Hellhound on my Trail

[fibrebundle]

Hi,
If I wished to play 'Hellhound on my Trail' in open D, would I play it in open D Major, or Minor?
Also, what tuning is the original in?
Thanks.

[blueshome]

Major

[Michael Messer]

Hi Fibrebundle,

The original recording of Hellhound On My Trail is probably in regular EADGBE tuning, but it can be played pretty much note for note in open D tuning in the right key.

Good luck!

Shine On
Michael.

[Michael Messer]

Fibrebundle, why did you ask if it is in a major or minor open tuning? I am just interested to known how you came to that thought.

Shine On
Michael.

[fibrebundle]

Michael, actually, I got a little spooked by what I read somewhere on the net. I read somewhere
that RJ employed a certain 'mysterious' tuning (which people called devil's tuning, fashionably, I assume). Initially, my instinct was to play it in open D major, but I kind of lost confidence, and thought I must be missing something (since I have no idea what 'devil's tuning' happens to be!) Then, I read somewhere that Bukka White tuned his guitar to open D minor, and played 'major blues' on it, hammering on from the minor third to
the major third. All this confusion percolated in the question! Thanks, though, Michael and Blueshome! I will be happiest playing it in open D (Major!)

[Gerry C]

The transcription in Scott Ainslie's excellent book Robert Johnson - At The Crossroads (Hal Leonard Co. 1992) is in Open E - same intervals as Open D but a full tone higher to give EBEG#BE. I've heard about this 'mysterious tuning' and frankly I think it's someone seeking to cash in on the whole "Robert Johnson and the devil" malarkey which has been pretty much discredited by writers such as Elijah Wald.

Cheerily,

Gerry C

[Michael Messer]

Hi Fibrebundle,

The Devil's Tuning that you mention comes from a book by Gene Roebuck called 'Finding Robert Johnson'. In this book the author explains his way through RJ's music using his Devil's Tuning, whatever that is! IMO and with no offense meant to the author, I totally disagree with his theories about RJ's tunings.

RJ used normal EADGBE and open G & D tunings. Obviously not always in those keys, but those intervals of notes.

Charley Patton, Son House, Willie Brown, Johnny Shines and Muddy Waters, all played in a similar style to RJ and got their influences from each other, as well as from earlier unrecorded musicians. None of these musicians play their guitars in the so called 'Devil's Tuning', and none of them (as far as I know) have ever mentioned it in interviews.

There is a way of adjusting open major tunings so they are not totally major; in G tuning flatten the B string a quarter tone, and in D tuning flatten the F# a quarter tone. This was used by many delta blues players and is most evident in some of Son House's music and in early Muddy Waters electric guitar recordings. But that is a whole different thing and is not what the Devil's Tuning book is about at all.

Shine On
Michael.

[fibrebundle]

Great! This clears a lot of unnecessary confusion (and sometimes unnecessary amount of romance) about RJ's music! Thanks.

[lewiscohen]

I'd always thought it was in D/E minor tuning, mainly because it seems to fall under the fingers quite nicely in that tuning and, RJ being the glorious magpie that he was, I assumed he pinched the general sound of the song from Skip James.

I'll have to try it in standard.

[Michael Messer]

Hi Lewis,

I play it in open E and have heard it played pretty much note for note in regular tuning. It is a Skip James style of tune and could be in the minor tuning that fibrebundle first asked about!!!! Now that's really confusing ;D .....one thing is for sure....it ain't in the Devil's Tuning.

Shine On
Michael.

[steadyrollinman]

Gentlemen, it is clear to me that Robert Johnson emulated pretty much every musician that he admired. Thus the majority of his work can be traced directly to an original song/artist. This is evident on Hell hound on my trail, it's root source being the playing of Skip James. Skip used Em or Dm tunings along with open G. Woody Mann teaches Hellhound in open D, and still manages to sound minor.

I am surprised to hear Michael say that its played in standard tuning. Is your view based on how it sits under the fingers or is that how you hear it? I would really appreciate your comments.


Regards



Chris

[Michael Messer]

Hi Chris,

I said 'probably' played in regular tuning. I too play that song in open E, similar to Woody Mann's way of playing it. It is not a problem to play minor in a major tuning. It is also a tune that is relatively easy to play in regular tuning.

Shine On
Michael.