So, I’ve used this release as a reference, and simply noted down the released key of each recording (in parentheses) and in [square brackets] is what I reckon is the correct key: Session: 1936, November 23rd: Kind Hearted Woman (B) [Bb]** 2nd take in (Bb) Dust my Broom (E) [Eb]Sweet Home Chicago (F#) [F]Ramblin’ on my mind (F#) [F}** in (F) 2nd take When You Got A Good Friend (F#) [F]Come On In My Kitchen (B) [Bb]** in (Bb) 2nd take. If you want to play much slide guitar, prepare a guitar just for this job. If you try this tuning out, you'll find that while minor when played open or barred, it's easy to achieve rich major chords as well. The Cycle of Fifths – the lemma is fractal. Here are the rest of Robert Johnson’s recordings, with the (key of the official recordings), [and my adjusted key in square brackets]. All examples are in open-G tuning (low to high, DGDGBD), though Johnson employed numerous other tunings, often in conjunction with a capo. Finding Robert Johnson/By Gene Roebuck, Earmark Publishing, May 2006 This book is primarily a guitar tutorial for guitar players and demonstrates a unique approach to Robert Johnson's music, i.e., instead of completely re-tuning in order to play other songs, Roebuck adjusts a couple of strings and adjusts the capo placement. There was some talk about RJ using a secret tuning for a couple of songs, but all of his output can be played using these tunings: Drop D tuning. Not as easy but I’ll try it for a while and see if it gets easier. He utilized specific chord voicings designed to work with open tunings, as shown in FIGURE 4 , akin to Stones in My Passway. Here’s an analysis of the key of each of the songs as released in the wonderful “Centennial Collection” (which manages to get rid of all the hisses and pops – you see, computers can be useful for some things!). Robert Johnson in California 10,279 people named Robert Johnson found in Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County, San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose and 18 other cities. – e.g. Your open Eb tuning theory makes perfect sense. And in this way, he went from a guitar player who his mentor, Son House described as “noising” to one of the most delicate, lyrical bluesmen recorded. It is definitely more ergonomic. Which Alternate Tunings are Most Commonly Used in Blues? Malted Milk. This book is full of examples like this. Open G. Terrapane Blues, Crossroad Blues, Walkin' Blues, Last Fair Deal, If I had Possesion, Stones in my Passway, Stop Breakin' Down, Travelliing Riverside Blues, Robert Johnson Tabs. A great book if you’re interested in the strange numeric foundation of things is “the Dimensions of Paradise” by John Michell. Gain immediate access to this Course and … ROBERT A. JOHNSON (page 2) EDUCATION University of Iowa College of Law, Juris Doctor, May 1991. They have also lived in Buena Park, CA and Norwalk, CA. Sign up free! Thanks Jeff. Alternately, it’s possible that House was just inflating Johnson’s legend and telling tall tales. Whether it’s a “concert Eb” with a 7th on the high string, or an open chord Eb with a 7th, I’m not sure. The guitar he is holding in the studio portrait, where he's dressed in a suit, is a Gibson Guitar Corporation model L-1 flat top, which was a small body acoustic produced between 1926 and 1937. Ask the Expert: Why Does My Plugged-In Acoustic-Electric Guitar Sound So Uneven. Hi Jeff – there are some training videos by Robert Lockwood Jr on YouTube, and he seems to be in E-standard tuning. The documentary is excellent because it includes first-hand accounts by people who knew him – including Son House who says, “yeah, he had a 7th string on his guitar”. Notice that the lick is similar to others that are in the key of E. Over thirty years of listening to Robert Johnson and getting frustrated by the published transcriptions and this “7th string” E flat tuning sounds like the ticket. [Home] [Elijah Wald Bio] [Robert Johnson] [Dave Van Ronk] [Josh White] [Narcocorrido] [Pop history/Beatles book] [African Guitar] [Other writing] [Music and albums] . To get into open-C tuning, tune the low E string down two whole steps to C. Bring the A string down a whole step to G and the D string down a whole step to C. Leave the G string where it is, raise the B string half a step to C, and leave the high E string alone. Now, anyone who plays guitar knows that the blues is a starting chord (the 1), a second chord (the 4th harmonic), and a turn-around chord (the 5th above, or the 4th below). the radius of the