Transposing and changing tunings

[TBman]

I have a few of Glenn Weiser's Celtic books. He arranges in standard and I prefer lower tunings.

What's your approach transpose from standard to a lower tuning like CGDGCD? I was thinking one way would be to find the lowest note in the tune and drop it to the low C and adjust everything else accordingly.

Another would be to see where the melody sits best and adjust bass notes to compliment the melody.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by TBman

I have a few of Glenn Weiser's Celtic books. He arranges in standard and I prefer lower tunings.

What's your approach transpose from standard to a lower tuning like CGDGCD? I was thinking one way would be to find the lowest note in the tune and drop it to the low C and adjust everything else accordingly.

Another would be to see where the melody sits best and adjust bass notes to compliment the melody.

HI Barry

I always want either string 5 or 6 to be the root of the chord in any open tuning I'm using…and I can capo to adjust range/key.

I'll use use dropped D or DADGAD and capo up 2 or 3 frets. If I'm using a partial capo, I'll plant a standard capo as the root bass and then apply the cut capo 2 frets above it.

I've never capoed CGCGCD, but wouldn't hesitate to if it had the qualities I wanted. I usually reserve CGCGCD for key of C (because of the lowered bass) and use D based alternates to get a step higher.

And I've written songs in both CGCGCD and DADGAD which I've then ported to standard tuning with a cut capo at the 2nd fret. I have to change a couple fingerings, and perhaps alter a small run or two, but it's quicker when playing live to put a cut-capo on that to retune, and easier than switching guitars.

I never use those tunings for Worship Team (ok Dropped D I do actually), so they are only for gigs where I'm playing solo or Acoustic Duo and want an Irish feel.

I have played alternate tunings in a Round Robin setting where we have a dozen or more players and you get to play one song then each person in turn goes around the circle. I have plenty of time to re-tune before the next round.

[TBman]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

HI Barry

I always want either string 5 or 6 to be the root of the chord in any open tuning I'm using…and I can capo to adjust range/key.

What I did was to make a grid like this and transposed from the original score into GuitarPro. GuitarPro is a little clunky for doing it, sometimes it won't cross strings when using the software so I did it manually.




.......C.......D.....E......F......G......A......B
1.....B.......C#...D#...E......F#....Ab.....Bb
2.....Bb.....C.....D......D#...F.......G......A
3.....A.......B.....C#....D.....E.......F#....Ab

etc. I went down to G from C. I lost only one bass note in the notation so I just used the octave higher. I will practice the tune today and add my own interpretations to the arrangement.