I threw my Stratocaster in Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb tuning to play some of SRV's stuff, and I'm wondering if anyone knows any other songs in this tuning? Any suggestions would be great.
Thanks
8)
-Alex
That's basically 'standard' tuning except a half step down. You can play just about anything written for standard (EADGBe) with it. Hendrix I think used it so it would match his voice.
The notes are different but the relation between them is the same as in Standard, so it should be easy to find stuff to play.
99% of Guns n' Roses songs, Nirvana too - just off the top of my head.
I tune all my guitars like that, but I learn as if it's standard tuning and just think 'this is half step down', 'that's half step up' etc. Basically if all the intervals are the same it's safe enough to just deal with it all as offsets. Pacemaker for winamp and/or the amazing slow-downer are invaluable for playing along with recordings, though :)
Same way I regard Open D and Open E as the same. Or Open G and Open A.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
Nearly all dashboard confessional songs are in Eb tuning if you like that kinda stuff. They're my favorite band so, my guitar is always in Eb tuning. They do change things a bit slightly, like Eb tuning with drop Db (on either the low E string, or G string). They also throw in some DADDDD songs if you wanna get familiar with an unfamiliar tuning.
Eb is great if you have a lower voice, want to go to thicker strings, or want to play in B. Just play in C.
"Lonesome Town" by Ricky Nelson is a great song that doesn't seem to be overplayed.
John A.
They say only a pawnshop guitar can play the blues. An eBay one does it better. A guitar's bound to feel unloved if her owner plasters pictures of her over the internet for all to see and then sells her off to the highest anonymous bidder.
Hendrix also wrote many songs in the tuning. Specifically, the same ones that SRV covered in Eb, namely Voodoo Chile and Little Wing. Of course there are others, but I can't name definites off the top of my head.
The Barenaked Ladies have one song, Take It Outside, which is played a flat below standard open tuning. I know it isn't blues like some of the prior examples, but I've always liked them, they have some good musicians. Just my two cents.
The Smashing Pumpkins have a lot of songs tuned in Eb. Especially songs from Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness.
I know Metallica have alot of songs they play in Eb.
I tune down to Eb all the time now as it is easier for our singer to hit the higher notes as he has a deep voice and I think it sounds cool.
But what most people dont know that half the bands you see live which record there songs in E will actually play live in Eb so they dont have to strain their voice and neally all pub bands too (us one of them).
A lot of what you hear isn't in exactly the same key it was recorded in, either.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
