onewilyfool Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 What do you open tuning guys recommend for blues, open D or open G tunings? Thanks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 Both wily. I prefer open D because I learnt a lot of Dylan tunes in it.(capo 2nd for open E) much of a muchness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 I wanted to branch out into the open tuning universe, but I realized it's not needed unless you become obsessed with a particular song in open. There are just so many freekin' songs you can learn and master in a lifetime...and certainly plenty are there in standard for the plucking. Who knows? When I run into that one song I just have to be able to play I'll take the leap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 If you are in the mood to putz around with some Skip James tunes you might want to try out Em tuning. Although not really a blues player, when it comes to tunings the guy who boggles my mind is Joseph Spence. Basically he plays a lot in Drop D and often will tune down a whole step. But I swear at times he sounds like he has the top three strings tuned just a smidgeon sharp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gearhead88 Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 Both D and G are most common , when tuned to G the capo at the second fret puts you in A . There's a world of songs to play in open tunings. Some Rolling stones songs must be played in open G to sound right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rambler Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 They do different things. According to Ry, Open D (Vestapol) tuning is modal, doesnt care about chrod changes much. Melody lines run horizontally up and down the board. Blind Willie Jonson and Fred McDowell country. Plus Piedmont guys like WIllie McTell & Peg Leg Howell. Open G (Spanish) is based on a banjo tuning (Ry again), is more orirented to rolls and chordal moves. Robert Johnson, Charlie Patton, Ms John Hurt & Memphis Minnie. John Lee Hooker. But Fred McDowell also has some terrific pieces in Spanish (A for him). Where to begin? Start with a tune you like and go from there. Peg Lowells Howells Skin Game blues is a great starter in D (one of many). Or Eliz. Cotton's Vestapol. For G? try Walking Blues, Hurt's Frankie or Fred's Train I Ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rambler Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 I wanted to branch out into the open tuning universe, but I realized it's not needed unless you become obsessed with a particular song in open. It goes beyond songs, I think. There's a whole tonality in open, the way drone notes hang over the melody lines and so forth, that's a refreshing change from standard chord configurations. It does require a leap into proceessing melody notes, however (which can be a very, very good thing). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 It goes beyond songs, I think. There's a whole tonality in open, the way drone notes hang over the melody lines and so forth, that's a refreshing change from standard chord configurations. It does require a leap into proceessing melody notes, however (which can be a very, very good thing). Yer' right on that, too. Point taken and appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 All the above is true. Here is another angle for you: A worse feeling than breaking a string or 2 live on stage, to me, is re-tuning the one guitar from standard tuning to Open D for slide tunes...and then the singer changes his mind and the whole band launches into something the singer picked off his head and guess what? The chances of playing it in Open D are slim............................>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [mellow] Even when playing solo acoustic, changing tunings is an art of audience tolerance vs that different sound you want from changing the tuning. Where am I going with this? Well, the people with only ONE guitar will not want to hear it , but the guitarists with a few will be happy.... There is Open D for slide playing that needs a guitar with high action so the slide doesn't hit the frets. There is Open D for fingerstyle that needs a guitar with nice playing action. There is Open D for slide playing on a resophonic guitar. There is Open D for fingerstyle that needs a resophonic guitar with nice playing action. There is Open G.....same as above. There are a zillion others [confused] See where I am going? BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 See where I am going? BluesKing777. The poor house! Kidding aside, Some songs only sound right in open tunings. They have that slack jangle... M. Ward comes to mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Some Rolling stones songs must be played in open G to sound right Some? Starting around 1969 Keef began living by the open G tuning and five strings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Now the first rush of replies has gone, here are a couple of other approaches to open tuning D & G from SGGW. No affiliation - just truly excellent: Open D & G - 2 dvds: http://www.guitarvideos.com/products/guitar-workshop-instructional-dvds/country-blues-guitar-in-spanish-vestapol-tunings Open D - NO Slide: http://www.guitarvideos.com/products/guitar-workshop-instructional-dvds/fingerpicking-blues-guitar-arrangements-in-vestapol-tuning BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretplay Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 I have always fancied playing in open tuning but the thing I find difficult is, where are your chords shapes? Say I'm in open G do I have to work out each note of say C then perhaps D7 or is there a site with tabs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 I have always fancied playing in open tuning but the thing I find difficult is, where are your chords shapes? Say I'm in open G do I have to work out each note of say C then perhaps D7 or is there a site with tabs? widely available fret play. just Google open tunings in D, E or whatever you want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 I have always fancied playing in open tuning but the thing I find difficult is, where are your chords shapes? Say I'm in open G do I have to work out each note of say C then perhaps D7 or is there a site with tabs? Great question, FP! I myself started learning open tunings for slide and then explored further to get more mileage out of the tuning..... The John Miller DVDs I listed above have the basic chords, but for a bit trickier there are a few 'open tuning