Do you alternate tune?

[Mixstar]

For years I've screamed at sheet music and teachers on the tube when I've wanted to learn a song and found it was in open 'G', drop 'D' or some other exotica. Generally I've managed to find a way round it either by myself or with internet rummaging. I've always had one thing in the back of my mind, somebody told me years ago that Tony Iommi used to change his tuning to suit Ozzies lack of vocal range. I've never had much sympathy for vocalists so I always thought alternate tuning was an unnecessary evil and that vocalists need to sort themselves out and not expect everyone else to bend. How wrong I was - now I get it!

This might seem a bit stupid but three days ago I managed to get my Tremonti successfully tuned to open 'G' for the first time. I've tried it in the past and never really got there for one reason or another. All of a sudden the tunes I thought I knew in standard tuning that were originally alternately tuned come to life in open 'G', they actually sound right and I'm playing slide like a pro!! Unfortunately I've got to re-learn a few tunes but at least they will sound right!

Wanders off to look at 7 stringers, not quite GAS yet . . .

 

[gush]

I never use open tunings. I keep guitars in Eb and D. I'll also use drop tunings when needed.

I SUCK at slide guitar.

 

[goat-n-gitter]

I use open G and variations, as well as open D frequently on my acoustics, but only very occasionally on electrics. I mostly just use standard and drop D on electric.
But, you are correct, songs created/performed in alternate tunings rarely sound right and are often a b**ch to play in standard.
As far as slide goes, I can play the solo to "What is and What Should Never Be", and fake a couple other tunes, but I otherwise stink at slide.

Tom

 

[Ovibos]

My SE Singlecut is tuned to Drop-C (CGCFAD) - had to put an intonatable bridge on it to do so tho. It's the 'Periphery tuning' so has a nice chunkiness to it.

 

[Mixstar]

I'm just so surprised that my prejudice against open tuning caused me not to explore this, I should know better. I found this while I was looking for information, it's a great tut:

 

[DISTORT6]

Nothing too crazy. Basically standard tunings dropped down.

E Standard and Drop - D
Eb Standard and Drop - Db
D Standard and Drop - C
B Standard. That's low enough for me.

 

[László]

I play in standard tuning, but I do know how to play slide in open tunings.

 

[mezzio]

I have my SE set up in C# (C#, F#, B, E, G#, C#). Took a while to get the right strings for it, but it's good now.

On my Project guitar I've already decided it's going to be tuned in D-Standard, I also picked up the D-Tuna for the FR so I can easily flip it to Drop-C.

Both of my core models, and my 7-string stay in standard tuning, for now. I am thinking about setting up my 408 for Eb though.


Now, I don't know why I have different tunings, I'm not exactly great at writing my own stuff, so I don't necessarily have a need for it, I think I was just bored of having a bunch of guitars that have the same tuning, lol.

 

[Huggy Love]

I SUCK at slide guitar.

You would be surprised at how reachable not sucking at slide can be. For the longest (all my life) I've said the exact same statement until I took a couple tips and applied myself. There's a cat in my area that isn't a great guitar player, in fact most the other musicians around here thinks he stinks but plays a decent slide. Nobody around here would take a lesson or tips from this guy based on how he sounds on other stuff but I look past that and hung out on the park bench that he hangs out on every day. After one or two sit downs with him and a little southern rock inspiration I was able to at least get it to speak a little and impressed a couple people (even though I still felt I sucked at it), AND THAT WAS IN STANDARD TUNING.

Chord tunings make it way easier to sound like something on the slide but I'm so "standard tuning" that I can improv better under that situation and can only play blues and short licks in alternate tunings. The big difference is standard tuning I can say a lot more, but alt tuning sounds more like something real and is easier to pull off. Only drawback is that's the one sound and you have to switch to another axe or re-tune to do something else.

Again, I still think I suck at it but I'm positive you can make some people think you do it well, as I have fooled a few.

 

[sleary]

Drop d and c here ..I've also used drop A ....

 

[Mixstar]

I think I was just bored of having a bunch of guitars that have the same tuning

I hear you, after three days I'm beginning to think the same, I AM CONVERTED!!

You would be surprised at how reachable not sucking at slide can be

Agreed, I've pretty much always leaned toward finger picking and a tad of slide but, again because I didn't explore it, I never realised open tuning could give you so many extra options. My slide using standard tuning 'worked' but it was hard graft, wasn't worth listening to and I really couldn't be bothered with it. I'm still a newb at open tuning but it's given me something to work on. I think the neighbours better batten down the hatches over the Easter holidays, it might get noisy!

 

[veinbuster]

I rarely change tuning, but I've been thinking for a while I would set up a couple of guitars for alternate tunings I see frequently. I'll likely do this when I have a bit more free time.
In the meantime, it is a bit of a perverse exercise to try to play something that should be done on a different tuning while using normal tuning.

 

[Mixstar]

Perverse? Maybe. If needs must I say.

Open 'G' tuning takes two, maybe three minutes the first time, try it you may like it

 

[veinbuster]

Perverse? Maybe. If needs must I say.

Open 'G' tuning takes two, maybe three minutes the first time, try it you may like it

I've actually used it before. The first guitar I had had a really crappy fingerboard and frets to I played it slide open G.
Once a got a decent guitar I stopped slide and tuned normal.
Open G would be one of my setups. I've even already decided which guitar to use.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

I never understood open major tunings. Wouldn't it be easier to open tune to a minor chord, and then fret to a major chord? I know you can't do the reverse. Yes, I have Russian blood, so can't imagine always playing in major chords.

Unrelated : is there an open tuning for the Hendrix chord?

 

[Rachmaninoff]

I don't use alternate tunings because I'm too lazy...

 

[Mixstar]

is there an open tuning for the Hendrix chord?

Now there's a thought . . .

 

[HarrySound]

Standard E
Eb
Drop D
Drop B
Open G
Open C
Drop C#

I use these tunings all the time.
I almost exclusively use open C for acoustics
https://soundcloud.com/songsfromsolitude/atoms

 

[tabl10s]

For years I've screamed at sheet music and teachers on the tube when I've wanted to learn a song and found it was in open 'G', drop 'D' or some other exotica. Generally I've managed to find a way round it either by myself or with internet rummaging. I've always had one thing in the back of my mind, somebody told me years ago that Tony Iommi used to change his tuning to suit Ozzies lack of vocal range. I've never had much sympathy for vocalists so I always thought alternate tuning was an unnecessary evil and that vocalists need to sort themselves out and not expect everyone else to bend. How wrong I was - now I get it!

This might seem a bit stupid but three days ago I managed to get my Tremonti successfully tuned to open 'G' for the first time. I've tried it in the past and never really got there for one reason or another. All of a sudden the tunes I thought I knew in standard tuning that were originally alternately tuned come to life in open 'G', they actually sound right and I'm playing slide like a pro!! Unfortunately I've got to re-learn a few tunes but at least they will sound right!

Wanders off to look at 7 stringers, not quite GAS yet . . .

I thought I taught myself DADGAD, but it was actually EBEABE which is the same thing, just higher

 

[Mixstar]

My old steel slide is hard work for me due to my injured pinky so I got me a brand new tapered Eric Sardinas preachin' pipe: