Songs Capo'd at the 7th fret

[Samilyn]

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

 

Well, it makes sense to me now, but the way I read your OP, it did sound like you're simply cranking the strings up quite a few notches.

 

You're welcome for nothing.

[Stackabones]

That's wild! I thought the hi-B would be super high. Lenny Breau used a hi-A tuning for his 7-string classical and used fishing wire to get that hi A. Never thought about the B being like a B ... it's kinda like a re-entrant tuning on a uke -- kinda but not exactly.

 

I think it'd be a cool tuning to just try out any song. Probably have to a little transposition math ...

[mdintx]

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

 

Your pompous attitude got in the way of your reading comprehension skills. I did not ask if that tuning was a good idea nor did I ask for any stories or your philosophy on altered tunings. I asked for songs capo'd at the 7th fret. Really, it's quite simple.

[mdintx]

That's wild! I thought the hi-B would be super high. Lenny Breau used a hi-A tuning for his 7-string classical and used fishing wire to get that hi A. Never thought about the B being like a B ... it's kinda like a re-entrant tuning on a uke -- kinda but not exactly. I think it'd be a cool tuning to just try out any song. Probably have to a little transposition math ...

 

It's a very cool tuning, really interesting in the way it rings out. It sounds better than putting a capo at the 7th fret - less plinky. I've got a bit of string rattle from the reduced tension. I'll keep it that way for a little while and maybe move on to a Nashville tuning or go back to Open G. My Alvarez does really well in Open G.

[Starrshine]

 

Your pompous attitude got in the way of your reading comprehension skills.

 

KMA

[Michael Martin]

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.

Speaking for myself, and, probably, for everyone else in the thread, I never imagined you as an idiot. I was trying to be helpful. There's nothing in your post that lets us know that you're swapping out strings. It may be that "raised B tuning" (which I've never heard of, so I guess I'm the "idiot"?) by some definition always includes a string swap-out--but apparently that's not common knowledge, so you shouldn't assume everbody knows what it is. A bit of clarity from you would have gone a long way in helping us understand exactly what you were up to.

 

Don't be such a piss-face. And happy belated Thanksgiving!

[Stackabones]

There's nothing in your post that lets us know that you're swapping out strings.

 

This might be a case of idiom problems. When mdintx said string up, I thought that's exactly what he meant -- to swap out strings. Since mdintx and I are in North Central Texas, maybe that's why I didn't think he was popping bridges (that and his post would have been very different had he cranked up those strings). Maybe y'all midwesterners and non-Texicans don't quite catch our drift?

 

Hey, mdintx, I just got what your name means! Hecho en Tejas! Or, wait, maybe you're a doctor?

[Michael Martin]

This might be a case of idiom problems. When mdintx said string up , I thought that's exactly what he meant -- to swap out strings. Since mdintx and I are in North Central Texas, maybe that's why I didn't think he was popping bridges (that and his post would have been very different had he cranked up those strings). Maybe y'all midwesterners and non-Texicans don't quite catch our drift? ;)p

I thought "string up" was what you lone-star types did with cattle rustlers...?

 

(Sorry...that was really pompous of me...)

[Stackabones]

I thought "string up" was what you lone-star types did with cattle rustlers...? (Sorry...that was really pompous of me...)

 

The way we speak is full of nuance.

 

btw, we don't tie our own horses up in front of buildings -- we've got valets who do it for us now.

[mdintx]

Speaking for myself, and, probably, for everyone else in the thread, I never imagined you as an idiot. I was trying to be helpful. There's nothing in your post that lets us know that you're swapping out strings. It may be that "raised B tuning" (which I've never heard of, so I guess I'm the "idiot"?) by some definition always includes a string swap-out--but apparently that's not common knowledge, so you shouldn't assume everbody knows what it is. A bit of clarity from you would have gone a long way in helping us understand exactly what you were up to. Don't be such a piss-face. And happy belated Thanksgiving!

 

I searched far and wide for how to get to a raised B tuning...what I posted is all I could find. I wouldn't just ratchet the strings. First asking how I did it would have been cool. That's all...piss-face mode over

[Samilyn]

 

Speaking for myself, and, probably, for everyone else in the thread, I never imagined you as an idiot. I was trying to be helpful. There's nothing in your post that lets us know that you're swapping out strings. It may be that "raised B tuning" (which I've never heard of, so I guess I'm the "idiot"?) by some definition always includes a string swap-out--but apparently that's not common knowledge, so you shouldn't assume everbody knows what it is. A bit of clarity from you would have gone a long way in helping us understand exactly what you were up to. Don't be such a piss-face. And happy belated Thanksgiving!