chord books' around. To get out of the '3 slide songs in Open G and the back to standard tuning' thing, I spent a bit of time playing simple chord from tunes we know, to get the hang of it. Simple folky to begin, then...on and up. Think like you are at a gig and someone (singer?) is calling out his tunes for you to play..... Tricky! BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L5Larry Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Just finished the book by Galadrielle Allman about her father, Duane. It reminded me of the fact that when Duane was learning slide by trying to mimicking recordings, he wasn't aware of open tunings. I believe it was John Hammond that showed him his first open tunings. Somebody in the ABB has been quoted that Duane's earliest slide playing was very rough. Then all of a sudden, bam, he was great. I wonder if that John Hammond meeting had anything to do with "unlocking" the mystery. Although a lot, if not most, of Duane's ABB slide playing is in standard tuning, the open tuning practice may have been the turning point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Just finished the book by Galadrielle Allman about her father, Duane. It reminded me of the fact that when Duane was learning slide by trying to mimicking recordings, he wasn't aware of open tunings. I believe it was John Hammond that showed him his first open tunings. Somebody in the ABB has been quoted that Duane's earliest slide playing was very rough. Then all of a sudden, bam, he was great. I wonder if that John Hammond meeting had anything to do with "unlocking" the mystery. Although a lot, if not most, of Duane's ABB slide playing is in standard tuning, the open tuning practice may have been the turning point. Article I read the other week about Don Felder (Eagles) said he came from the same area as Duane and many, many famous guitarists, but he picked up slide from Duane. BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pschaafs Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 I picked up playing in open D from listening to "Blood on the Tracks" and went on from there. Never did much with open G, but I know a lot of chords in open D! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L5Larry Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 Many years ago when I was trying to learn how to play slide, I piddled around mostly in open "E" (and standard). When I decided I was going to dedicate a guitar for open tuning slide work (a '64 Firebird III, Maestro removed, bridge strung "wrap-around"), I consulted my old friend Mel Bay (the man, not the book) on tunings and string gauge. In my momento file is the note he wrote me during that conversation: A short time later I jammed with a "real" slide player, and that was all I needed to retire my slide forever. I haven't picked up a slide since, but..... I have played in a Blues band with THAT slide payer for 22 years! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rambler Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 where are your chords shapes? Shapes are actually pretty simple, not like having to clamp down with all four fingers spread across all six strings over 3 frets. Plenty of good lessons on this (see BK's post; Stefan Grossmans Country Blues in Open Tuings is another) and online resouces (ask Prof. Google) to help you there. And check out Ry Cooder on ytube. But the really cool thing about playing in tunings is the way it helps open you up to hearing melodies. I can improv better in an open tuning that std, in terms of following the tune (as opposed to playing licks). Rambler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Ahh, Larry...my old nemesis Mel Bay. That's a great memento. Thanks for sharing. When my first teacher, Buddy Merrill, threw the Mel Bay beginner book on my table back in '65, I thought I was on my way to guitar heaven. Months later, when I threw the book in the trash and Buddy told me to come back when I was ready to 'do the math', I went off with the neighborhood guitar god (another 16 year old) and jumped on the bandwagon of learning everything by ear. A couple of years ago I was jokingly lamenting to Buddy, one of the all time great slide/pedal steel players, about missing the boat on grasping theory and how I regretted letting that opportunity slip away. He said it was never too late, and recommended the Mel Bay series. I hung my head in self-loathing...again. I'm still going to tune up a guitar to F# A D F# A D and conjure the spirits. Somethin' tells me I'll be back to playing Kinks songs by this afternoon, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L8_4thesh0w Posted August 9, 2014 Share Posted August 9, 2014 I've always wanted to learn how to play slide and I'd love to be able to pick the sx!t out of a Dobro. I think one of the easier tunes to start out on might be Skynyrd's "Curtis Lowe." Any recommendations/suggestions for tunings or other songs to start? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rambler Posted August 9, 2014 Share Posted August 9, 2014 Since they did Lowe in E, you might as well try the Vestapol tuning (DADF#AD in D). You can find the melody notes easily, with the root on the first string and the 5th right below it, plus you have Ds on 1st and 4th, so can tumb an alternating bass. Lots of tunes to chose from --Jesus on the Mainline & You got to Move (Fred McDowell; covers by Ry Cooder and the Stones) come to mind. The Allmans version of Statesboro in that tuning. If you are looking for instruction,get Tom Feldmann's Slide Gutiar for Beginners at Grossmans Gutiar WOrkshop. He'll straighten you out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevbo82 Posted August 9, 2014 Share Posted August 9, 2014 I like to play in both G and D sometimes, not only do you get those great drones and overtones that other have mentioned, for me it's also an exploration that might make you find something you never may have in standard tuning. When you don't know what the hell you're doing it sometimes makes you do brilliant stuff. Your hand gets used to playing shapes on the guitar, switch up the tuning and you can grab something out of the norm that would sound like junk in standard but might sound pretty, or mysterious in an open tuning. For me, i just found major and minor chords and after that make it up and see whats cool. I liked these simple charts to get started http://www.alanhorvath.com/images/Gchart.jpg http://www.alanhorvath.com/images/Dchart.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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