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Post by lonelyjelly on Aug 8, 2022 22:55:26 GMT
Just got this little guitar back from the axe-doctor and thought I would a quick demo of it.
It is tuned DGCFAD but in high strung "Nashville" style, which for anyone who isn't familiar, is basically a 12 string minus all the low strings from each pair. So only 6 strings. 6 nylon strings in this case.
I think Buck Dancer's Choice (Sam McGee) via a Steve James book and a Stefan Grossman DVD sounds pretty darn sweet, even if I do fudge it up a few times!
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Post by Stevie on Aug 9, 2022 6:40:22 GMT
I've played on that instrument and it's a dear little pip squeak of a guitar with a lively chirrup, but importantly played here sensitively too.
でつ e&oe ...
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Post by Michael Messer on Aug 9, 2022 8:02:35 GMT
High strung so called Nashville tuning is a wonderful sound that has been used on many great records. It has become known as Nashville tuning because it was brought into the Nashville scene by 1950s & 60s session player, Ray Edenton. Ray did a lot of the classic Owen Bradley, Chet Atkins and Don Law sessions in that early period....50s and 60s. I believe that Ray actually got the idea from Mexican guitarists that tune to what they call Requinto tuning, which is a fourth above standard and is often done with the high 12 string strings. Mexican guitarists often use a short three quarter scale guitar for Requinto and use it to give definition to the second guitar. When I first got my 1133 ¾ scale National in 1987, it was right in the middle of the world music boom that was happening here in the UK and so was I. I don't remember who, but someone told me about Requinto and suggested it for my National, which I did for a while. It was a cool sound, especially for west African type picking, which I was surrounded by at one point.
Nashville tuning was used when recording two acoustic guitars, much like using a capo and playing different inversions of the chords, it gives definition to each guitar. In London the Nashville tuning thing became popular for that very reason and has appeared on some big records. The Rolling Stones used to use it with two guitars, one in standard or Spanish, and one in Nashville. For example it is used on Wild Horses and Jumping' Jack Flash. I believe David Gilmour also used it on a few Pink Floyd recordings. Whether it is used much in today's London sessions I don't know, but it probably is because the "old sound' is so popular and copied.
Lewis, nice to hear you playing that piece. Sam McGee's Buck Dancer's Choice was played really fast as a dance piece and is so West African. I think John Fahey slowed it down and then it became most well known when recorded by Taj Mahal. My late friend, SE Rogie, from Sierra Leone and born in 1926, played and sang in just that way.
Shine On
Michael
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Post by pete1951 on Aug 9, 2022 9:25:50 GMT
Small body instruments never really develop the bass of full size ones ( that why ukuleles sound fine and acoustic bass guitars have to be plugged in to an amp to get the same volume as a double bass)
So the small guitar is ideal for this high tuning and sounds great
Pete
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Post by lonelyjelly on Aug 9, 2022 23:43:34 GMT
I've played on that instrument and it's a dear little pip squeak of a guitar with a lively chirrup, but importantly played here sensitively too. でつ e&oe ...Cheers Steve. Liam filmed that post-curry not so long after you left 🙂 Quality to hang out mate! I just wish we caught on film yours and Liam's jam with you on your Fylde mandolin and him on his No.4 Weissenborn! Best, Lew |
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Post by lonelyjelly on Aug 9, 2022 23:52:42 GMT
High strung so called Nashville tuning is a wonderful sound that has been used on many great records. It has become known as Nashville tuning because it was brought into the Nashville scene by 1950s & 60s session player, Ray Edenton. Ray did a lot of the classic Owen Bradley, Chet Atkins and Don Law sessions in that early period....50s and 60s. I believe that Ray actually got the idea from Mexican guitarists that tune to what they call Requinto tuning, which is a fourth above standard and is often done with the high 12 string strings. Mexican guitarists often use a short three quarter scale guitar for Requinto and use it to give definition to the second guitar. When I first got my 1133 ¾ scale National in 1987, it was right in the middle of the world music boom that was happening here in the UK and so was I. I don't remember who, but someone told me about Requinto and suggested it for my National, which I did for a while. It was a cool sound, especially for west African type picking, which I was surrounded by at one point. Nashville tuning was used when recording two acoustic guitars, much like using a capo and playing different inversions of the chords, it gives definition to each guitar. In London the Nashville tuning thing became popular for that very reason and has appeared on some big records. The Rolling Stones used to use it with two guitars, one in standard or Spanish, and one in Nashville. For example it is used on Wild Horses and Jumping' Jack Flash. I believe David Gilmour also used it on a few Pink Floyd recordings. Whether it is used much in today's London sessions I don't know, but it probably is because the "old sound' is so popular and copied. Lewis, nice to hear you playing that piece. Sam McGee's Buck Dancer's Choice was played really fast as a dance piece and is so West African. I think John Fahey slowed it down and then it became most well known when recorded by Taj Mahal. My late friend, SE Rogie, from Sierra Leone and born in 1926, played and sang in just that way. Shine On Michael Cheers Michael. Really cool information there, which I'm positive will send me down a rabbit hole or two when I get a chance. I hadn't heard of Ray Edenton before but I certainly will look into him and his sessions now. I really like using the high strung thing to mimic the South American folk instruments the Charango and the Ron Roco, albeit in a different key depending on the scale of the guitar. I didn't realise it was used on Jumpin' Jack Flash! That's cool!!! As to Sam McGee's speed...phew that is quick! Too quick for my fingers anyway 🤣🙈 It's a beautiful tune though...there's a quality to that early recording, a richness to it that does so please my ears. Very high on my "favourites" list. It's amazing what someone can get out of the old cowboy or money chords 😎🕺🏻😎 Best, Lew |
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Post by lonelyjelly on Aug 9, 2022 23:54:45 GMT
Small body instruments never really develop the bass of full size ones ( that why ukuleles sound fine and acoustic bass guitars have to be plugged in to an amp to get the same volume as a double bass) So the small guitar is ideal for this high tuning and sounds great Pete Thanks for watching and for your nice comments, Pete 🙂 It also sounds cool in this tuning: DGCEAE (charango) Best, Lew |
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Post by chromatic on Sept 27, 2022 9:02:41 GMT
A Yamaha Guitalele could be used for this excellent idea. Mine is tuned the same as capo 5 on a normal guitar, never thought of using Nashville on it. Main use at the minute is O'Carolan tunes but I'll be off to the spare string drawer presently.
Cheers
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