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Post by carolinablues on Sept 28, 2013 11:48:25 GMT -5
I'm also an open tuning player who uses a capo to get from G to A and D to E without retuning. For some reason, I believe Son House favored Open G didn't he? But I don't know about open A. Who used this? |
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Post by Pistol Pete on Sept 28, 2013 20:09:56 GMT -5
From a blues point of view before the electronic tuner came along with people tuning by ear without a reference note, they were pretty much the same thing, known as 'Spanish' tuning. Robert Johnson's recordings are around open A, or Open A flat depending on the session.
Lowell George was a prolific user of open A, but most slide players use more than one tuning so you'll find it turns up occasionally in lots of people's work.
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Post by Admin on Sept 28, 2013 20:58:57 GMT -5
I think a lot of slide players tune in open D maj (DADF#AD) and capo up to Open E. Particularly if you're playing acoustic or resonator.
Pete, it's interesting you mention relative tuning. Back in my early honky tonk days, we depended on one guy's perfect pitch to tune to. He was very good. But you are so right. It could very easily end up flat or sharp.
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Post by Steven B on Nov 25, 2013 8:15:13 GMT -5
Again......here I am digging up "old stuff" to respond to. (Sorry about that). Being an ex-bluegrasser who always wanted to be a flatpicker......I lived with a capo. Playing in the key of B-flat is just tough to pull off with a Martin guitar that you could place a pack of cigarettes between the 6th string and the 12th fret.....hehe. Plus......if you keep the capo in plain view on the dash of your car......you can park the car in the "handicap" spot in front of the drug store. It did have its advantages.  |
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Post by Admin on Nov 25, 2013 8:27:23 GMT -5
Again......here I am digging up "old stuff" to respond to. (Sorry about that). Being an ex-bluegrasser who always wanted to be a flatpicker......I lived with a capo. Playing in the key of B-flat is just tough to pull off with a Martin guitar that you could place a pack of cigarettes between the 6th string and the 12th fret.....hehe. Plus......if you keep the capo in plain view on the dash of your car......you can park the car in the "handicap" spot in front of the drug store. It did have its advantages. smiley-laughing024 Heck, who sings in the key of b flat? I didn't know what B flat was till I was 70 years old... Actually Patsy Cline did sing Crazy in B flat.  |
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Post by Steven B on Nov 25, 2013 8:38:15 GMT -5
All of them "whiney sounding, non-understandable, hillbilly bluegrass singers" eventually dropped back to B-Flat after they had already ruined their voices by singing in C and/or B-major. I loved the music of Mr. Bill Monroe......but he would wear out B-Flat with a lot of his stuff. Just my opinion....but...Monroe would often sing flat while IN the key of B-Flat.....hehe
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Post by Admin on Nov 25, 2013 8:49:17 GMT -5
 Yeah, he did like B flat didn't he. I believe there were a couple of guitar pickers that quit Bill Monroe because they couldn't sing that high when harmonizing with Bill. (Jim Eanes comes to mind).
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