 

 

Well, Michael, as a fellow "idiot" I'm in good company indeed. To me, the term "raised" means just that, "up", "high", "tight"....oh hells bells, where's my thesaurus?

 

Just .02 from an idiot who plays a couple of {censored}boxes.

[mdintx]

This might be a case of idiom problems. When mdintx said string up , I thought that's exactly what he meant -- to swap out strings. Since mdintx and I are in North Central Texas, maybe that's why I didn't think he was popping bridges (that and his post would have been very different had he cranked up those strings). Maybe y'all midwesterners and non-Texicans don't quite catch our drift? Hey, mdintx, I just got what your name means! Hecho en Tejas! Or, wait, maybe you're a doctor?

 

md are my initials and while I have a doctorate, it is not the MD variety. I guess that makes me a a quasi-doctor...just 1 calorie...not doctor enough...oyyyy

[Melodeous]

Elevated from or above a referenced point (concert pitch) to a certain unit of measure (ouches) in distance or dimension.

[Stackabones]

md are my initials and while I have a doctorate, it is not the MD variety. I guess that makes me a a quasi-doctor...just 1 calorie...not doctor enough...oyyyy

 

At least I got the Texas part right! And the doctor part was right in a roundabout way. Since I didn't know if you sat down or stood up in the outhouse, I didn't want to assume that you were "Maiden Texas."

 

What's your doctorate in?

[Brokepick]

Anybody ever hear the urban legend that says that the Beatles tuned their guitars up from E to A, and that was the reason they substituted an a for the e in the name, Beatles?

[deweyp]

IIRC "John Barleycorn Must Die" by Traffic was recorded with a capo at the 7th fret.

[Melodeous]

 

IIRC "John Barleycorn Must Die" by Traffic was recorded with a capo at the 7th fret.

 

 

Yep. Great song. I still play it since first learning it in, what, 1973?

[Stackabones]

Anybody ever hear the urban legend that says that the Beatles tuned their guitars up from E to A, and that was the reason they substituted an a for the e in the name, Beatles?

 

I'd always heard it was because of the Beats. And I'd also heard something about beatific, but I think that was in relation to the Beats.

 

But ... tuning their guitars up a fourth meant that they had requintos. If that were true, then they'd be know know as Los Escarabajos.

[Michael Martin]

 

I'd always heard it was because of the Beats. And I'd also heard something about beatific, but I think that was in relation to the Beats.

 

Yeah--kind of. They were the "Silver Beetles" at one point--inspired to be insects by the very influential and ill-fated Buddy Holly and the Crickets*. And then I think it was Lennon, always the punster, who suggested "Beatles", either to connect with "beat" poets or maybe with "beat" as in musical cadence.

 

*Buddy died in plane crash just up the road from here...I think it was '59...

[guildfire]

 

Yeah--kind of. They were the "Silver Beetles" at one point--inspired to be insects by the very influential and ill-fated Buddy Holly and the Crickets*. And then I think it was Lennon, always the punster, who suggested "Beatles", either to connect with "beat" poets or maybe with "beat" as in musical cadence. *Buddy died in plane crash just up the road from here...I think it was '59...

 

 

Yeah, "Day the Music Died". Buddy, Ritchie, and Big Bopper.

[Melodeous]

There are many theories as to the origin of the name and its unusual spelling; it is usually credited to John Lennon, who said that the name was a combination word-play on the insects "beetles" (as a nod/compliment to Buddy Holly's band The Crickets) and the word "beat".

He also later said that it was a joke, meaning a pun on "Beat-less" due to the fact that they started out without a drummer, got a drummer, lost a drummer, etc.

[Michael Martin]

 

Yeah, "Day the Music Died". Buddy, Ritchie, and Big Bopper.

 

And Roger A. Peterson (the pilot)

[Samilyn]

Yeah, "Day the Music Died". Buddy, Ritchie, and Big Bopper.

 

A black day in the world of music. So sad.

 

That day came back to my mind not long ago after I watched a rerun of LaBamba.

[guildfire]

Legend says that they flipped a coin for the last seat on that small plane and the "loser" was Waylon Jennings who was on that winter tour with them.

[seratone1]

Reading this a full 10 years later - thanks mdintx for stopping the madness and posting the DMB B tuning details.

 

I have been stringing guitars this way for years getting various results - originally I tried it on a couple lower end Takamine's (Chinese) - but still the tension was pretty high - I usually ended going down a step and tuning to A standard and capo'ing to 2 to get the B thing.

 

I still think capo'ing to 7 sounds better - Sujfan Stevens capo's to 7 a lot so does the Australian version of the Milk Carton Kids - The Cove - really pretty stuff....

 

These days I use an older Tak Jumbo for capo 7 stuff - the extra bottom end really helps.