The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > PLAY and Write

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 05-12-2021, 10:19 AM
Cecil6243 Cecil6243 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Northeastern Indiana
Posts: 962
Default Summer of 69 tuned a half step down?

Anybody play and sing any Bryan Adams songs a half step down? I decided to learn Summer of 69, and will put it together this evening, but would prefer to sing it a half step lower. Anybody here do that?

Wondering if the guitar will still sound good?

Sadly 30 years ago I wouldn't have any issues singing in Bryan Adam's range.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 05-12-2021, 02:05 PM
Dru Edwards Dru Edwards is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 43,428
Default

Reckless was a great album. I remember learning that song back in the late 80s, a couple of years after the song was a hit. No way I could sing that song though.

I think you need to try it and determine how it sounds. Are you playing it on electric or an acoustic version?
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 05-12-2021, 07:50 PM
LindaW LindaW is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Mid-Atlantic Region
Posts: 5,241
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cecil6243 View Post
Anybody play and sing any Bryan Adams songs a half step down? I decided to learn Summer of 69, and will put it together this evening, but would prefer to sing it a half step lower. Anybody here do that?

Wondering if the guitar will still sound good?

Sadly 30 years ago I wouldn't have any issues singing in Bryan Adam's range.
I tune a 1/2 step down for almost EVERYHING, mainly because when I'm playing in the key of D, it's easier to sing.
__________________
Many Taylors, a coupla Martins, a Takamine, with a Gretsch 'Way Out West' thrown into the mix.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 05-12-2021, 08:53 PM
Cecil6243 Cecil6243 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Northeastern Indiana
Posts: 962
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dru Edwards View Post
Reckless was a great album. I remember learning that song back in the late 80s, a couple of years after the song was a hit. No way I could sing that song though.

I think you need to try it and determine how it sounds. Are you playing it on electric or an acoustic version?
Right now I have only an acoustic but hope get an electric soon.

Yes will try and see how it sounds a half a step down. Didn't get a chance to mess with it today.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 05-13-2021, 04:11 AM
JonPR JonPR is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 6,450
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cecil6243 View Post
Anybody play and sing any Bryan Adams songs a half step down? I decided to learn Summer of 69, and will put it together this evening, but would prefer to sing it a half step lower. Anybody here do that?

Wondering if the guitar will still sound good?
I assume you mean tuning down a half-step, but why wouldn't it? Only you can say, by trying it and finding out.

Tuning a half-step down shouldn't sound bad, and many people actually like the sound of a guitar a half-step down - although you'd soon get used to it and find it just sounds "normal" after a while. (IOW the attraction of the sound is in contrast with the EADGBE you're familiar with. The more the sound of EADGBE fades in your memory, the more "normal" the downtuning will sound.)

The only issue would be if you already use ultra light gauge strings, so the reduction in tension might make them harder to play in tune. Still, a half-step shouldn't make that much difference. (The reduction in tension will also mean the neck straightens just a little, which - again - ought not to matter unless your action is already extremely low.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cecil6243 View Post
Sadly 30 years ago I wouldn't have any issues singing in Bryan Adam's range.
Well, I couldn't sing them in anywhere near his key anyway, so I would always be transposing the chords.

I would never tune down a half-step for any song that was too high for me, because a half-step wouldn't make enough difference. I'd much rather transpose to another key.

The exception would be if the guitar needed to be in an unusual tuning to get the full effect of the original guitar part. If a slight detuning would help me sing it (up to a whole step), then I would do it. Otherwise I'd simply accept that I couldn't do the song at all - or that if I wanted to sing it I'd have to accept a completely different guitar sound (different shapes, different tuning).
__________________
"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." - Leonard Cohen.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 05-13-2021, 05:29 AM
egordon99 egordon99 is offline
Moderator
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Philadelphia area
Posts: 1,998
Default

