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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Surf Musician »

Permalink alternet tunings #2

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Joelman
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Joined: Sep 07, 2006
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Redlands, CA
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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

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DannySnyder
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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

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RobbieReverb
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Joined: Feb 28, 2006
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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

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Bob

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wooza
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Joined: Apr 24, 2006
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Ithaca, NY
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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

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pointbreakspy
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Joined: Aug 24, 2006
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Newcastle... Australia
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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

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