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Re: OT: Tuning guitar in fifths for wider orchestration options


On Feb 27, 2009, at 11:45 PM, Andreas Willers wrote:

Daryl wrote:

"I was tuned DADGCF, so suddenly I started writing everything in D minor.

That's why God invented capos!

I'll second that. Spent years of working towards the point where I can play the stuff I hear in my head on the neck fast and intuitively, although I regulary use simpler open tunings and retune on the spot in some improv situations. Also I immediately bought this new Woodies G-band partial capo
http://www.woodiesuk.moonfruit.com/

you can make your own by sawing off Keyser capos.  Works great and definitely scrambles the eggs for open tunings or standard.  I keep three or four on hand for when I get stumped. 

Of note to all lovers of open tunings, and I count myself as one of them, I've heard that Leo Kottke has transposed all of his songs to standard!  Taking multiple guitars to gigs - and keeping them tuned - is a pain in the butt, and when you're flying it gets quite spendy. 

I can't imagine Vaseline Machine Gun in standard!

I can't understand why no one has successfully invented a tuning peg that could auto tune your guitar.  I talked to Paul Smith (PRS) about this a while back and he said it was because of the weight of the tuner changing the tone of the guitar.  But I think I saw that Gibson had one coming out.  

I'd like to have that for a Q Stick guitar.  

Paul has some KILLER amps that should be available soon! And acoustic guitars.  

For me, to address Per's original thought, the C tuning, CGCGCE, seemed to have the widest range.  But I don't experiment much any more.  I thought I'd invented that tuning in the sixties, but then I heard Peter Lang using it so it must have occurred to multiple seekers at once - as ideas tend to do.

I get sea sick reading about all the tunings for lap steel!  Sheesh!  So I'm saving that for my old age!  :)

DADGAD is a very strange tuning to solo in.  I've heard folks do it well, but I would be more inclined to a standard open D major or minor.  But DADGAD is the bomb for all that Norwegian Wood kind of stuff.  I've done a lot of that and still love it.

Like an old farm wagon, I continue to find new stones, twists and challenges in my old ruts.