Stevie Ray Vaughn question

[Lewguitar]

When Stevie sat in with other players did he retune to E and not play with his guitar detuned to E flat?

My buddy AJ tunes to E flat but will not retune when we play together or when he sits in with a band that is tuned normally.

I think that's just crazy!

If I'm doing a tune in E he has to play it as if it was in F.

But when he's doing a tune with E fingering he's actually playing in E flat and I have to play everything in E flat with no open notes.

What a drag! :banghead:

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Stevie Ray Vaughn question

I tink Stevie stayed in E flat...just played in different keys...if you played in A he's play in B Flat...

Thats what I do if I only have an E flat guitar with me but I try to take whatever guitar I need for whatever setting I am playing in...

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Stevie Ray Vaughn question

Man - that would be impossible for me. My style relies on open strings so much that I'd have to use a capo or retune.

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: Stevie Ray Vaughn question

Seems like a capo would be the way to go, but then your fretboard dots are gonna lie.

I bet Stevie had enough guitars to keep at least one in standard, though.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Stevie Ray Vaughn question

No capo's for me!

I just try to be able to transpose some songs...with in reason of course!

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Stevie Ray Vaughn question

Seems like a capo would be the way to go, but then your fretboard dots are gonna lie.

I bet Stevie had enough guitars to keep at least one in standard, though.

I don't need no stinkin' dots. (well, sometimes I do! ) But I do need some open strings!

How you gonna play a tune like Jeff's Boogie without open strings?

 

[blueman335]

Re: Stevie Ray Vaughn question

That's why I try to do things without open strings. You get locked into certain keys & struggle when someone changes them on you. You can get some surprises jamming on stage.

If you're playing with people who use standard tuning, I think it's inconsiderate to downtune, as it creates communication problems and inhibits spontineity. Hard to follow what everyone's doing, and shouting out the chord changes gets old.

I don't know, but to me it seems that if you have to downtune to play, something isn't right with the way you have your guitar.

 

[firebirdV]

Re: Stevie Ray Vaughn question

No way, down tuning is common, especially in blues. Plus, you simply can't play some things without open strings.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Stevie Ray Vaughn question

That's why I try to do things without open strings. You get locked into certain keys & struggle when someone changes them on you. You can get some surprises jamming on stage.

If you're playing with people who use standard tuning, I think it's inconsiderate to downtune, as it creates communication problems and inhibits spontineity. Hard to follow what everyone's doing, and shouting out the chord changes gets old.

I don't know, but to me it seems that if you have to downtune to play, something isn't right with the way you have your guitar.

Some guys just like the deeper tone of tuning everything down a half step or more. I think EVH used to down tune and it sure worked for SRV, but Tommy Shannon the bassplayer detuned as well. Don'tknow what Reese did - play everything in "E" in E flat I guess. Ugh!

I'm a real big fan of using open strings and my acoustic guitars are all in open tunings. All the country blues greats, like Robert Johnon, utilized open strings and Robert played a lot in open G. Come On In My Kitchen, etc.

I dunno - I just like the sound of open strings - so does Keith Richards.

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: Stevie Ray Vaughn question

Most of the benifit of down tuning is for the singing anyway. The tone changes a bit...and I like it better...but the vocals are easier a half step down. Plus, you play in the normal spots, but get keys that aren't normally heard as much.

Modern keyboards would transpose in a flash so the player can go to the normal positions, and be in tune with the band. Not much trouble for them.

 

[El CHupacabra]

Re: Stevie Ray Vaughn question

YOu think that's bad? When I do slide, which relies on open tunings, I gotta be readjusting the tuning so many times with my blues group. I'm working on playing in different keys while in one tuning, but it's tricky sometimes. At least chords for a blues song are easy .

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: Stevie Ray Vaughn question

YOu think that's bad? When I do slide, which relies on open tunings, I gotta be readjusting the tuning so many times with my blues group. I'm working on playing in different keys while in one tuning, but it's tricky sometimes. At least chords for a blues song are easy .

Maybe listen to some more Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks...they do all their slide work in standard.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Stevie Ray Vaughn question

Maybe listen to some more Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks...they do all their slide work in standard.

Well, at least you know where all the notes are that way.

When I play acoustic gigs I play mostly in open D tuning and open G tuning and I am not afraid to use a capo. I know where all the sounds I want are - but I often don't know what note that sound I'm playing is.

Doesn't matter really...as long as it sounds good.

 

[El CHupacabra]

Re: Stevie Ray Vaughn question

My slide stylings are more Sonny Landreth than Derek Trucks. He's great an everything, but the things that Sonny Landreth does with his guitar are to me more impressive and appealing.

 

[Bludave]

Re: Stevie Ray Vaughn question

When Stevie sat in with other players did he retune to E and not play with his guitar detuned to E flat?

My buddy AJ tunes to E flat but will not retune when we play together or when he sits in with a band that is tuned normally.

I think that's just crazy!

If I'm doing a tune in E he has to play it as if it was in F.

But when he's doing a tune with E fingering he's actually playing in E flat and I have to play everything in E flat with no open notes.

What a drag! :banghead:

Why not just tune your guitar to E flat?

I think SRV could play in any key at any time so I don't think it would matter to him. But I do understand how the "closed" keys can be more difficult to play in, especially when using the open strings

 

[rivera213]

Re: Stevie Ray Vaughn question

What if you both tune to E 1/4 down to compromise?

I think if your friend doesn't utilize open strings then it is definitely crazy him not budging since it hinders your playing.

You could always tune his guitar up to standard when he pops to the toilet...

 

[Andrew Lamprecht]

Re: Stevie Ray Vaughn question

I like open tunings on my acoustic, adds presence. I rarely change out of standard for electrics. I think it's just because I am more used to it. I occasionally do do open tunings if I'm messing with the slide or sometimes I tune to C# standard if I am doing a bad impression of Iommi.

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Stevie Ray Vaughn question

There's been a few times were I have been asked to play and it was instantly obvious that the band played down a 1/2 step. I play standard tuning usually, and I usually play strats with floating trems. Your not going to retune a floating trem strat on the fly. It's usually not a problem for me to transpose the key though.

I recall sitting in with a band once and everybody was in standard tuning...except the bass player. He had borrowed a bass right before that was tuned down and he wasn't up to transposing the key. The first set was a mess. If you tryed to get with the bass player then the other players didn't follow as well. I kept trying to signal him to just move everything up a fret, but ....


I quietly retuned the bass myself between sets.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Stevie Ray Vaughn question

AJ would be playing all of my tunes, and I would play none of his. I have guitars tuned to both, and could be flexible about this. But if the Eb stick is stuck up his but, then he can sit and spin.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Stevie Ray Vaughn question

I recall sitting in with a band once and everybody was in standard tuning...except the bass player. He had borrowed a bass right before that was tuned down and he wasn't up to transposing the key. The first set was a mess. If you tryed to get with the bass player then the other players didn't follow as well. I kept trying to signal him to just move everything up a fret, but ....I quietly retuned the bass myself between sets.

That's how I picture it...chaos, unless the players are really good. You spend too much time focusing on transposing, instead of what you should be concentrating on.