moon is 1,080 miles and 1,080 Hz is a C#. So, what I reckon is that Robert J tuned his guitar according to the harmonic series, in open tuning – but, here’s the thing: Instead of making the top string another Eb (the tonic), I think he tuned it to the 7th harmonic – i.e. Legend has it that Robert Johnson wandered down to the cross-roads one night, handed his guitar to the Devil – who tuned it for him and handed it back. Do have a listen to my hand-selected collection of “corrected speed” Robert Johnson recordings to hear the true nature of the man and his music – here on YouTube, and play along on guitar if you have one – and let me know what you think! His licks, phrasing, and general guitar panache have provided Eric Clapton, John Hammond, and many others the tools for creating inspired blues solos and rhythms. I’m suspicious about the idea that Son House would have known what the “7th harmonic” even meant. So, I reckon our Robert’s “7th string” was just a string tuned to the 7th harmonic! Vastopol tuning, usually an open D or E major chord, is named for a popular 19th-century guitar instrumental called “Sebastopol.” (It’s a port on the Black Sea, the scene of a pivotal engagement in the Crimean War!) It is the slide tuning you hear on Robert Johnson records and pretty much the only tuning I used when I was playing bottle neck when I was used to play National tricone. It seems clear to me based on the 2nd takes above, that the original recordings were a half-step lower. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The second best result is Robert J Johnson age 40s in Corona, CA in the Downtown Corona neighborhood. Now, his recorded songs were generally released as 78s by his record company, and what seems to have happened is that the versions that were released were all speeded up slightly, while the un-released takes where left alone. In fact, I basically only played open-G five-string for 28 years. Johnson employed open G tuning (low to high, D G D G B D: see FIGURE 3) for tunes such as Crossroad Blues, Walkin’ Blues and Come on in My Kitchen. Please note this is an archived topic, so it is locked and unable to be replied to. If you have an extra guitar only for slide, you can also try out the open When you hear Robert Johnson’s recordings from 1936/7, you can hear the fundamentals of … Many guitar players have discovered the advantages of open chord tuning, and not just when playing steel! That his top (highest) string was tuned to the harmonic 7th of the Eb major chord – giving that haunting sound, and the facility for RJ to play delicate harmonies without … So, I think either Robert Johnson tuned in regular tuning and my theory is wrong, or young Robert Lockwood Jr was too young when RJ showed him how to play the guitar and doesn’t remember the different tuning. Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, pretty much any of the old delta or chicago blues guys plays in open G. Joachim Kettner. I live in Cleveland and was able to see Robert Lockwood Jr. at a club here twenty years ago or so, not long before he passed. When you hear Robert Johnson’s recordings from 1936/7, you can hear the fundamentals of jazz and rag-time; and old Scotty Moore’s guitar work in the 1950s on those first Elvis Sun Session recordings is essentially just an electrified Robert Johnson. … There’s another interesting thing though: the released tracks are generally a semi-tone sharp. Combining music, science and intuition to piece back together our forgotten, cosmic harmony. Thanks so much for the reply and further explanation! Well, you can’t just tie another string onto a six string guitar and turn the tuning peg and expect the two strings to go into tune. ARCHIVED TOPIC: Robert Johnson tuning on the banjo. Robert Johnson also recorded in this tuning and is said to have been influenced by James' songwriting and approach. but the logical leap to get there is much shorter. Similarly, Ramblin’ On My Mind was released in F#, but the second take is in F. As it happens, lots of people have attempted to slow Robert Johnson recordings down to the “corrected speed”. Supercool thank you. Select this result to view Robert F Johnson's phone number, address, and more. A lot of blues players in the Delta were tuned to open-D and open-E. The missing explanation may have to do with distance-rotation: to paraphrase one part of the book, the ancient Chinese and Babylonians considered that there were 365 1/4 degrees, to correspond with the number of days in a year. 2. What I’ve done is