Songs Capo'd at the 7th fret

[mdintx]

Hey Folks,

 

I decided to string up my Alvarez in a Raised B Tuning (B-E-A-D-F#-B) which is the same putting a Capo at the 7th fret in standard. I love playing Stay or Leave by Dave Matthews and my Alvarez is the guitar I use for funky tunings. But it got me thinking about other songs that are in this tuning. I hope you all can help me make a list.

 

Here are the few I know:

 

Stay or Leave - Dave Matthews

You're Beautiful - James Blunt

Here Comes the Sun - Harrison/Beatles

[Stackabones]

Playing a blues using the open position (cowboy) chord shapes A, D, & E will put you in the key of E, and there are a ton of blues tunes in E. In a similar manner, using the shapes for D, G, & A will get you a blue in A.

 

So, what string guages are you using? Did you have to replace the nut?

 

Cool idea!

[Brokepick]

Turn tuner past G, grit teeth -- squeeeeeeeeeak. Turn tuner some more past A -- creeeeeeeeak. Turn tuner some more. Ooh, it hurts just thinking about it.

[dr5euss]

Hotel California - The Eagles has a capo on 7.

[Sangemon]

Don't pull the neck off of that Alvarez!

[NotDead]

Don't pull the neck off of that Alvarez!

 

Wouldn't the bridge go off first?

[Sangemon]

Wouldn't the bridge go off first?

 

Don't pull the bridge off of that Alvarez!

[eor]

get a capo. now.

 

love,

eor

 

i've actually written some good ones up there. but my guitar is tuned down a whole step and capoed at the 9th. same thing.

[JohnCub]

I put a capo at 7 for "Blowing in the wind" but not sure if that's the way it goes or not.

 

/me sissies around.

[Michael Martin]

 

Capos are for sissies, I've been told. From Alvarez to Alvarwuz. This should be good.

 

Then I'm just a big ol' sissy. I've got one on more often than not (due to low and narrow vocal range). And my playing partner sometimes uses two at once...because he's flashy.

 

Crank it up 7 half-steps above normal ? Putting that much tension on the strings seems like a really bad idea. I would never do that to one of my guitars.

[Samilyn]

I wonder what the implosion is gonna sound like. Pretty spectacular, I bet.

[NotDead]

 

I wonder what the implosion is gonna sound like. Pretty spectacular, I bet.

 

 

Kinda like in looney toons when a guy got hit by a falling grand piano, I'd guess.

 

Clips would be awesome.

[Samilyn]

Not really spectacular like a black cat firecracker in a toad's mouth but it does make some noise. It's like the Titanic sinking slowly. The bridge begins rolling toward the sound hole ever so slightly then sort of hangs there as it bends the b-jesus out of the pins. Usually the bridge breaks grain-wise across the pinholes next and the strings just pop out. End of movie. A classical is much more entertaining. If the bridge pops off the top those nylon strings act like rubber bands sending the bridge towards the nut. If tearing of top wood occurs the bridge shreds the top toward the sound hole abruptly or with an agonizing final death scream. I just made that all up. I'm in a creative writing class. Actually, in truth I put a set of steel strings on an old classical (genuinely ignorant of such things at the time) and the bridge popped off while the guitar was in the gigbag. Amazingly there was little damage to the top so me and Elmer fixed it.

 

Very appropriate analogy, Cripes.

[Stackabones]

Based on this --

 

I decided to string up my Alvarez in a Raised B Tuning (B-E-A-D-F#-B)

 

I'd figured that mdintx had restrung the guitar with lighter guages to accommodate the higher pitches.

 

It seems like y'all are figuring that the regular guitar strings were just cranked up a fifth? I think mdintx would be posting an entire different post had that been done.

[NotDead]

So he did something between nashville tuning and standard, gauge wise?

[JohnCub]

the question is

 

what IS the string tension, does anyone know?

 

He's tuning the e to low b, and the a to the e tension (sloppy, but lower tension), and so on.

 

any mathmeticians in the crowd? I don't suspect this would actually result in higher tension, OP has dropped everything, not raised it 7 half steps.

 

edit:

disregard that, he noted that he did raise everything. "TUNED UP TO B"

 

I'll shut up.

[NotDead]

If he's using .08s, or .09s, should be fine. .10s or over be worried.

[larry50]

You could put an eye out doing something like that. Just get a capo. Seems like a much more flexible approach to me. Eye doctors are expensive.

[Gary Palmer]

Capo all the way as tuning up too high tends to have an adverse affect on instruments, strings, eyes, injury to passers-by and just aint worth the novelty factor or insurance claims.

[Michael Martin]

 

If he's using .08s, or .09s, should be fine. .10s or over be worried.

 

.09s are creepy-skinny. Can't even imagine .08s. Mike and I swapped electrics recently just for variety's sake (my MexiStrat for his H/H Washburn)...he had .09s on the Washburn. Very bendy, but just too damn thin. Felt all wrong. I restrung with 11s--much much better. Sounds better, too...

[fmw]

Time to learn how to play chords up the neck.

[Barry_Blink_a_lot]

If I Needed Someone by the Beatles, the original Blowin' in the Wind by Mr. Dylan.

[mdintx]

This is why I love this forum and frequent it so often. You ask a question, everyone assumes you're an idiot and deconstructs the question. And you wind up with one or two, at best, helpful responses.

 

For the record, the raised B tuning goes like this (quoted from the dmbtabs.com website)

 

The first thing you need to do is go out and buy

a set of Extra Light strings. I personally chose Elixir's because

I know the guages are about correct, but you can go with

any string type you like. WHILE YOU ARE THERE, PICK UP AN

EXTRA B-STRING FROM A SET OF LIGHT STRINGS. The gauge for that

string must be .016.

 

When you get back, the first thing you should do is take

the low E string from the extra light set of string and

throw it away. This is not needed at all.

 

Next, start with the A string from the extra light set and

string it in the low E position. Then you take the D string

and string it in the A position. Basically what you are doing

here is taking the each string and moving it 1 position up on

the guitar.

 

This should leave the High E string position w/o anything there. Now

comes in that extra B string you bought. You take that extra string

and string it into the High E position It will be a little

wierd to play because the highest position string will have a lower

pitch than the one above it, but that's how Dave strings his guitar.

 

Now all you need to do is make sure each of the strings

is tuned to the right note. Dave Matthews Raised B guitar is

tuned to the following notes:

B:----------

F#:----------

D:----------

A:----------

E:----------

B:----------

 

 

Thanks for nothing

[JohnCub]

 

Thanks for nothing

 

As I did post here and ended up side tracking myself by not understanding the situation I wish to apologize. You are correct with your assessment and I was as much of the problem as others.

 

If nothing else, thanks for putting my brain back in the right gear.

[Starrshine]

You want honest answers, well, no matter how you would change the strings, still way too much tension on a guitar. But it's your guitar, so do what you please. Here is a story for you: In my early days I spent a lot of time in other tunings, long before others were even trying them. Dropped D, double dropped D, Sandy Bull's drone tuning. Then, one day, I had the pleasure of meeting John Fahey and in one of many conversations, he told me that most all of his music was in regular tuning! Sure opened my eyes! Made me realize that if I wanted to continue, I had to start learning to play up the neck, unfortunately, I quit instead, but I am back to it now. My opinion anymore is that alternate tuning are useful and sound good, but eventually are rather limiting compared to normal tuning.

Bob