Photo of the Day
The Revomatics
The Revomatics
Shoutbox

sysmalakian: HAPPY NEW YEAR!
328 days ago

SabedLeepski: Surfin‘ Europe, for surf (related) gigs and events in Europe Big Razz https://sunb...
289 days ago

SHADOWNIGHT5150: I like big reverb and i cannot lie
222 days ago

SHADOWNIGHT5150: Bank accounts are a scam created by a shadow government
222 days ago

sysmalakian: TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY!
208 days ago

dp: dude
190 days ago

Bango_Rilla: Shout Bananas!!
145 days ago

BillyBlastOff: See you kiddies at the Convention!
129 days ago

GDW: showman
80 days ago

Emilien03: https://losg...
2 days ago

Shout History

Please login or register to shout.

IRC Status

#ShallowEnd is empty.

Need help getting started?

Current Polls

No polls at this time. Check out our past polls.

Current Contests

No contests at this time. Check out our past contests.

Donations

Help us meet our monthly goal:

48%

48%

Donate Now

Cake November Birthdays Cake
SG101 MP3 Comps
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
SG101 Banner

SurfGuitar101 Forums » Surf Musician »

Permalink alternet tunings #2

• New Topic
Page 1 of 1
Joelman
avatar
Joined: Sep 07, 2006
Posts: 1482
Redlands, CA
United States
5 Download Pins 3 Security Pins
Link Posted on Jan 22 2007 11:48 PM

As an aside to pointbreakspy's alternet tuning question, I started wondering what it is used mostly for?
Do you use an alternet tuning to make a song easier to play, or is it for a different sound?
Or maybe both?
Joel

Top Flag
DannySnyder
avatar
Joined: Mar 02, 2006
Posts: 11046
Berkeley, CA
United States
11 News Pins 39 Calendar Pins 3 Link Pins 21 Download Pins 8 Contributor Pins 12 Security Pins 13 POTD Pins 2 Map Pins 1 Brave New Surf Pin 2 Gold Stars
Link Posted on Jan 22 2007 11:51 PM

Good question, I often wondered this as well. Do you actually learn chords with the different tunings?

—

Danny Snyder

"With great reverb comes great responsibility" - Uncle Leo

Playing keys and guitar with Combo Tezeta

Formerly a guitarist in The TomorrowMen and Meshugga Beach Party

Latest surf project - Now That's What I Call SURF

Top Flag
RobbieReverb
avatar
Joined: Feb 28, 2006
Posts: 2342
San Jose, Ca.
3 News Pins 23 Calendar Pins 1 Contributor Pin 1 Bronze Star
Link Posted on Jan 23 2007 12:48 AM

Usually alternate tunings are used both to get a different sound,
and to make playing easier. Some guitarists do just to "shake
things up" , expand new horizons, get out of ruts, whatever you
want to call it. Yes, you usually need to learn new chord fingerings.
Open tunings typically give you more drone strings, giving you
open strings that you don't have to finger in the chords you're
playing. A lot of acoustic fingerstyle guitarists, and blues slide
players use open tunings. Open tunings can make slide playing
a LOT easier especially for Elmore James sytle stuff. Crosby, Stills,
Nash and Young, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones are among
the rock bands who've used open tunings. I don't know of any
traditional surf bands who've used open tunings, but Jim Thomas
of the Mermen has been known to use some open tunings. There
is a great book on open tunings titled, "The Complete Book of
Alternate Tunings" by Mark Hanson, published by Accent on Music.
I'm no expert, but over the years I've dabbled in open tunings for
forays into fingerstyle acoustic playing, and acoustic and electric
slide playing. I hope this sheds a little light on the subject...

Bob

—

Bob

Top Flag
wooza
avatar
Joined: Apr 24, 2006
Posts: 1618
Ithaca, NY
1 Download Pin 1 POTD Pin
Link Posted on Jan 23 2007 02:29 AM

Is Jim Thomas the only surf guitarist to have used alternate tunings? Because it might be cool to hear more. We should, as you said Bob, "shake things up." Cool

Top Flag
pointbreakspy
avatar
Joined: Aug 24, 2006
Posts: 204
Newcastle... Australia
1 POTD Pin
Link Posted on Jan 23 2007 06:19 AM

i started playing guitar in the late 80's and then when i started to get ok at it, the alt/seatle thing happened...sound garden, pearl jam, sonic youth, alice in chains and helmet were all in the guitar mags talking about how they tune to chords and downtune, so that was a big influence on me, then i got into the blues and all the slide guys, plus i really liked albert collins and he tuned alt Em - ebegbe (and used a capo for songs in other keys, no picks just his fingers and cranked his tele through a dual showman) Twisted Evil

alt tuning can break you out of a rut, give you some rich chords you might not have found (or reached) in standard. i think it is an excellent tool for composition, and a good excuse to add a couple more guitars to your collection if you're short of other excuses..

i am wondering if the guitar player from tiki tiki bamboos is tuning different, i really like his style and tone, stands out even though he is not super fast and flashy, it is very liquid and slide like.

see you on the fringes
adam

Top Flag
Page 1 of 1
Top