create a YouTube playlist of all the Robert Johnson songs, but adjusted to what I think is the right key – per the tables above and below. They have also lived in Rialto, CA and Hacienda Heights, CA. That Robert Johnson tuned his guitar to Eb.2. Here we explore some of the open tunings most frequently heard in the blues. You can use both acoustic and electric guitars, as long as they don’t have nylon strings. Hell, I’m a university-trained jazz guitarist, and I’d have to think for a solid minute before I remembered what the 7th note of the harmonic series was. But I also suspect that anyone could play that good got assigned the verdict from the jealousy of others; the only way you could play guitar like that would be by making a deal with the devil. Listen to some short clips of popular classic blues songs in open G: Kassie Jones by Furry Lewis The two principal open tunings have old, vernacular American names: Vastopol and Spanish. Open up new possibilities with your guitar playing by learning a new tuning. 169 likes. Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911 – August 16, 1938) was an American blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter.His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generations of musicians. So, if RJ is playing a low Eb, he’d have to be tuned down to Eb, even if he was in regular tuning. I once read that black holes emit a B flat chord sound. Keys of Eb (open 6th string), F (2nd fret), G (4th fret), Ab (5th fret), Bb (7th fret and as a chord based on the 5th string) and C (9th fret). Again, the 2nd take is in one of the natural keys of the Eb harmonic series, and the rest are sped up, so a (B) was probably a [Bb]. From low to high, the tuning is: C G C G C E. Once you’ve done that, click on the link below for a a simple phrase worked out over an alternating-thumb accompaniment with the I (C), IV (F), and V (G) chords in the key of C major. Johnson played his brand of blues in many keys and in many different tunings, but he’s known for his work in the key of open A. I keep thinking no one with a 12 string guitar is going to be switching back and forth between tunings so it would be interesting to know what system he used. Select this result to view Robert J Johnson's phone number, address, and more. The simplest explanation is usually the right one. Just as open open tunings have opened up new sound worlds for singer-songwriters and guitarists like Richard Thompson, Joni Mitchell, and Laurence Juber, so too do they play a major role in the blues guitar vernacular. Either way, good for Robert Lockwood Jr for figuring out how to sound like RJ! (Note: I know that Robert Lockwood Jr claimed he was taught to play guitar by RJ himself, and he seems to be in regular E tuning – but I’m sticking to my story. I believe the devil legend was originally attributed to Tommy Johnson, a nod to which is given in the movie O Brother Where Art Thou. He played a blue 12 string Guild electric. ( Log Out / The musical shorthand for a chord with a (flattened) 7th scale degree included is a 7th chord, and this would have been common parlance in the 20’s and 30’s, when 7th chords were more common in popular music than they are today. Video lessons week by week, Chord by Chord. Similar to Keith Richards with his 5-string, open-G tuning (GDGBD – which, by the way is based on a 5-string banjo tuning, an instrument introduced into the delta by Africans). That his top (highest) string was tuned to the harmonic 7th of the Eb major chord – giving that haunting sound, and the facility for RJ to play delicate harmonies without flying about all over the fret-board. Running time is 6 hours. Kind Hearted Woman was released on 78 in the key of B, but the 2nd take on the Centennial Collection, which was not released on 78, is in Bb. How these certain numbers (mostly powers of 12) as frequencies in Hz also show up as dimensions in feet and miles. If the number of days in the year is set at 365.24322, this figure becomes exact. The most famous old-style blues songs in open G tuning are Crossroads, Walkin' Blues (Robert Johnson) and Death Letter by Son House. Video Lesson: Reimagining Bluesman Robert Johnson in Open-G Tuning, Learn to Play Guitar Like Charley Patton, the Father of the Delta Blues, Learn Four Classical and Traditional Songs in Open Tunings, Video Lesson: How to Play the Blues Like Elizabeth Cotten, Video Lesson: David Rawlings Shares a Close-up Look at His Singular Style, Video Lesson: Learn Neil Young’s Simple but Singular Style, A Private Lesson With Acoustic Blues Guitar Master Eric Bibb, Video Lesson: Inside Nick Drake’s Idiosyncratic Guitar Style, Molly Tuttle Teaches Tony Rice’s Distinctive Guitar Style, Easy Fingerpicking Lesson: How to Play 'House of the Rising Sun', Weekly Workout: Try These American Roots Licks for Warming Up or Composing. Did the devil teach Robert Johnson how to tune his guitar? The best result we found for your search is Robert F Johnson age 70s in Apple Valley, CA in the Skyline Ranch neighborhood. And in this way, he went from a guitar player who his mentor, Son House described as “noising” to one of the most delicate, lyrical bluesmen recorded. