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Post subject: Open G tuning, anyone use it exclusively?
Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 10:03 am
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Since there are people on here with a lifetime of experience I wanted to ask this question here.

So this whole open G is a new concept I'm just reading about. I got on the subject while reading something about the Stones.

So I can understand how this works for the Stones, they wrote the tunes so they can play them any way they want. But what if you're in a cover band, is this tuning something that would work for playing any song. I mean if you're playing in a 2-guitar lineup and one is standard and one in Open G, wouldn't it sound more full.

I can always propose this at our next practice or something, but for anyone that has used this tuning, is it feasible to play that way all the time for "regular" playing, or is it only helpful when covering the Stones or playing slide.


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Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 10:20 am
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I have one of my Strats tuned in open D almost all the time

DADf#AD-From the lowest to higest strings works for me but i dont play cover songs on it just my own slide tunes....

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Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 10:23 am
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bluestube wrote:
I have one of my Strats tuned in open D almost all the time

DADf#AD-From the lowest to higest strings works for me but i dont play cover songs on it just my own slide tunes....


That makes sense, but I'm playing rythm in local group and was intrigued enough by this idea to ask.

Thanx


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Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 10:35 am
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bluestube wrote:
I have one of my Strats tuned in open D almost all the time

DADf#AD-From the lowest to higest strings works for me but i dont play cover songs on it just my own slide tunes....


That makes sense, but I'm playing rythm in local group and was intrigued enough by this idea to ask.

Thanx


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Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 10:55 am
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Since you're playing covers and such, I wouldn't recommend it unless all of the rhythms are structured like bar chords or power chords. If there are more intricate passages and/or harmonies with the other guitar, then I'd have to say definetly not. Doing so completely messes up every chord, scale, arpeggio, mode, ect. The only benefit to tuning that way that I can see is for playing slide, but even when I play slide, I still stay in standard tuning. If you want to see something really wierd, then check out some of the tunings some of the newer metal bands are using, but in that instance it's just because they're lazy and don't know how to play in the first place :shock: .

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Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 11:33 am
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Shreddin wrote:
Since you're playing covers and such, I wouldn't recommend it unless all of the rhythms are structured like bar chords or power chords. If there are more intricate passages and/or harmonies with the other guitar, then I'd have to say definetly not. Doing so completely messes up every chord, scale, arpeggio, mode, ect. The only benefit to tuning that way that I can see is for playing slide, but even when I play slide, I still stay in standard tuning. If you want to see something really wierd, then check out some of the tunings some of the newer metal bands are using, but in that instance it's just because they're lazy and don't know how to play in the first place :shock: .



Interesting, thanx for the feedback. And I'm not into new Metal enough to really have any interest in their tuning.

Typically to achieve a fuller sound the lead player plays lots of barre chords and I play trad chord shapes, just so we aren't identical ya know. And since I played bass for 15+ years I also tend to play more "rythmically."


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Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 1:11 pm
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I use open G exclusively for the slide....I've tried standard tuning, but it never sounds as good. I think Rye Cooder said that it should be illegal to play slide in standard tuning...but whatever works for you. If you are in a cover band and you are doing multiple songs in an open G it does make sense....it is much easier to just bar a fret...but taking a lead can be somewhat restrictive at times in open tunings.


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Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 1:18 pm
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aidanshah wrote:
I use open G exclusively for the slide....I've tried standard tuning, but it never sounds as good. I think Rye Cooder said that it should be illegal to play slide in standard tuning...but whatever works for you. If you are in a cover band and you are doing multiple songs in an open G it does make sense....it is much easier to just bar a fret...but taking a lead can be somewhat restrictive at times in open tunings.


I'm not a lead or slide player, just rythm, and I was approaching this from a "make our sound better/fuller" angle. Like we do in our church group where one guitar capos just give them a "different" sound.


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Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 1:41 pm
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My dad uses open G tuning for his banjo...otherwise, I can' say I know much about it. :?


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Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 1:58 pm
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WI KISSfan wrote:
aidanshah wrote:
I use open G exclusively for the slide....I've tried standard tuning, but it never sounds as good. I think Rye Cooder said that it should be illegal to play slide in standard tuning...but whatever works for you. If you are in a cover band and you are doing multiple songs in an open G it does make sense....it is much easier to just bar a fret...but taking a lead can be somewhat restrictive at times in open tunings.


I'm not a lead or slide player, just rythm, and I was approaching this from a "make our sound better/fuller" angle. Like we do in our church group where one guitar capos just give them a "different" sound.


If you are playing from a rhythym point of view I would say that you should totally go for it. Same with using a capo...you can really make it a fuller sound. Give it a shot..best of luck.


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Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 2:13 pm
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aidanshah wrote:
WI KISSfan wrote:
aidanshah wrote:
I use open G exclusively for the slide....I've tried standard tuning, but it never sounds as good. I think Rye Cooder said that it should be illegal to play slide in standard tuning...but whatever works for you. If you are in a cover band and you are doing multiple songs in an open G it does make sense....it is much easier to just bar a fret...but taking a lead can be somewhat restrictive at times in open tunings.


I'm not a lead or slide player, just rythm, and I was approaching this from a "make our sound better/fuller" angle. Like we do in our church group where one guitar capos just give them a "different" sound.


If you are playing from a rhythym point of view I would say that you should totally go for it. Same with using a capo...you can really make it a fuller sound. Give it a shot..best of luck.


That's what I was thinking, just wondering if it made sense to anyone else.

And sorry if I didn't word the original question correctly either.


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Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 3:35 pm
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I don't use any tuning exclusively. I use Open G, DADGAD and standard tunings often.

While Open G is usually considered to be a blues tuning or slide tuning, I use it a lot acoustically. There's an awful lot of beautiful open chords to be used in finger picking.

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