My husband has been playing and taking lessons for ~yr and a half (he's an accomplished musican on other instruments so picked it up quickly).. I am still trying to get him to play irish with me, but he doesn't want to retune. Would it be worth picking up a second guitar? Craigslist has a Takamine G-240 for $60. Worth it?
A second guitar is always nice, but why does he have to retune?
Standard tuning will work for Irish back up. The trick is to get the sounds you want.. but that all depends on the person's skill no matter what tuning they use.
I don't see why not. I play guitar but not for sessions, but I can see where one might use either standard or DADGAD for accompaniment. Is that his intention? If so, I'm sure I understand why he would need a second guitar? Can't he just tune for ITM and tune back when he's done? In any case, sure, get the second guitar. What can it hurt?
Oh, and you may get snide comments about backing ITM on this site. Ignore them.
i suspect he doesnt want to play irish music, i suspect you suspect or know the same.
i use standard tuning for backing.
many of the alternative tunings sound lovely, but start to sound samey after a while; and can be very awkward when you get beyond the obvious chords. many use a capo in a different position for almost every key change.
i wouldnt recommend a beginner learning an alternatiive tuning
at the same time as standand. he'll end up all over the place; and it will slow down the development of the intuitiveness.
i have a second guitar that i leave in dadgad or whatever i'm messing with. its a luxury, for years i had just one dreadnought.
switching between standard and dadgad (probably the most common alternative tunings with irish music) involves re tuning 3 of the 6 strings, and takes perhaps 10 seconds.
the guitar i think is worth much more; craigslist being craigslist, it may be stolen.
assuming it isnt stolen, buy it anyway and see what happens.
if it doesnt get used, you can give it to your new best friend, rumpole
I'd have thought that if you want to play radically different tunings as well as standard, you'd perhaps use different gauge strings on the alternately tuned guitar to keep the tension and tone, so two guitars would make sense, although it would be a luxury.
But please don't take two to a crowded session! One guitar + case takes up enough room
If you're learning to play in something like DADGAD, it can be useful to have a spare guitar around. It's one impediment out of the way. If you've only got a few minutes, you can still just pick up and play. If a spare guitar is an option for you, there's no reason not to have one. As Mr. Stiltskin says, it's a luxury. Over time, you find it easier to change the tuning than to go grab the other guitar, but at the start, it's handy. Also nice to have a spare, if someone comes over and you want to play a few songs together, and so forth.
It's possible, however, that the retuning is a dodge, and the Irish isn't his thing. Probably you should ask him before springing a second guitar on him.
A Takamine for $60? I'd wonder why it's priced so low.
Thanks for the thoughts. I promise he will never take both to a session. I don't think he'll ever go to a session that isn't in someone's back yard, he's too classically trained (likes sheet music and a play list). I'm going to see if I can get more info from the seller, and send someone scary looking who lives in the same town to go have a look.
I used to lug two guitars to performances with our trio, I accompany in Dropped D and do fingerstyle tunes in DADGAD. The main reason was not for re-tuning convenience really, but because I was back and forth between tunings so much, (which only takes less than about a minute really if used to it) that I lived in fear of breaking the high E string on the way back up. It is a real pain to have to change the string, hold up the show, and then it never stays in tune very long.
Also I like a different neck adjustment for delicate fingerstyle tune playing, way low action. Though I accompany finger style too, it is so much stronger on the "attack", that a guitar set ideally for tune playing will buzz at times for backup playing. So there are some good reasons to have two guitars.
Now I have gotten addicted to playing harp, so the thought of two guitars, a harp and often a sound system is too much, so one guitar it is.
So now I just live with the fear of breaking the E string, though generally it doesn't happen, and always carry a truss rod adjuster (don't do this without a luthier showing you how to use it first!!) in case the action is a little uncomforatble for tunes or is buzzing for backing! Then again, I am ultra sensitive to the feel of the instruments to the point of near insanity! None of this may bother someone else!
Standard tuning does just fine, and if someone is comfortable with that, there is no need to change. Now, down the road, if they want to change or experiment, that is a different story.
tracywag, click on my user name and look at my profile for a beginner's guide to accompanying The Music, a collection of the wisdom people have been kind enough to share with me over the years. That might give your husband what he needs to get started.
