Songs in open G only

[kim]

Hi all, I'm just a beginner to the slide, and I have just two songs off in open G, "Death Letter Blues" and "Can't be Satisfied" My plan is to learn
more songs but just in open G, reason for this is just so I don't not have to tune up or down between songs.
Does anyone have a list of blues slide songs only in G? that I could try. I figured if I got 10-15 songs off in G
then I could just play one after another.
Could I use a capo when I'm in open G to give me open E, is that possible? and if so which fret would I put the capo on to get E in an open tuning?
best regards Kim

[pete1951]

Aug 22, 2022 13:59:24 GMT kim said:

Could I use a capo when I'm in open G to give me open E, is that possible? and if so which fret would I put the capo on to get E in an open tuning?
best regards Kim

The capo for E would have to go on the 9th fret, doesn’t leave much room but it can be done.

It might be better to try to play in D on open G ( it can be done!) then capo on the second fret.

I’ll leave a full list to others, though Robert Johnson has several , Walking Blues is perhaps the most straight forward , Come on in My Kitchen seems simple,but some very subtle playing is needed.

Then there is Rollin’ and Tumbling. A tricky rhythm but usually in G

[kim]

Thanks Pete for the reply, that sounds good, playing D on open G, thanks that now gives me more
options.

[davetracey]

John Lee Hooker favoured open G in his early days, so "Boogie Chillen" is worth checking out to vary things up a bit. Similar to "Shake Your Hips". "Honky Tonk Women" can be played solo with slide if it takes your fancy.

[kim]

Thanks Dave, that sounds good I will checkout that song,

Kim

[stevie2sticks]

Kim I keep an acoustic & reso in Open G, there is some learning to be done by looking at some Rolling Stones, Little Red Rooster & Wild Horses. AND Rollin & Tumbling.
Enjoy the journey.
Steve IOM

[pete1951]

Aug 22, 2022 17:40:52 GMT davetracey said:

John Lee Hooker favoured open G in his early days, so "Boogie Chillen" is worth checking out to vary things up a bit. Similar to "Shake Your Hips". "Honky Tonk Women" can be played solo with slide if it takes your fancy.

I think John Lee used a capo for Boogie Chillen, so the guitar was probably tuned up to A and a capo put on the 2nd fret ( or he could have the capo on the 4th fret and have tuned to G) and he was then playing in B. The pattern of open G is often called ‘Spanish ‘ tuning. You may well here ‘Spanish’ used when someone is playing a guitar in open A or B or down to F.

Open D (and E or C with the same pattern) is called ‘Vestapol’.


Pete

[ken1953clark]

Write me a few lines - Fred McDowell
1922 - Charlie Parr

[blueshome1]

f you do some listening you can find a lot of stuff in Spanish (open G intervals), less slide than you'd think.Check out Memphis Minnie's early recordings, Johnny Shines, Big Joe Williams, Charley Patton, Muddy Waters Aristocrats, Son House......Not all slide, I haven't picked out particular songs as you will learn much more exploring and identifying tunings and keys yourself.
What's the problem with retuning to D or standard?. I do it on a regular basis as do many others here. (pace Pete1951), it only takes a few seconds and does no harm.
You might also like to check out some of John Miller's instructional material.

[pete1951]

Phil (blueshome1) is giving good advice. I was ,like you, not keen to keep changing tunings. As a result I only know G (Spanish) and if I want to play a number recorded on D , I have to do a lot of compromising and never get the thing to sound quite right.
Pete

[kim]

Great advice and tips everyone, looking forward now to exploring it all. Thanks Pete 1951 I can now get A with just a capo on 2nd fret, are there many slide songs in A, I could look at?
Kim

[slide496]

There are alot of performances in the Spanish tuning both in open A and G, I found it confusing at first as I started with online lessons and tutorials from a variety of sources, my interest in rural country blues and gospel, and found that songs were taught almost always at the pitch of DGDGBD or open G, but the more I familiarized myself with the original performances of the songs I found that pitches varied.

Weenie Campbell has some lists of artists that note the pitch the recording is in and Stefan Grossman's workshop has a large selection of songs with samples if you want to take a listen, those are usually taught in open G by a variety of their teachers including John Miller as mentioned above, and there is a fellow BLAH148 on youtube who has tutorials in Spanish tuning but he will capo and is not dedicated to demonstrating at the DGDGBD pitch.

Harriet

[Michael Messer]

Hi Kim,

Hopefully your guitar should arrive very soon!

It only takes moments to change from one tuning to another and my advice to beginners is absolutely to learn both tunings. If you are learning the classic country blues repertoire there are important and definitive pieces in both tunings. As you have said, I Can't Be Satisfied and Death Letter Blues are very much G tuning pieces, but if you go into Son House's Preaching Blues, for example, then it is a D tuning piece.

I also believe that it is so important to develop your ear, so to read a list of songs in a particular tuning is not as helpful as finding them for yourself. You should be learning the songs that you love, not the songs that someone else plays.

Don't try to rush the learning process, it doesn’t work. Just work at a comfortable pace that allows you to digest and understand what you are learning.

Shine On
Michael

[kim]

Thanks Michael for the great advice, yeah your right passion for the song might be more important
than just choosing ones for the tuning purposes, I really love Tampa Red "things coming my way", its in open D, I suppose tuning from G to D is not too difficult, so I think I will take your advice Michael and see how fast I can tune from G to D, only 3 strings really, so I must try that.
Ok tuned it now to D, easy enough, so Tampa Red it is to be my third slide song.
Can't wait for the guitar to arrive Michael, practising away here on the Ozark, its more like weight lifting, but I'm getting there, thanks everyone for all the tips
Kim

[Michael Messer]

Aug 24, 2022 18:51:24 GMT kim said:

Thanks Michael for the great advice, yeah your right passion for the song might be more important
than just choosing ones for the tuning purposes, I really love Tampa Red "things coming my way", its in open D, I suppose tuning from G to D is not too difficult, so I think I will take your advice Michael and see how fast I can tune from G to D, only 3 strings really, so I must try that.
Ok tuned it now to D, easy enough, so Tampa Red it is to be my third slide song.
Can't wait for the guitar to arrive Michael, practising away here on the Ozark, its more like weight lifting, but I'm getting there, thanks everyone for all the tips
Kim

My pleasure. Anytime any of us in the MM Forum community can help, we always do our best.

Keep practicing, but just don't drop that Ozark on your foot!

Shine On
Michael