Luka Bloom - Listen to the river. What tuning and chords?

[Alalush]

Hi all,

Might be a long shot but I wonder if anyone knows the chords for this song? Seems to be in an alternative tuning as well...

Link: https://youtu.be/w9y6dWVdBJU?si=dT6fwaYAItT9KQZ_

[JonPR]

I thnk it's actually standard tuning, but it's a 12-string guitar (or there are two guitars!).
I don't have time for all of it now, but it starts with a G and a D/F# (both with the 1st E string open, so technically G6 and Dadd9/F#).

Then E, B/E and A(add9). I think those shapes are:

0-7-6-4-0-0
0-6-4-4-0-0
x-0-7-6-0-0 (most sure of this one, you hear the picking pattern)

Good luck with the rest!

[Alalush]

thanks! hmm yes it sounds like a 12 string indeed!

[three4rd]

Originally Posted by Alalush

Hi all,

Might be a long shot but I wonder if anyone knows the chords for this song? Seems to be in an alternative tuning as well...

Link: https://youtu.be/w9y6dWVdBJU?si=dT6fwaYAItT9KQZ_

How weird that I linked to this, being that I was just listening to this album today and always loved this piece. There's alot going on in this besides the single guitar part. It's in E. Whether or not it's altered tuning is hard to tell. I don't hear anything that clearly indicates it would be. Not that many different chords though: Mostly E, F#m11, C#m7, A (add9) during the vocals. Like most everything produced under the Windham Hill Label, the production and mixing is superb. Interesting backstory to the piece - In March '96 Greenpeace, Ireland undertook its maiden voyage, a celebration of Ireland's great river Shannon. Luka was invited to go along from the mouth to the source as a crew member and on-board-bard. The boat was christened "An Broddan Feasa", meaning the salmon of knowledge, which of course the song is about. The voyage inspired the composition.

[three4rd]

Originally Posted by JonPR

I thnk it's actually standard tuning, but it's a 12-string guitar (or there are two guitars!).
I don't have time for all of it now, but it starts with a G and a D/F# (both with the 1st E string open, so technically G6 and Dadd9/F#).

Then E, B/E and A(add9). I think those shapes are:

0-7-6-4-0-0
0-6-4-4-0-0
x-0-7-6-0-0 (most sure of this one, you hear the picking pattern)

Good luck with the rest!

That last chord - the A(add9) is probably one of my all-time favorites to use. I think you probably nailed it. The rest of the chords are surely similar - making great use of the open E and B strings. I'm sure he also uses F#m11 -
x-4-4-2-0-0 (or could get the thumb on the low F#). I actually never really listened to the song from the standpoint of trying to figure it out - usually play the album around Christmas time along with a bunch of other Windham Hill stuff.

Here's another really good song from Luka: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5pu...jygrbz&index=4