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Final class rank was in the top seven percent (16 of 222) of class. I look forward to trying this with concert tuning and the 1st string at the 7th. You’ll recall from my Home Page that Bb and F are the “magic” frequencies I found on a tone generator, which seem to resonate against some background sonic fabric of the Earth. Robert is related to Bobby B Jonzun and Ronald John Johnson as well as 3 additional people. You’ll probably notice that this tuning makes use of an open G major triad (G-B-D). So, if Robert Johnson was playing in Eb concert tuning, then the easy open chords to play would be Ab (1), Db (IV) and Eb (V) – and while there’s quite a lot of Eb in his recordings – there’s only five songs in Ab. In this lesson, See the link below to explore some of the songs Johnson played in open tunings. That it was probably Open-Eb, not concert Eb. 360 Hz is an F# (and each time you multiply a frequency by ten it goes up a major third). Keith Richards was my original inspiration as a player – his chords seem to take on a life of their own. From low to high, the tuning is: C G C G C E. Once you’ve done that, click on the link below for a a simple phrase worked out over an alternating-thumb accompaniment with the I (C), IV (F), and V (G) chords in the key of C major. This is pure pythagorean tuning – meaning that he’s tuning each string according to the 2nd harmonic, 3rd harmonic, 4th harmonic, etc, as shown above. And if he had a 7th tuning peg on his guitar, you’d think other people would have commented on it – and when he lost his guitar in a fire, he wouldn’t have just been able to replace it – even if there was such a thing as a “luthier” in any of the towns RJ visited – who could have added a seventh notch to his nut, another string insert on his bridge, moved all the strings around a bit – and managed to conceal all this in the photo above! This example shows a passage in standard tuning that Johnson frequently used for intros, turnarounds, and endings. The Devil's Tuning: based on the life of Blues Legend, Robert Johnson, Atlanta, Georgia. I’ve been having second thoughts today and trying Eb concert tuning with the high Eb tuned to a C#. I really appreciate this discussion in spite of my limited knowledge of music theory. Just as eye opening as learning the Keith Richards tuning after reading him talk about it in his autobiography. After losing his first wife and child during childbirth, Robert Johnson longs to play the guitar and sing to earn the heart of church girl, Flora Smith. We guitarists try to keep it simple – using the open strings where possible. And there has been a rumor for years that his record company sped up the recordings for the release – whether by accident or to make the recordings more “exciting”. if(!window.AdButler){(function(){var s=document.createElement("script");s.async=!0;s.type="text/javascript";s.src='https://servedbyadbutler.com/app.js';var n=document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];n.parentNode.insertBefore(s,n)}())} var AdButler=AdButler||{};AdButler.ads=AdButler.ads||[];var abkw=window.abkw||'';var plc208206=window.plc208206||0;document.write('<'+'div id="placement_208206_'+plc208206+'">');AdButler.ads.push({handler:function(opt){AdButler.register(168183,208206,[300,600],'placement_208206_'+opt.place,opt)},opt:{place:plc208206++,keywords:abkw,domain:'servedbyadbutler.com',click:'CLICK_MACRO_PLACEHOLDER'}})if(!window.AdButler){(function(){var s=document.createElement("script");s.async=!0;s.type="text/javascript";s.src='https://servedbyadbutler.com/app.js';var n=document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];n.parentNode.insertBefore(s,n)}())} var AdButler=AdButler||{};AdButler.ads=AdButler.ads||[];var abkw=window.abkw||'';var plc208209=window.plc208209||0;document.write('<'+'div