An alternative would be to capo the first fret and transpose the chords to the key of C. That would get it in the same key (Db) as if you tuned down a half-step and played the original D chords.
__________________
Martin:1956 00-18, 1992 D-16H, 2013 HD-28, 2017 CEO-7, 2020 000-28 Modern Deluxe
Santa Cruz OM/PW, Larrivee OM-03R, Taylor GS-Mini Mahogany, Taylor 356CE, Fender American Professional Stratocaster, MIM Telecaster, Gibson Les Paul Studio, Epiphone ES-339 Pro
YouTube Channel | Listen to my stuff on Spotify/Apple Music
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 05-13-2021, 05:31 AM
egordon99 egordon99 is offline
Moderator
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Philadelphia area
Posts: 1,998
Default

Another alternative is to capo fairly high up and play the original chords and then sing down an octave. That might end up in a better range for your voice.
__________________
Martin:1956 00-18, 1992 D-16H, 2013 HD-28, 2017 CEO-7, 2020 000-28 Modern Deluxe
Santa Cruz OM/PW, Larrivee OM-03R, Taylor GS-Mini Mahogany, Taylor 356CE, Fender American Professional Stratocaster, MIM Telecaster, Gibson Les Paul Studio, Epiphone ES-339 Pro
YouTube Channel | Listen to my stuff on Spotify/Apple Music
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 05-14-2021, 07:35 AM
Cecil6243 Cecil6243 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Northeastern Indiana
Posts: 962
Default

Thanks for all the ideas and feedback.Really appreciated.

As far as changing keys sometimes you can't get the same sound out of completely different chords hence the tuning down.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 05-14-2021, 12:58 PM
mr. beaumont mr. beaumont is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 10,188
Default

Assuming you'll be playing some of the signature licks of this tune (like the keyboard Dsus2-D-Dsus4 thing after the chorus, it's a much better idea to tune down rather than to capo to change keys on this song.

My guess is nobody will know except you.
__________________
Jeff Matz, Jazz Guitar:

http://www.youtube.com/user/jeffreymatz
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 05-14-2021, 01:25 PM
egordon99 egordon99 is offline
Moderator
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Philadelphia area
Posts: 1,998
Cool

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cecil6243 View Post
Thanks for all the ideas and feedback.Really appreciated.

As far as changing keys sometimes you can't get the same sound out of completely different chords hence the tuning down.
Exactly! Sometimes you will end up discovering new/different (and perhaps better!) sounds when you change the chord shapes used.

It's a great way to give cover songs your own "spin".
__________________
Martin:1956 00-18, 1992 D-16H, 2013 HD-28, 2017 CEO-7, 2020 000-28 Modern Deluxe
Santa Cruz OM/PW, Larrivee OM-03R, Taylor GS-Mini Mahogany, Taylor 356CE, Fender American Professional Stratocaster, MIM Telecaster, Gibson Les Paul Studio, Epiphone ES-339 Pro
YouTube Channel | Listen to my stuff on Spotify/Apple Music
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 05-15-2021, 12:51 PM
JonPR JonPR is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 6,450
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cecil6243 View Post
Thanks for all the ideas and feedback.Really appreciated.

As far as changing keys sometimes you can't get the same sound out of completely different chords hence the tuning down.
True, but that's not the case with this song. There are not special guitar figures where open strings are crucial.

I just tried playing along with it myself, and I found myself choosing 5th position and playing A and E shape chords (for the D and A)! Not consciously, but perhaps because it seemed a more intuitive way of getting that muted power chord sound in the beginning.

That means that if I found the key too high (and I do), I could easily just take those shapes down the fretboard. (I wasn't using a capo on 5, but I could.)

I.e., that comes back to what I said about transposing the shapes. I know I can play a D chord as an A shape on 5th fret (with or without a capo), so I know that if it turns out too high in that key I have 5 frets room to take it down.

If the key had happened to be E, and that low 6th string was a big part of the sound, then (you're right) it might be different. I still resist tuning down, personally. I'd just put up with the different sound of different shapes, and learn to like it!
__________________
"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." - Leonard Cohen.
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > PLAY and Write

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:20 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=