Guitars | Gear | Tunings

Tunings:
The following is a list of guitar tunings used on my albums on Virtue Records, and my piece "The Handing Down" featured on both the Windham Hill Records Guitar Sampler and my own album "Luna". I've received quite a bit of mail from guitarists asking for the tunings, tablature, and about my guitars. The six-string guitar used on Night Birds and on the Windham Hill Guitar Sampler was made by Ervin Somogyi of Berkeley, CA.  Subsequent recordings feature the Somogyi as well as guitars by Breedlove, Mossman, and Martin.

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THE LIVE ALBUM
Onstage I'm not always relying on my electronic tuner- sometimes they slow me down, other times I just don't care. These should get you pretty close. Please note that on the 12 string pieces "Malaika" and "Isa Lei" the guitar is in drop D but pitched at B or thereabout. On "Shallow Brown" and "Homage" I'm using a Weissenborn style guitar which is played lap style. You can get most of the stuff if you play slide in a conventional manner with a little practice. Thanks for your interest and good luck!

1. Tennessee

DADGAD (Down 1/2 step, capo 2) 

2. Malaika 

DADGBE (D=B) 

3. Great Dream From Heaven 

DADGBE (Down 1/2 step, capo 2) 

4. Shallow Brown 

DADF#AD ( D=B) 

5. Duet 

DGDGBD (down 1/2 step) 

6. Isa Lei 

DADGBE (D=B) 

7. Homage 

DADF# AD (D=B) 

8. Si Bhig, Si Mhor 

DADGBD (down 1/2 step, capo 5) 

9. Slide Improv 

DADF# AD 

10. The Handing Down 

EADEAE 

11. Malaika 

DADGBE 

12. The Water Is Wide 

DADGBE capo 3

 

COUNTING THE WAYS

Please note that my guitars are tuned a half step below what is written here.

1. Willy O'Winsbury:

FIRST GUITAR: DADF#AD, Capo 5 SECOND GUITAR: CGDGBD

HIGH STRING GUITAR: DADGBE, Capo 5

2. If I Fell/In My Life: BOTH GUITARS: DADGBE, Capo?

3. Malaika: STANDARD TUNING, Capo 4

4.Isa Lei

FIRST GUITAR: DADF#AD

HIGH STRUNG GUITAR: STANDARD TUNING, Capo 5

BROZMAN'S WEISSENBORN HAWAIIAN GUITAR: 

CGCGCE (actually up a half step to C#)

ED'S HAWAIIAN GUITAR: DADF#AD

5. Maria Elena:

ALL GUITARS: DADGBE (down a whole step- D=C)

6. Wild Mountain Thyme: 

DGDGBD (down a whole step to F)

7. Spanish Harlem:

FIRST AND SECOND GUITARS: DGDGBD (down a whole step to F)

8. My Creole Belle:

BOTH GUITARS: STANDARD TUNING, CONCERT PITCH, Capo 2

9. Can't Help Falling in Love:

MAIN GUITARS STANDARD TUNING, Capo 4

HAWAIIAN GUITAR: DADF#AD (up a half step to E flat)

10. The Water is Wide:  DADGBE, Capo 3

NIGHT BIRDS

1. DUET -- D G D G B D

2. CROW -- E A D G A E

3. NO.11 -- F A C G C E

4. SPIKE #2 -- D G D G B D

5. LOST HIGHWAY -- E A C# E A E

6. SI BHIG, SI MHOR -- D A D G B D

7. NO.7. -- E A E E B E

8. THE FRENCH LADY -- E G D G C D

9. SUITE (I-IV) -- E A D E A E

10. NIGHT BIRDS -- D G D G B D

CHRISTMAS

* Denotes standard tuning. Most pieces on CHRISTMAS have multiple guitars, so the tuning given is for the primary guitars. Capo positions vary- experiment !

1. IT CAME UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR *

2. GOOD KING WENCESLAS -- D G D G B D

3. O COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL *

4. COVENTRY CAROL *

5. O TANNENBAUM -- D A D G B E

6. WHAT CHILD IS THIS? *

7. SILVER BELLS *

8. AWAY IN A MANGER -- D G D G B D

9. WE THREE KINGS *

10. CAROL OF THE BELLS *

11. O HOLY NIGHT-- D A D G B E

12. A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD -- D A D G B E

13.VARIATIONS ON PACHELBELS' CANON

14. SILENT NIGHT -- D A D G B E

LUNA

1. TENNESSEE -- D A D G A D

2. RED MOUNTAIN SERENADE -- D A D G B E

3. POSTCARD FROM LIMBO -- D A D G B E

4. FOG TRILOGY -- C G D G A D

5. BLUE HIGHWAY -- B A D E A D

6. LUNA -- C G C Eb B C

7. HORSES IN THE RAIN -- B G C F G C

8.GEARHAT -- C G D G A D

9. THE HANDING DOWN -- E A D E A E

10. HOWL -- D A D F# A D

 

NOTE: I always tune my guitars lower than standard concert pitch. The six-string is tuned down one half-step ( E= E flat, etc) and the twelve string goes down approximately 3 half steps. If you want to work along with the records, tune the guitar thusly. Good luck ! -Ed

 

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