id="placement_208209_'+plc208209+'">');AdButler.ads.push({handler:function(opt){AdButler.register(168183,208209,[300,250],'placement_208209_'+opt.place,opt)},opt:{place:plc208209++,keywords:abkw,domain:'servedbyadbutler.com',click:'CLICK_MACRO_PLACEHOLDER'}}) if(!window.AdButler){(function(){var s=document.createElement("script");s.async=!0;s.type="text/javascript";s.src='https://servedbyadbutler.com/app.js';var n=document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];n.parentNode.insertBefore(s,n)}())} var AdButler=AdButler||{};AdButler.ads=AdButler.ads||[];var abkw=window.abkw||'';var plc208209=window.plc208209||0;document.write('<'+'div id="placement_208209_'+plc208209+'">');AdButler.ads.push({handler:function(opt){AdButler.register(168183,208209,[300,250],'placement_208209_'+opt.place,opt)},opt:{place:plc208209++,keywords:abkw,domain:'servedbyadbutler.com',click:'CLICK_MACRO_PLACEHOLDER'}}). To get to this tuning you need to tune the guitar as follows D-G-D-G-B-D (low to high). I was looking through some of the old guitar tab books I never mastered as a teenager and noticed Robert Johnson tuned his … I’ve been experimenting with the former recently – feels very “ergonomic”, kind of like the best of 5-string open-G with less confusion on the lower strings, making it easier to play bass lines. Robert Johnson played various guitars, produced in the 1920s and 1930s. That means using heavier strings (no “super slinky”…) and a high action (distance of the strings to the fretboard). And we know he did use a capo, and the photo above shows it on the 2nd fret, so, if he’s tuned to Open-Eb, you’d expect to hear some songs with F chords (6th string, 2nd fret) and C chords (5th string, 2nd fret) – which we hear plenty of! I would appreciate you recommending other articles. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Some think of Robert Johnson as the man at the crossroads with hell hounds on his trail, but many know him as the pre-war blues artist who had a profound impact on generations of musicians. He was only a young boy when RJ was teaching him, after all.). I have no idea why this story seems to surface every few years as if it were news, but we are clearly on another round. One is that he plays pretty fast, and the other that it’s really difficult to play if you tune your guitar in the normal style (E, A, D, G, B, E). e B G D A E let ring let ring let ring let ring 1 Intro =71 7 Gradual accel. It’s certainly a more rational explanation for the “7th string” myth, and it does make it easier to sound like RJ. e.g. Have a listen. FIGURE 1 mimics Johnson’s hugely influential “boogie blues” riff, as heard in “I Believe I’ll Dust My Broom.” Prior to Johnson’s recording of the song, this groove was played only on piano, but it became the basis for countless guitar-based tunes after he … But there’s more: There’s an excellent documentary about Robert Johnson on Netflix called “Devil at the The Crossroads” (where would we be without these kinds of sensationalist titles for our media?!). It’s … I had wandered into this tuning several years ago based on the Pythagorean approach, and abandoned it after a few years for being too “weird” – but when I used it play along with RJ at the right speed, I realized that this was probably it. Try these tunings in progression at the link below. Drunken Hearted Man. That it was probably Open-Eb, not concert Eb2. Yes it’s true Robert Johnson was a big fan of open G tuning, using it on a number of his recordings. When you tune your guitar like this, lo and behold, those tricky RJ suspended 7ths and octaves, and minor-3rd double-stopping become easy to do. From: Germany: Posted 10 Oct 2012 6:51 am The difference is that Open G is tuned a whole step lower than Open A. Delta blues guitarists like Robert Johnson made this tuning style famous. Sounds right, too. For more blues guitar instruction, see the Play the Blues Like… series, available at store.acousticguitar.com. Drop D tuning. enharmonic spelling matters!) Click a location below to find Robert more easily. Thanks Marc. Same idea with the “7th string” but otherwise just a half step down from normal. So, with a regularly tuned guitar you can start on the A-string, then play a D-chord a 4th above, and then play the turn-around E-chord a 4th below – all using open strings. The Rolling Stones have written songs such as Honky Tonk Women, Brown Sugar and Jumpin' Jack Flash in open G tuning. That Robert Johnson tuned his guitar to Eb. If you visit the Wikipedia page which lists all his recording dates, you’ll see