Tuning

[ZosoofFoCo]

I don't have a guitar tuner but I want to play Bron-Yr-Aur stomp, Kashmir, and others, but they all have weird tunings. Where can I learn to tune them by ear/guitar.

[Cactus]

My advice to anyone would be to take your electronic tuner, and throw it in the garbage.

I've never had one, and you don't need one for anything, ever. I know they are handy to make sure you are perfectly in tune, but you need to learn how to tune without one, by ear. Instead of thinking about the strings as EADGBE, learn about the relationship between the strings and the sorts of patterns which emerge. Learn what the names of the notes are on the fret board.

With that over, some more practical advice.

Tune your guitar to standard EADGBE. Then you will change the tuning of some of the strings to find Page's alternate tunings. For example:

DADGAD - Kashmir, Black Mountainside/White Summer

Tune the bottom E string (the fattest string) down 2 notes, to D. You can strike your D string to use as a reference tone. Then tune your B string down 2 notes, to A. Tune the high E string down 2 notes to D.

This is what's called an 'open' tuning, you can just strum all the strings and you automatically have a chord.

DGDGBD - That's The Way, Dancing Days, In My Time of Dying

Again, an open tuning, you tune to Drop D, then tune down your A string 2 notes, to G, and the high E to D. This is a great tuning, I have a lot of fun with it. Excellent for slide work.

That's a start for you.

Edited September 5, 2008 by Cactus

[ZosoofFoCo]

I want to learn Bron-Y-Aur Stomp. i want to know which fret to harmonize with which string U know. For instance standard tuning is to play the 5th fret of the top string and tune the second string down until it matches...

[Cactus]

I want to learn Bron-Y-Aur Stomp. i want to know which fret to harmonize with which string U know. For instance standard tuning is to play the 5th fret of the top string and tune the second string down until it matches...

It's not always possible to do that, depending on what the notes you want are. Another method I'm sure you know is to fret a string known to be tuned to a certain note at the 5th fret, to create the tone for the next string. Drop D is the 7th fret etc.

[Evster2012]

Here's a few to mess with:

Rain Song: EADADE live, DGCGCD studio

White Summer/Black Mountain Side/Kashmir: DADGAD

Dancing Days: EADGBD

Black Country Woman/That's the Way/In My Time of Dying/Trvelling Riverside Blues: DGDGBD

Friends/Poor Tom: CACGCE

When the Levee Breaks: EACFAC

Ten Years Gone: DADGBE

Hey Hey What Can I Do: C#-F#-D#-E-G#-C#

There's some debate about Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp. Books say capoed at the 3rd fret. I personally think there was some play with tape speed on the album. Live it's open G (DGDGCD). The harmonics are 12th fret and 7th.

*edit to add* Tuning by 5th fret harmonics works to a degree, but it's not totally accurate, particularly in regards to the B string. Tuning is "tempered". A piano tuner will tell you this. The ratios are not perfectly linear. There's always a little fudging involved. Tune to one perfect chord, and inevitably another will sound off. So it's about finding a balance where they're all just a tad off, but not jarringly so. And with time, you'll instictively "lean" a little harder on some notes with your fingers to self-correct. Time and practice!

Edited September 6, 2008 by Evster2012

[Anarchy2Howard]

I used to have a sheet with all the alternate tunings Jimmy used, with song examples.. I'll see if I can find it.

[Evster2012]

Gotcha covered Anarchy!

WS/BMS - DADGAD

Moby Dick - DADGBE

Friends - CACGCE

That's The Way - DGDGBD

Bron-Y-Aur Stomp - DGDGBD

Hat's Off - CGCGCE

Going to California - DADGBD

When the Levee Breaks - XXCFAC

Rain Song (studio) - DGCGCD

Rain Song (live) - EADADE

Dancing Days (live) - DGDGBD

In My Time Of Dying (studio)- EAEAC#E

In My Time Of Dying (live) - DGDGBD

Kashmir - DADGAD

Bron-Yr-Aur - CACGCE

Ten Years Gone - DADGBE

Black Country Woman - DGDGBD

Poor Tom - CACGCE

Midnight Moonlight - DADGAD

Jennings Farm Blues - EFCFAE

Travelling Riverside Blues - DGDGBD

Thanks Presence folks! I knew em, but a copy and paste is sooo much easier!

Edited September 6, 2008 by Evster2012

[Anarchy2Howard]

Haha, cool! I've got to look over it again.. I'll have a go with some of those more unusual tunings

Edited September 6, 2008 by Anarchy2Howard

[estofest]

In My Time of Dying (live) is in open G? I never knew that. Thanks.

[Olipticle]

My advice to anyone would be to take your electronic tuner, and throw it in the garbage.

I've never had one, and you don't need one for anything, ever. I know they are handy to make sure you are perfectly in tune, but you need to learn how to tune without one, by ear. Instead of thinking about the strings as EADGBE, learn about the relationship between the strings and the sorts of patterns which emerge. Learn what the names of the notes are on the fret board.

With that over, some more practical advice.

Tune your guitar to standard EADGBE. Then you will change the tuning of some of the strings to find Page's alternate tunings. For example:

DADGAD - Kashmir, Black Mountainside/White Summer

Tune the bottom E string (the fattest string) down 2 notes, to D. You can strike your D string to use as a reference tone. Then tune your B string down 2 notes, to A. Tune the high E string down 2 notes to D.

This is what's called an 'open' tuning, you can just strum all the strings and you automatically have a chord.

DGDGBD - That's The Way, Dancing Days, In My Time of Dying

Again, an open tuning, you tune to Drop D, then tune down your A string 2 notes, to G, and the high E to D. This is a great tuning, I have a lot of fun with it. Excellent for slide work.

That's a start for you.

Very nice post, Alot of his stuff is done in those open tunings, but there is alot more he uses. Those are probally the most popular.