Alternate to Standard Tuning

BigLicks67

Anyone play songs that were written/record with alternate tunings, but you transcribed to play in standard tuning?

I do this because a lot of the time I can't be bothered tuning and retuning my guitar.

I've been playing Led Zep's The Rain Song for years in standard tuning and the same with Dylan's Buckets Of Rain (in the key of E instead of D).

axisus

I wouldn't go there personally. The appeal of a lot of non standard tunings is that you can get interesting drones and sounds that you won't capture in standard. When I played acoustic guitar a lot, I used to use 3 other tunings, and through familiarity I could tune to them quickly just by twisting the machinehead and listening to the note without a comparison note on another string, so it was no bother.

Gagaryn

I did the same thing with a couple of slide riffs a while back but tried to play You Got To Move last night and realised I've forgotten them all!

SRich

axisus said:

I wouldn't go there personally. The appeal of a lot of non standard tunings is that you can get interesting drones and sounds that you won't capture in standard. When I played acoustic guitar a lot, I used to use 3 other tunings, and through familiarity I could tune to them quickly just by twisting the machinehead and listening to the note without a comparison note on another string, so it was no bother.

Go see Martin Simpson play.............when he tunes to whichever esoteric tuning he's using next, it sounds absolutely entertaining and infinitely more musical than me trying to play something. And then he starts the song and blows you away again...repeat till you resolve to go and throw your acoustic away!

Absolute class!

matdotcodot

SRich said:

axisus said:

I wouldn't go there personally. The appeal of a lot of non standard tunings is that you can get interesting drones and sounds that you won't capture in standard. When I played acoustic guitar a lot, I used to use 3 other tunings, and through familiarity I could tune to them quickly just by twisting the machinehead and listening to the note without a comparison note on another string, so it was no bother.

Go see Martin Simpson play.............when he tunes to whichever esoteric tuning he's using next, it sounds absolutely entertaining and infinitely more musical than me trying to play something. And then he starts the song and blows you away again...repeat till you resolve to go and throw your acoustic away!

Absolute class!

+1 ,Lovely tab to buy on Martin Simpsons website as well, I eased myself into it with some drop D pieces before getting into the gorgeous low C type tunings he is fond of. Absolute genius player, and refreshingly humble.

http://www.martinsimpson.com/shop/tab/

xmrchi

Have a listen to my raw solo of the month for August it's done in dadgdd,

It's. My favourite acoustic tuning, dark and atmospheric... Love it

BigLicks67

Listen I love alternate tunings as much as the next man, but the thread is about going from alternate to standard ; >

Much as I love waxing lyrical about the wonders of Bensusan and DADGAD, I just wondered whether anyone transcribed back into standard.

stimpsonslostson

I play a lot of Black Crowes in standard. It's "supposed" to be done in open D, but I learned it by ear.

AuldReekie

BigLicks67 said:

Listen I love alternate tunings as much as the next man, but the thread is about going from alternate to standard ; >

Much as I love waxing lyrical about the wonders of Bensusan and DADGAD, I just wondered whether anyone transcribed back into standard.

I doubt if The majority of Bensusans material could be played in standard tuning as DADGAD is only tuning he uses. The only piece of his that I play is "The Last Pint" and it cannot be played in ordinary tuning. DADGAD allows a drone that ordinary tuning doesn't.

BigLicks67

AuldReekie said:

I doubt if The majority of Bensusans material could be played in standard tuning as DADGAD is only tuning he uses. The only piece of his that I play is "The Last Pint" and it cannot be played in ordinary tuning. DADGAD allows a drone that ordinary tuning doesn't.

The Last Pint - I love that one. I'm sure there's one or two that could be done in standard and he does use standard from time to time - The Day after the Feast, The Voyage to Ireland & Altiplanos spring to mind :

.

AuldReekie

BigLicks67 said:

AuldReekie said:

I doubt if The majority of Bensusans material could be played in standard tuning as DADGAD is only tuning he uses. The only piece of his that I play is "The Last Pint" and it cannot be played in ordinary tuning. DADGAD allows a drone that ordinary tuning doesn't.

The Last Pint - I love that one. I'm sure there's one or two that could be done in standard and he does use standard from time to time - The Day after the Feast, The Voyage to Ireland & Altiplanos spring to mind :

.

BigLicks67 said:

AuldReekie said:

I doubt if The majority of Bensusans material could be played in standard tuning as DADGAD is only tuning he uses. The only piece of his that I play is "The Last Pint" and it cannot be played in ordinary tuning. DADGAD allows a drone that ordinary tuning doesn't.

The Last Pint - I love that one. I'm sure there's one or two that could be done in standard and he does use standard from time to time - The Day after the Feast, The Voyage to Ireland & Altiplanos spring to mind :

.

I honestly thought he only played in DADGAD, I was either told or read that somewhere. I saw him play at a house concert in Edinburgh last summer, sat a couple of yards from him and he was totally awesome. Refued to play The Last Pint as he explained that it's part of his past. Real gentleman as well

midlifecrisis

John Martyn does a few songs in ECGDAD which is nice.  also the goo goo dolls Iris has a weird tuning all strings tuned to D

richardhomer

midlifecrisis;768071" said:

John Martyn does a few songs in ECGDAD which is nice.  also the goo goo dolls Iris has a weird tuning all strings tuned to D

I haven't come across the John Martyn tuning you mention (though he used lots - so it's entirely possible he used it at times).

The one he used the most was CFCCGD (the two middle strings are in unison).

Small Hours, One World, Couldn't Love You More, Sweet Little Mystery - and indeed most of his electric work - was in this tuning.

He was kind enough to hand write it on the CD booklet of Philentropy for me after a gig at the Manchester International club somewhere around 1987. A treasured possession....

Nitefly

I worked out an arrangement of Suite: Judy Blue Eyes in standard tuning, just using normal chords for the most part.  

I didn't find out until years later that it was written in some weird D-based tuning.