Enjoy!
I suppose my main complaint about DADGAD players is that they seem to be only strummers - when I was first experimenting with DADGAD in the late '60s/early'70s', it was used for fingerstyle playing - Clive Woolf, Angus Baxter, Davy Graham, Martin Carthy, et al. Nowadays it seems they strum away furiously but do little else, leaving their unresolved notes hanging in the air.
I went to look at the guitar today and bought it. A friend who plays went along to give a professional opinion, said I may want to have a luthier adjust the neck a little, but other than that gave a thumbs up. The seller is a music teacher where my friend works (I love odd coincidences) and needed to downsize his guitar collection since he just bought yet another one. It even came with a nice padded gig bag. Of course the way he is acting at the moment, I may end up hitting him over the head with the thing before Christmas.
Second guitar for alternate tuning?
Second guitar for alternate tuning?
My husband has been playing and taking lessons for ~yr and a half (he's an accomplished musican on other instruments so picked it up quickly).. I am still trying to get him to play irish with me, but he doesn't want to retune. Would it be worth picking up a second guitar? Craigslist has a Takamine G-240 for $60. Worth it?
# Posted on December 19th 2009 by tracywag
Re: Second guitar for alternate tuning?
A second guitar is always nice, but why does he have to retune?
Standard tuning will work for Irish back up. The trick is to get the sounds you want.. but that all depends on the person's skill no matter what tuning they use.
# Posted on December 19th 2009 by jardineromi
Re: Second guitar for alternate tuning?
I don't see why not. I play guitar but not for sessions, but I can see where one might use either standard or DADGAD for accompaniment. Is that his intention? If so, I'm sure I understand why he would need a second guitar? Can't he just tune for ITM and tune back when he's done? In any case, sure, get the second guitar. What can it hurt?
Oh, and you may get snide comments about backing ITM on this site. Ignore them.
# Posted on December 19th 2009 by Jimmy B
Re: Second guitar for alternate tuning?
i suspect he doesnt want to play irish music, i suspect you suspect or know the same.
i use standard tuning for backing.
many of the alternative tunings sound lovely, but start to sound samey after a while; and can be very awkward when you get beyond the obvious chords. many use a capo in a different position for almost every key change.
i wouldnt recommend a beginner learning an alternatiive tuning
at the same time as standand. he'll end up all over the place; and it will slow down the development of the intuitiveness.
i have a second guitar that i leave in dadgad or whatever i'm messing with. its a luxury, for years i had just one dreadnought.
switching between standard and dadgad (probably the most common alternative tunings with irish music) involves re tuning 3 of the 6 strings, and takes perhaps 10 seconds.
the guitar i think is worth much more; craigslist being craigslist, it may be stolen.
assuming it isnt stolen, buy it anyway and see what happens.
if it doesnt get used, you can give it to your new best friend, rumpole
# Posted on December 19th 2009 by rumpole
Re: Second guitar for alternate tuning?
An even less labor intensive alternate tuning is dropped D - only the low E string is lowered a whole tone.
# Posted on December 19th 2009 by will morgan
Re: Second guitar for alternate tuning?
If you want him to play Irish music with you, buy him a bouzouki, not a guitar. That way he won't be tempted to play jazz instead.
# Posted on December 19th 2009 by skreech
Re: Second guitar for alternate tuning?
This might tempt him:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe4B1Bs27Rc
I'd have thought that if you want to play radically different tunings as well as standard, you'd perhaps use different gauge strings on the alternately tuned guitar to keep the tension and tone, so two guitars would make sense, although it would be a luxury.
But please don't take two to a crowded session! One guitar + case takes up enough room
# Posted on December 19th 2009 by Bren
Re: Second guitar for alternate tuning?
If you're learning to play in something like DADGAD, it can be useful to have a spare guitar around. It's one impediment out of the way. If you've only got a few minutes, you can still just pick up and play. If a spare guitar is an option for you, there's no reason not to have one. As Mr. Stiltskin says, it's a luxury. Over time, you find it easier to change the tuning than to go grab the other guitar, but at the start, it's handy. Also nice to have a spare, if someone comes over and you want to play a few songs together, and so forth.
