Celtic / Traditional Acoustic Playing

thomasross20

Alternate tunings are the perfect excuse for new guitars.......

ToneControl

thomasross20 said:

@ToneControl I think I'm going to keep the AValon in Orkney tuning for now. But there are 11s on and I'm detuning so I'm worried there's not enough tension!! Might have to put 12s on.... 

I think live I might have 2 acoustics, one for each tuning. 

you can calculate the tensions using this:
http://vinic.free.fr/strings/

you can always take the CGDGCD Orkney tuning up a semitone

TimmyO

Jesus put mediums in there! 

thomasross20

Haha I think that's what I'll end up doing

earwighoney

thomasross20 said:

So I spent all night trying to play a Stephen Wake tune in Orkney tuning (CGDGCD). 

I swore, being a scalic electric guitarist, that I'd never do alternate tunings... But here I am. Sounds amazing but want to learn more. Immediately notice strings are flappy. But what do guitarists do who alternate between tunings at gigs.... choose optimum string sets (e.g. thicker selected strings) for multiple guitars tuned differently or just have the one and cope with the tension changes? 

All my favourite guitarists use a lot of different open tunings and generally play with one main acoustic guitar (might have others but that'd be a 12 string) and change tunings by tuning up/down as they go through their set list.  I'd do the same when I'd play live as well. 

Then there are guitarists who play a 12 string and change a lot of open tunings, be prepared to wait when they play live! 

thomasross20

Man, I'd never get a 12-string just doe to the hassle!!

I'll be honest, some open tunings can really get a bit samey after a while. But it's fun and I don't plan to focus 100% on any one tuning. I'm also singing to bring together a whole musical package (now that I'm not in a band, I want to do an interesting acoustic act). So I'm going to focus on maybe 3-4 tunes in other tunings for variety. I don't want to just learn those and be done with it, though... seems a waste. I'd want to really get used to one tuning and understand where the chords are etc - right now I feel like I'm just parroting (learning notes of songs in one key without understanding what's going on) but I don't think I'd go to the extremes of learning the modes in another tuning...!

thomasross20

Man, acoustic is just SO much more satisfying than electric when not in a band. It's a more complete thing. 
My electrics/amp/FX haven't been touched for ages!!

GTC

Back in the day I used to use a lot of open tunings - but, since returning to playing a couple of years ago, I stick mainly with standard tuning, having discovered how flexible it is (with the occasional dropped D and/or G) - and, very rarely, DADGAD.

I've never tried them but have noticed partial capos advertised which allow a DADGAD tuning a full tone higher by capoing (is that a word?) the 3rd, 4th and 5th strings at the second fret and leaving the other strings open  - just like playing a guitar tuned to DADGAD with an ordinary capo on the 2nd fret, but without moving from standard tuning.

A nice book I came across is "Irish Music for Guitar" - (John Loesberg). It includes 27 arrangements in ordinary notation and tab - with an accompanying CD. Most are in standard tuning although a few use dropped-D and one uses the 3rd string down to F#. The arrangements are intermediate standard generally and I've found they give a good platform for further elaboration and development.

It can found on Amazon at £10.95

earwighoney

thomasross20 said:

Man, I'd never get a 12-string just doe to the hassle!!

I'll be honest, some open tunings can really get a bit samey after a while. But it's fun and I don't plan to focus 100% on any one tuning. I'm also singing to bring together a whole musical package (now that I'm not in a band, I want to do an interesting acoustic act). So I'm going to focus on maybe 3-4 tunes in other tunings for variety. I don't want to just learn those and be done with it, though... seems a waste. I'd want to really get used to one tuning and understand where the chords are etc - right now I feel like I'm just parroting (learning notes of songs in one key without understanding what's going on) but I don't think I'd go to the extremes of learning the modes in another tuning...!

Ah, a fingerpicked 12 string in a multitude of different open tunings is a very difficult beast to play but really rewarding.  A 12 string is a lot of hassle for tuning, but so are a lot of things in the guitar world like a Floyd Rose!  

It depends on how you use the open tuning. I'm in agreement it's good to focus on one or two open tunings.  IMO, I find it good to focus on a few modal tunings (eg DADGAD, CGCGCD) and changing a string by a semi tone or two for their major/minor variants.

As for learning modes, I've found certain modes work better in certain tunings and so on. 

ToneControl

GTC said:

I've never tried them but have noticed partial capos advertised which allow a DADGAD tuning a full tone higher by capoing (is that a word?) the 3rd, 4th and 5th strings at the second fret and leaving the other strings open  - just like playing a guitar tuned to DADGAD with an ordinary capo on the 2nd fret, but without moving from standard tuning.

I have one, it is very interesting to play with

thomasross20

Hmmm...... THAT is interesting! What do you make of it?

ToneControl

thomasross20 said:

Hmmm...... THAT is interesting! What do you make of it?

I love it, you can play DADGAD and standard style at the same time

thomasross20

So for CGDGCD I'd just need to capo the middle two middle strings at fret 4, tune the low E down one tone, B string up a semitone. Or get some other fandangled capo. 

richardhomer

I use a tuning that’s ‘very’ low (CFCCGD low to high) and find it okay with medium gauge strings. Rather that tune to concert pitch in standard tuning, I tune a tone down and capo at the second fret. That way, I can get away with one guitar. 

ToneControl

thomasross20 said:

So for CGDGCD I'd just need to capo the middle two middle strings at fret 4, tune the low E down one tone, B string up a semitone. Or get some other fandangled capo. 

hard to say if it would be useful. You don't get many of the normal chords possible in DADGAD with the partial capo, if you really want an alternate tuning, you'll need to do it with string gauges

GTC

I guess there's an issue in a partial capoed DADGAD with chord shapes on the uncapoed strings which need to be fretted at the first or second fret.

thomasross20

D'oh - didn't think of that. Guitar dedicated to it easiest at home with strings better suited for slacker tunings.

gazzabluesman

Hi all a nice thread for Celtic music lovers and players.  It’s a genre I am learning and love.  I als recently started playing the tenor banjo a few years back.  I will check out a few new artists mentioned, but if you want one if the best Irish guitarists it has to be John Doyle.  Sings as well, but lots of tunes on his own, or a superb trio of Doyle, McCusker, McGoldrick.  As good as it gets. Then don’t forget the many albums and dvds from the Transatlantic Sessions. Breathtaking stuff.  Enjoy all

gazzabluesman

If you want a great dadgad celtic set of tunes, checkout The Easy Dadgad Celtic Guitar Book by Rob Mackillop.  Great party pieces, always impress at folk nights or open mic nights

ToneControl

gazzabluesman said:

Hi all a nice thread for Celtic music lovers and players.  It’s a genre I am learning and love.  I als recently started playing the tenor banjo a few years back.  I will check out a few new artists mentioned, but if you want one if the best Irish guitarists it has to be John Doyle.  Sings as well, but lots of tunes on his own, or a superb trio of Doyle, McCusker, McGoldrick.  As good as it gets. Then don’t forget the many albums and dvds from the Transatlantic Sessions. Breathtaking stuff.  Enjoy all

I recommend buying a tenor guitar
It sounds a lot sweeter than a banjo!
I got a Blueridge one, which was very good for the money

I recommended to Richard Durrant that he should try a tenor, since he used to play Bach on a tenor banjo on stage, now he has a lovely custom-order tenor guitar