|
|
#2
08-09-2008, 05:27 PM
|
||||
|
||||
Ah, the "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" tuning! I was in the CSNY Ensemble class at the Old Town School of Folk Music and our teacher brought out that tuning (up a whole step) to teach us the song. He said, "Now pretend your guitar is a dulcimer--all it is is Mixolydian tuning." "What do you mean, *pretend*?" I asked him. Since it was a Tuesday night (back then, there was a weekly open mic after classes and the group singalong) I had brought my dulcimer along--I hauled it out from under my seat and his jaw dropped. I took a look at the guitar tab and decided it'd be a lot easier to do it on dulcimer, where the diatonic fret patterns and familiar markers made it much more convenient to play without having to consult the tab. Tuned it up from DAD to EBE and away we went. Fortunately, my strings were relatively new and able to take being tuned that high. (It's since become a part of my cover repertoire).
DDDDAD is great for playing along with dulcimerists, guitars in DADGAD, any rock song in modal tuning (the rarer minor modes like Dorian and Lydian might be easier in guitar on std. tuning). And if you can play guitar in that tuning, you can transition to mt. dulcimer without a lesson.
__________________
Sandy http://www.sandyandina.com ------------------------- Gramann Rapahannock, 7 Taylors, 4 Martins, 2 Gibsons, 2 V-A, Larrivee Parlour, Gretsch Way Out West, Fender P-J Bass & Mustang, Danelectro U2, Peavey fretless bass, 8 dulcimers, 2 autoharps, 2 banjos, 2 mandolins, 3 ukes I cried because I had no shoes.....but then I realized I won’t get blisters. 
|
