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thoughts on alternate tunings


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Posted

that nst thread got me thinking. i've never used it yet, but it looks interesting.

i'm a big fan of open d (or open e) for playing around in. the d in the bass and 3 ds make it great for drones and vamps, and there are a lot of songs to choose from to play. it's ok for slide, but it's a little too "big" sounding for it to be ideal for slide, plus open and 12 are home for it, so that also takes away from sliding. i use it a lot, and like to improvise and transcribe regular tuning songs to it.

open g is good for slide, blues, but the 5th in the bass isn't as good for vamps, which is probably why keef doesn't use it, but it's really great for slide guitar, since the root's on the 5th fret on the top string, which also allows for more complex sonorities below it.

dadgad has an exotic flavor, is good for sliding, and is fun to experiment around in, but i find the instability makes it difficult at times to feel at home in it. i use it less than the other two.

there are other tunings i've used and enjoyed, but i can't really remember what they are right now, and i figure not saying something's better than possibly being misleading.

 

please share your favorite alt tunings and your thoughts and techniques you use with them.

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Posted

Only time I ever used an open tuning is to the song "Over Now" by Alice In Chains(my favorite band). I think it is in Db-Ab-Db-F-Ab-Db. I really never liked slide guitar, so I haven't experimented with a lot of open tunings.

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Posted

Led Zeppelin? Celebration Day. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp. The Rain Song. Kashmir. In My Time of Dying. That's The Way. (etc.) I never understood why some people think Jimmy is a second class player. He played mandolin, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, double-neck guitar, 12-string, slide and used alternate tunings more masterfully than almost any other guitar player that I know of (maybe Chet Atkins and Leo Kottke should be mentioned but I don't listen to much of their work).

 

I like Open-D and Open-E as well as Drop-D, 1/2-step down, and full-step down tunings.

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Posted

It might be that I saw a photograph of him with a bunch of stringed instruments and a mandolin was amongst them. It may not be something that he actually played or utilized himself. From my quick research, there is no mention of him actually playing one - but I thought it was he on "Battle of Evermore" (but it could have been JPJ).

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Posted

Neil Young and Stephen Stills extensively use double drop D (both Es down to D) from 67 to mid 70s, excellent tuning. On Cinnamon Girl, Find the Cost Of Freedom, Bluebird, Rock and Roll Woman, loads more besides.

 

EBEEBE is a great tuning on Suite Judy Blue Eyes and Carry On among others.

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Posted

Note that NST is a completely different thing to open tunings.

 

NST is about having a more readily accessible fretboard in general.

 

Open tunings are about taking advantage of open strings (obviously).

 

Both useful ideas, just highlighting that there's a difference to understand. If you approached NST thinking it was another interesting open tuning, you'd be like "WTF?"

 

GaJ

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Posted

How about Nashville tuning?
Or "Nashville random"?

Or Tommy Tedesco's "studio tuning" for fretted non-guitar instruments.


:lol:

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Posted

 

Neil Young and Stephen Stills extensively use double drop D (both Es down to D) from 67 to mid 70s, excellent tuning. On Cinnamon Girl, Find the Cost Of Freedom, Bluebird, Rock and Roll Woman, loads more besides.


EBEEBE is a great tuning on Suite Judy Blue Eyes and Carry On among others.

 

 

 

Another one I love from them is EBDGAD. Gorgeous. I think that's on Guinnevere, et al.

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Posted

I've been using open E more and more... I'm getting to like it more than standard tuning because there are different intervals "falling" under my fingers, making me sound a bit different than other cats. I play slide about 3/4ths of the time...

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