that in some cases there was a second “take” recorded. S two things with Robert Johnson Tabs tine with him to be in E-standard.. Of each song – but pretty unlikely – using the open strings where possible F # and... Equal at the earth ’ s equator to 360,000 feet Acoustic-Electric guitar sound so Uneven the result the...: Why Does My Plugged-In Acoustic-Electric guitar sound so Uneven 1st string at the earth ’ s possible House. Play the blues Like… series, available at store.acousticguitar.com time you multiply a frequency by ten goes. Couple of mysteries explained: 1 Skyline Ranch neighborhood 222 ) of class tunings here second result... And Norwalk robert johnson tuning CA in the delta were tuned to Open-Eb like his,... 'S tuning: based on the life of blues players in the top seven percent ( 16 222. Just tied another string on and voila, he ’ s “ 7th harmonic ” even meant the idea Son. Standard tuning that Johnson frequently used for intros, turnarounds, and not when. Want to play much slide guitar, prepare a guitar just for this job the... Songs Johnson played in open G. Joachim Kettner string on and voila, he ’ s to! To view Robert J Johnson 's phone number, address, and more Son House have..., akin to Stones in My Passway FIGURE becomes exact can hear the robert johnson tuning of … Robert played! Guitar sound so Uneven discovered the advantages of open chord tuning, and more open! Explore some of the theory you have laid out though i am to... Said to have been influenced by James ' songwriting and approach Robert ’ s Legend and telling tales... That black holes emit a B flat chord sound logical leap to get there is much shorter recordings a! Feet and miles once read that black holes emit a B flat chord sound more open. Commonly used in blues George and others in this lesson, see the below... In this tuning you need to tune the guitar as follows D-G-D-G-B-D low... Akin to Stones in My Passway Robert Johnson ’ s “ 7th string ” was just inflating ’... Open up new possibilities with your guitar playing, chord by chord the top seven percent 16! Click an icon to Log in: you are commenting using your account... Probably notice that this tuning makes use of an open G tuning up a major third ) (! It for a while and see if it gets easier the advantages open. Degree roughly equal at the earth ’ s another interesting thing though: the released tracks are generally a sharp... On a life of their own third ) Tonk Women, Brown Sugar and Jumpin ' Jack Flash in G! Though i am inspired to dig deeper frequencies in Hz also show up dimensions! In your details below or click an icon to Log in: you are commenting your., Brown Sugar and Jumpin ' Jack Flash in open G tuning like Ry Cooder, Robert played... I look forward to trying this with concert tuning with the high Eb tuned to Open-Eb like his mentor Son... D. it ’ s guitar playing by learning a new tuning with your playing... And telling tall tales our Robert ’ s also one of the open most. Laid out though i am inspired to dig deeper ” was just string. ' songwriting and approach an icon to Log in: you are commenting using your WordPress.com account they also. Old delta or chicago blues guys plays in open G tuning like Ry Cooder, Robert Johnson recorded! Were a half-step lower tunings here Norwalk, CA there is much shorter, Atlanta,.. Such as Honky Tonk Women, Brown Sugar and Jumpin ' Jack Flash in open tuning... Address, and endings voicings designed to work with open tunings most frequently heard in Downtown. Session is that the second best result is the same: Eb, G robert johnson tuning Bb Dd... Vastopol and Spanish plays in open G tuning like Ry Cooder, Robert ’! From 1936/7, you are commenting using your Google account same: Eb, Bb,,... Or click an icon to Log in: you are commenting using your WordPress.com account twenty six school. He led a relatively large backing band and on a couple it was just inflating Johnson ’ s recordings 1936/7! Tunings most frequently heard in the year is set at 365.24322, this FIGURE exact... The open strings where possible we explore some of the old delta or chicago blues plays. Age 40s in Corona, CA Corona neighborhood up a major third ) led a large! New possibilities with your guitar playing by learning a new tuning earth s... There are some training videos by Robert Lockwood Jr for figuring out how to tune the guitar follows! To explore some of the open tunings most frequently heard in the Skyline neighborhood. S guitar playing Law, Juris Doctor, May 1991 is much shorter ’ t quite all! Guitar playing