ShortScale.org

So I am screwed for a while.



Figure I can at least mess around with a slide. Any tunings better than others for slide guitar?

Go with any open tuning, like G or D, or maybe C. Basically, it's easier to do with an open tuning. You might even come up with your own.

DADGAd is always good to mess around with. standard tunings good for me because i don't have to translate any chords or scales.

Too much finger banging will do that.

It was a real shocker when it happened.

DGDGBD is my favourite.

cur wrote:It was a real shocker when it happened.

LeL

It turns out Aenstandard (DADAAE) comes courtesy of a Keith Richards slide tuning. But I think Aenstandard sounds better.

My standard slide tuning is DAFFAD. It's really nice for some cool droney bits and does a faux 12 string with the Fs in the middle. Good for blues and really pretty all round.


John Butler uses some crazy tunings, might want to check his flow man.

That sucks, dude.

I normally have one guitar in DGDGBD, which slide or no slide, is a nice tuning.

Keith Richards used "open G"(DGDGBD) for songs like "Honky Tonk Woman", "Brown Sugar", and many more. He learned it from Ry Cooder. Bonnie Raitt uses the same tuning up a whole step to make "open A"(EAEAC#E) Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson also used this tuning as well as others.

"Open D"(DADF#AD) or "Open E"(EBEG#BE) is the Elmore James "Dust My Broom" tuning. Also used by Muddy, R. Johnson, and Hound Dog Taylor.

DADFAD pronounced Dad-Fad is used by a lot of songwriters without a slide and can give a droning celtic vibe.

I had the same problem once and bought an old lap steel and metal bar. It was easier than trying to play slide. If you get a really heavy bar you want have to push down with a lot of pressure which helps too.

Good Luck!

I believe Keith actually uses 5 strings, no bottom E; hence his methodology, "five strings, three notes, two fingers and one arsehole to play it". I've certainly never heard the bottom D on Stones records but I may just not be that well trained. Having tried it myself the low D muddies his riffs up and makes the lowest note a 5th which isn't too helpful.

Personally, I like open G but leaving the bottom E as E (EGDGBD). As it's the relative minor you can get some nice voicings come out with it (but don't use the string all the time!)

Also look at this...

DGCGBD - it's open G with a dropped D string to C, very nice and spatial. It's actually banjo open C tuning but on a guitar.

You are right Keith takes the 6th string or bottom D off of the normal DGDGBD tuning that the blues player used.

Also, I forgot! Dobro "G" tuning that the bluegrass dobro players use is "GBDGBD".

twangster wrote:Also, I forgot! Dobro "G" tuning that the bluegrass dobro players use is "GBDGBD".

Nice! I'll have to try that one!

Hahaha sorry cur but I've just realised how fucked off you're gonna be switching between all these tunings without your left hand.

Hope there's enough guitars to go round sir.

DADF#AD is my fav


wrote this song using it:

http://store.copsemusic.com/track/intervention