Barry Gibb - guitar tuning

[Michael Messer]

Last night I got home from a day at the Guitar Fest and thought I would watch a BBC TV show about the Bee Gees and chill out not thinking about GUITARS!!!!! .......They showed a great studio film of the three brothers singing their hits with Barry and Maurice's guitars as the only accompaniment. Within five minutes, I had a guitar in my hand, jamming along with Barry, who plays all his repertoire in open 'D' tuning. While this may be old news for some, it was new to me, so I spent an enjoyable hour playing Bee Gees songs.

Shine On
Michael

[Gerry C]

Did not realise they used open D. I thought all their songs were in BEEGEE....

I'll get me coat!

Cheerily,

Gerry C

[Michael Messer]

If I react in any way I'll only be encouraging you ....

Shine On
Michael

[Deleted]

but Gerry that's open Eminor with the 5th as the root

[andys]

I knew that Barry played in an open tuning, and its used on nearly all their hits.

I heard someone once explaining that that is what gives a lot of their songs a sort of bitter-sweet feel, as there are very few minor chords in their songs, yet the vocals were often quite plaintive.

I saw a TV special of them live, and even their disco era songs have that open tuned guitar being played, he spent most time simply barre-ing across the strings, and rarely even formed other chord shapes either

[Michael Messer]

I only play in open tunings, so I have played rhythm and lead parts in all types of music using open D and G tunings. Using barre chords in open tunings, all the chords have the same intervals and order of notes, so it does give a certain something to the sound, which when you focus on it, is very evident in their sound.

What Barry Gibb plays in open D is not unusual, he uses major barre chords, minor half-barre chords and open major and minor chords in the first three frets. What is unusual is his use of open tunings in that type of setting. It is not what I expected. I had just never really thought about the Bee Gees rhythm guitar sound being anything other than EADGBE tuning, until I was watching the concert on TV recently.

When I worked with Ted Hawkins in the 80s I learnt a lot about this style, as he only used open D and played a mixed repertoire of folk, soul, country and pop in various major and minor keys, and all out of open D tuning.

It is a very powerful and percussive way to play rhythm, Bo Diddley for example.

Shine On
Michael.

[kiwi]

I had no idea, a friend loved them and liked to sing with a few beers (I was not a fan), he had a book and all the songs were transcribed EADGBe, so I played them that way while he sang. Amazing! Open D would have been so much easier.