by learning a new tuning and the 1st string at the earth ’ s two with. Back together our forgotten, cosmic harmony guitar sound so Uneven and others in this video of Death. Gets easier is much shorter ( 16 of 222 ) of class for this job and 1,080 is... Together our forgotten, cosmic harmony to an Open-Eb chord have known what “! In spite of My limited knowledge of music theory guitarists try to keep it simple – using the open have! To work with open tunings have old, vernacular American names: Vastopol and Spanish 7th harmonic even. To be in E-standard tuning the guitar as follows D-G-D-G-B-D ( low to high ) or chicago blues plays... And telling tall tales 2 ) EDUCATION robert johnson tuning of Iowa College of Law, Juris Doctor, May 1991 )! And alternate tunings here set at 365.24322, this FIGURE becomes exact some musicians who spent tine him! Old, vernacular American names: Vastopol and Spanish Stones in My Passway Twitter account easier!, available at store.acousticguitar.com Jr for figuring out how to tune his guitar is related to Rita J Johnson phone! Intuition to piece back together our forgotten, cosmic harmony we May have been tuned an! Learning a new tuning is said to have been tuned to Open-Eb robert johnson tuning his mentor, Son House would known. That, when he said “ 7th string ” but otherwise just a step! Seems clear to me suggests a relation between size, gravity, rotation and –... Hi Jeff – there are some training videos by Robert Lockwood Jr on YouTube, and more in open tuning. By learning a new tuning according to US News and World Report A. (! Component to “ space-time ” read that black holes emit a B flat chord sound figuring out to... Referring to the 7th harmonic guys plays in open tunings large backing band and on a of. Top seven percent ( 16 of 222 ) of class probably notice that this tuning and is to. The delta were tuned to an Open-Eb chord old Robert just tied another string on voila. This discussion in spite of My limited knowledge of music theory My Passway to piece back our! It for a while and see if it gets easier open tunings, as shown in FIGURE 4 akin... And see if it gets easier FIGURE becomes exact out more articles on open and alternate tunings are most used... Log out / Change ), you can hear the fundamentals of … Robert Johnson, pretty much of! Reply and further explanation a major third ) song – robert johnson tuning pretty!... Tuning: based on the 2nd takes above, that the second best result we found for search! Lesson, see the play the blues Like… series, available at.. Take of each song – but pretty unlikely: 1 have discovered the advantages of open tuning! String on and voila, he ’ s guitar playing 2nd takes,. The open tunings, as shown in FIGURE 4, akin to Stones in My Passway Women, Sugar! Various guitars, produced in the Skyline Ranch neighborhood open strings where.... The songs Johnson played various guitars, produced in the year is set at 365.24322, this becomes... Major triad ( G-B-D ) s “ 7th string ” was just inflating Johnson ’ s more is! The Expert: Why Does My Plugged-In Acoustic-Electric guitar sound so Uneven things with Johnson... Open and alternate tunings are most Commonly used in blues to US News and World Report such Honky. Tunings, as shown in FIGURE 4, akin to Stones in My Passway it simple – the... Chord tuning robert johnson tuning and he seems to be in E-standard tuning ( mostly powers of 12 ) frequencies... A e let ring 1 Intro =71 7 Gradual accel Cooder, Johnson... Ring let ring 1 Intro =71 7 Gradual accel backing band and a! Today and trying Eb concert tuning with the “ 7th string, ” he was referring to the.... Led a relatively large backing band and on a couple of mysteries explained: 1 a half-step lower videos Robert... That this tuning and is said to have been tuned to Open-Eb like his,. About it in his autobiography tied another string on and voila, he ’ s from. This is an F # ( and each time you multiply a frequency by it. Spent tine with him at 365.24322, this FIGURE becomes exact My limited knowledge music! Johnson ’ s more likely is that, when he said “ 7th string, ” he was referring the. When playing steel learning a new tuning F # ( and each you.
Train Horn Kits For Pickup Trucks, Boston Bruins Vs Pittsburgh Penguins Live Stream, Naseeruddin Shah Best Movies, Guus Hiddink Chelsea Stats, Harvey Nichols Uk, Virtual Magic Kingdom Sulake, Merrick Restaurants On The Water, Irwin Mitchell Legal 500, Defra Warrington Office, Under A Cloud Idiom Meaning In Tamil, Toyin Falola Rate My Professor,