Little Martha was recorded in Open E tuning (and according to the issue of Guitar World Acoustic I'm looking at was recorded in the studio almost a half -step above that...I don't have a recording of the tune but certainly have heard it off and on over the years.....be careful if you're trying to tune up to the recording.....that would be too much tension on the neck I think...you're probably better off to think tune down more towards open D tuning (that's an equivalent tuning), use a capo somewhere and slightly retune to bring yourself to the correct pitch...
Standard tuning is E A D G B E (we always start with the low string when we list off a tuning...make SURE you remember that!
Open E tuning is E B E G# B E...do you see how we got there? You raise the 5th string by a whole step, A to B (2 fret's worth), you raise the 4th string by a whole step, D to E (again, 2 fret's worth), and you raise the 3rd string by a half step, G to G# (that's just one fret's worth)...
the advantage is that now the open strings of your guitar form an E chord (an E major chord is made up of the first, third, and 5th notes of the E major scale...that's E, G#, and B)...we like chords with no fretting fingers necessary
the only problem is that all that tuning up is not so great for your guitar...especially if the studio recording is made even higher than that and you're trying to tune up and match the recording...
Note that we could equivalently get to this open E tuning the following way...by using open D tuning with a capo....
OPEN D Tuninig...
Instead of tuning the 5th, 4th, and 3rd strings up...we'll tune down and then use a capo...
Take your standard tuned guitar which is
E A D G B E and
tune 6th(the low string) from E down to D
tune 3rd ffrom G down to F#
tune 2nd from B down to A
tune 1st from E down to D..
that gives us from low to high
D A D F# A D and since the notes D, F#, and A grouped together form a D chord we call this open D tuning...you get a D chord by just strumming the open strings...
It's important to note that Open D and Open E tuning are 'equivalent'....all of the open strings in open E tuning are exactly one whole step higher than the open strintgs in open D tuning...you could say that open D tuning is just a lower version of open E tuning.... therefore if you tune to open D and plop a capo at the second fret...it's essentially now open E tuning....different feeling of course because you're up two additional frets..you may or may not prefer that...but better for the neck, top, and bridge of your guitar probably......
Anyways...this tune gives you the perfect chance to see how the 'shape' or 'layout' of intervals can change when you move to an alternate tuning....some interval shapes might stay the same, some might switch...it all depends on how the relationship between the strings was changed when you went to the alternate tuning...
we'll get to it...
that National Guitar Workshop Beginning Fingerstyle book shows you some good examples of intervals within open G tuning....for example 10ths played on the 5th and 2nd strings need to be rethought out as compared to standard tuning since open G tuning involves dropping your 5th string a whole step from A to G while leaving the 2nd string as the same old B...the relationhsip between the strings is changed, so your interval and chord shapes must change accordingly...it's not difficult...figuring out your spouse is more difficult...
Hey.....If aliens hopped out from behind the bushes and demanded that you immediately demonstrate the use of intervals in open G tuning (in a cool way) or face the prospect of vaporization.........your fate?
Get the fingerpicking books I've suggested....
Good bang for the buck....nobody likes to get vaporized.....
[ 04-18-2001: Message edited by: mapletrees ]
[ 04-18-2001: Message edited by: mapletrees ]
[ 04-18-2001: Message edited by: mapletrees ]