how to play a baritone?

12strings · #1 08-14-2003, 06:49 AM

well, i've completed a baritone guitar, and i've realized i have absolutely no idea how to play it. by this i mean...

1. what type of music to play it with

2. should i do alternating bass line with high solo's?

3. are certain chord voicings going to sound better?

4. is distortion pretty much a must, or can it have a good sound on it's own?

i've played around playing that dave matthews song (i forgot the name, it start with the baritone playing "B,B,B,A___" )

thanks a bunch. it has good playability and a good tone on single notes, sometimes chords get a little bassy.

I may end up selling it if anyone is interested...

thanks.
-andy

brooster · #2 08-14-2003, 09:17 AM

You put a capo on the second fret and play it like a regular guitar!

jyee · #3 08-14-2003, 02:40 PM

i thought baritone guitars were 2 1/2 steps down... wouldnt you need to capo 5 to play like a regular guitar?

brooster · #4 08-14-2003, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jyee
i thought baritone guitars were 2 1/2 steps down... wouldnt you need to capo 5 to play like a regular guitar?

It can vary but here's some info from Goodall's site:

"The Baritone Model has vibrant sound!

Yes, James Goodall makes an incredible sounding baritone! It has such power and clear definition, one almost forgets the pitch is lower after playing or listening awhile. This instrument is especially treasured by guitarists who love to play in drop tuning and slack-key styles.

The Baritone includes a neck which has 14 frets clear to the body and a 28 inch string scale. With regular medium gauge strings they can be tuned one whole step down to D-G-C-F-A-D and drop tuned from there. Add a capo at the 2nd fret and it's a regular guitar. With slightly heavier custom gauge strings it can be pitched as low as say B, etc."

Freeman · #5 08-14-2003, 05:03 PM

Check out Pat Metheny's new cd "One Quiet Night". The entire cd is done on his baritone made by Canadian luthier Linda Manzer.

beach bob · #6 08-15-2003, 01:06 PM

Disclaimer - I've never played a baritone guitar myself, however~

For some ideas on what to play, listen to some Los Lobos, or some Iguanas (if you can find them). I know Jimmie Vaughn used to play one live, back around the days when he toured with his bro (RIP). & there's a band in my area where the guy does surf music on a bari, that is some awesome sound there. Surf, Tex / Mex, or Cojunto music work w/ a bari, find a guy w/ an accordion & pretend you're the secret love child of Ry Cooder and Dave Hidalgo

Seems a bari is better used for double stop (two note) chords, not full chords. That & single lines are what I see / hear it used for. It can repace the bass in a band, or you can go for l o w using it along w/ the bass. Very handy instrument, if your band has guys that can change up instruments...

The above applies for electric... an acoustic bari? Holy moly ...

12strings · #7 08-16-2003, 12:53 PM

it is an electric baritone, and it's actually tuned to A, so i'd have to capo the 7th fret to play it in standard tuning. (yes, that A is the same pitch as the 2nd lowest on a standart 4-string bass...so it's LOW)

right now i'm learning the mario Bros. song (the one when he's in the underground levels) but i hope to move on to something more usefull.

thanks,
andy