpelstiltskin. Posted September 23, 2001 Share Posted September 23, 2001 i found a really fun tuning a few months ago: E Ab Db E Ab Eb it's really fun, but it's kind of a one-sound tuning. i use dropped D fairly regularly, too. i've also written a song in D A D F# A D. and not that it's really an alternate tuning, but i almost always play Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb when i'm playing in standard tuning. it sounds different (better to me) than EADGBE. i think alternate tunings are a lot of fun and have really opened up my creativity. the only problem is performing them. i limit my live playing to two tuning per show, since i have a guitar, and my guitarist has one, too. so, yes, i am the bass player, but i write all the songs. thbpbhbpt! because i like people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarMan Posted September 23, 2001 Share Posted September 23, 2001 open d ... worked for Elmo' .... that's good enough for me! http://www.mp3.com/TheBottomFeeders Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D_dup3 Posted September 27, 2001 Share Posted September 27, 2001 Originally posted by fantasticsound: This is a joke, right?? Nope, no joke. Sure, most trad style players use special tunings to recreate certain blues licks, but many of these CAN be duplicated with a little practice in standard tuning.Also most of the alternate tuning licks only work (exactly)in those one or two tunings where the "new" note patterns duplicate each other. You who know music theory well try this test : analyze the notes in various chords & extensions, pick a fret & see how they can be played within a single fret; major (simple "A-chord" shape on strings 2,3 & 4); minor (first three strings) & 7th (strings 1,3 &5)chords are the most obvious but there are lots more. Also remember that parial chords are an option ( & often sound better on electric than thicker, full chords). Tricks like slanting the slide or fretting behind it are also helpful.This method allows for impromptu work without retuning (& rethinking scale positions). As an example of what can be done with this approach, listen to Duane Allman's "Dreams". I've used this approach for over 20 years---it works in all styles. Standard tuning became standard for a reason---it's the most versatile ! This message has been edited by d on 09-27-2001 at 03:14 PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarMan Posted September 27, 2001 Share Posted September 27, 2001 Yea ya yea... that's all well and good... but when you play in an open tuning you get all kinds of "sympathetic vibratory shit" goin' on... and besides ... as I said before ...If it was good enough for Elmo... I like music theory and find it comes in handy as a creative tool... but I play blues ... and I ain't no fuckin' theory major... Open tuningings have a major mojo that's undeniable... and come to think of it .... on the rocket science side of the fence there's cats like P. Bensusan who does all kinds of impossible shit with dadgad. http://www.mp3.com/TheBottomFeeders Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D_dup3 Posted September 27, 2001 Share Posted September 27, 2001 Sorry to suggest there was another way of looking at things. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif This message has been edited by d on 09-27-2001 at 03:27 PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20to20 Posted September 30, 2001 Share Posted September 30, 2001 For the past 10 years I've been playing exclusively with a "Fifths" tuning: (low to high) C G D A E... It's kinda like an extended Bouzouki tuning... All of my guitars are tuned that way; I call them "Bouzars"... Using just 5 strings (or 10 on a 12-string guit), you actually get a greater range than with 6 string standard tuning... I've also got a couple of basses: G D A E (Bassoukis)... As a bonus, once you learn this tuning on guitars, you can "easily" play Bouzoukis, Mandolins, Tenor Banjos, etc... And you'll be much better prepared for Cellos, Violins, etc... One downside is you have to buy single strings of the correct gauge to insure consistent string tension, but that's not too big a deal... I found out a couple of years ago that Robert Fripp has exclusively used a very similar tuning for years: C G D A E G... BTW, he doesn't consider it an alternate tuning... He referred to it as his new standard tuning... If you have a 2nd (or 3rd, or 4th...) guitar around and you are interested in trying this tuning, let me know and I'll help you determine the correct string gauges for your particular axe... Nickelbob 20to20soundesign This message has been edited by twenty.twenty@gte.net on 09-29-2001 at 10:53 PM Bob Phillips 20to20soundesign Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emperator Posted October 3, 2001 Share Posted October 3, 2001 There's quite a few. This is almost to cool to give away. I got it from the tuning for the Rain Song by Led Zeppelin. E, A, D, A , D, E. It's the 3rd string goes from G up to A; 2nd string goes from B up to D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emperator Posted October 3, 2001 Share Posted October 3, 2001 There's quite a few. This is almost to cool to give away. I got it from the tuning for the Rain Song by Led Zeppelin. E, A, D, A , D, E. It's the 3rd string goes from G up to A; 2nd string goes from B up to D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philbo_Tangent Posted October 5, 2001 Share Posted October 5, 2001 One of my favorites: DADAAD (The 2nd & 3rd string are tuned to the same note -- makes for a natural phasey/flangey sound, especially if the strings are bowed) Great for modal, India raga-style stuff. Philbo Tangent Music Phil Tangent Studios http://artists.iuma.com/IUMA/Bands/Tangent2/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philbo_Tangent Posted October 5, 2001 Share Posted October 5, 2001 One of my favorites: DADAAD (The 2nd & 3rd string are tuned to the same note -- makes for a natural phasey/flangey sound, especially if the strings are bowed) Great for modal, India raga-style stuff. Philbo Tangent Music Phil Tangent Studios http://artists.iuma.com/IUMA/Bands/Tangent2/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantasticsound Posted October 6, 2001 Share Posted October 6, 2001 Originally posted by d: Sorry to suggest there was another way of looking at things. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif I wasn't saying that standard tuning isn't valid for slide play, but there are voicings that are impossible in standard. Ignoring them doesn't make you a better player. Alternate tunings allow for timbres that are not available in standard tuning. Why ignore them? One of my favorite slide players is Lauren Ellis. She plays in open and standard tunings. As a critical listener I can tell you that songs in one tuning would not have the same impact in standard voicings. Michael Hedges was quoted as saying he felt he was less a great guitarist than great arranger. His songs use tunings that yield many impossible chords in standard. You'd need a bassist and guitarist to recreate them in standard. I play some of these songs, and it's anything but easy. Alternate tuning was certainly not used here as a cop out to working the tune in standard. It's usually about inspiration. Chord voicings which are new, like other discoveries on the guitar, usually help inspire creation. And YOU'RE the one being humorous about seeing things another way?? http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif I'd say we're the ones who see things differently. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gifhttp://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif ------------------ Neil Reality: A few moments of lucidity surrounded by insanity. It's easiest to find me on Facebook. Neil Bergman Soundclick fntstcsnd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedster Posted October 6, 2001 Share Posted October 6, 2001 My favorite alternate tuning was the one my kids used to put on it when they were little..."Gee, these silver things turn don't they?" Then you pick it up and strum a "chord" AUGHGHGHGHGHGH... And such variety! They'd tune it differently each time... "Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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