It's possible, however, that the retuning is a dodge, and the Irish isn't his thing. Probably you should ask him before springing a second guitar on him.
A Takamine for $60? I'd wonder why it's priced so low.
# Posted on December 19th 2009 by Jon Kiparsky
Re: Second guitar for alternate tuning?
make him play on his other one first!!!
# Posted on December 19th 2009 by scordion
Re: Second guitar for alternate tuning?
Thanks for the thoughts. I promise he will never take both to a session. I don't think he'll ever go to a session that isn't in someone's back yard, he's too classically trained (likes sheet music and a play list). I'm going to see if I can get more info from the seller, and send someone scary looking who lives in the same town to go have a look.
# Posted on December 19th 2009 by tracywag
Re: Second guitar for alternate tuning?
he should do what you tell him, if not... divorce him... your pursuit of irish music will drive him away either way
# Posted on December 19th 2009 by McCracken
Re: Second guitar for alternate tuning?
"This might tempt him:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe4B1Bs27Rc";
Hey, thanks, Bren! I was unaware of John Jorgensen.
I watched some of his other videos, too.
# Posted on December 20th 2009 by oldstrings
Re: Second guitar for alternate tuning?
I used to lug two guitars to performances with our trio, I accompany in Dropped D and do fingerstyle tunes in DADGAD. The main reason was not for re-tuning convenience really, but because I was back and forth between tunings so much, (which only takes less than about a minute really if used to it) that I lived in fear of breaking the high E string on the way back up. It is a real pain to have to change the string, hold up the show, and then it never stays in tune very long.
Also I like a different neck adjustment for delicate fingerstyle tune playing, way low action. Though I accompany finger style too, it is so much stronger on the "attack", that a guitar set ideally for tune playing will buzz at times for backup playing. So there are some good reasons to have two guitars.
Now I have gotten addicted to playing harp, so the thought of two guitars, a harp and often a sound system is too much, so one guitar it is.
So now I just live with the fear of breaking the E string, though generally it doesn't happen, and always carry a truss rod adjuster (don't do this without a luthier showing you how to use it first!!) in case the action is a little uncomforatble for tunes or is buzzing for backing! Then again, I am ultra sensitive to the feel of the instruments to the point of near insanity! None of this may bother someone else!
# Posted on December 20th 2009 by irisnevins
Re: Second guitar for alternate tuning?
Standard tuning does just fine, and if someone is comfortable with that, there is no need to change. Now, down the road, if they want to change or experiment, that is a different story.
tracywag, click on my user name and look at my profile for a beginner's guide to accompanying The Music, a collection of the wisdom people have been kind enough to share with me over the years. That might give your husband what he needs to get started.
Enjoy!
# Posted on December 20th 2009 by AlBrown
Re: Second guitar for alternate tuning?
nothing wrong with Standard tuning, which (as a few above have pointed out) is fine for a quick retune for DADGAD and even quicker Drop D
i prefer to leave mine in CGCGCD at all times and make sure i always have a spare capo
# Posted on December 21st 2009 by lisaniska
Re: Second guitar for alternate tuning?
I suppose my main complaint about DADGAD players is that they seem to be only strummers - when I was first experimenting with DADGAD in the late '60s/early'70s', it was used for fingerstyle playing - Clive Woolf, Angus Baxter, Davy Graham, Martin Carthy, et al. Nowadays it seems they strum away furiously but do little else, leaving their unresolved notes hanging in the air.
# Posted on December 22nd 2009 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Second guitar for alternate tuning?
I went to look at the guitar today and bought it. A friend who plays went along to give a professional opinion, said I may want to have a luthier adjust the neck a little, but other than that gave a thumbs up. The seller is a music teacher where my friend works (I love odd coincidences) and needed to downsize his guitar collection since he just bought yet another one. It even came with a nice padded gig bag. Of course the way he is acting at the moment, I may end up hitting him over the head with the thing before Christmas.
I appreciate the sound advice.
# Posted on December 23rd 2009 by tracywag