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Using Open C tuning Effectively

PostPosted: Sat Dec 10, 2005 2:09 pm
by rio85
Yo! this be me first post on the Devy forum, but alas ive been lurking for a while...

anyway, for a while ive been meaning to do a little prog side project away from my normal gunk and ive been debating with myself what to do about it, well ive finally got round to writing some songs and i decided to use open C tuning since Devy is kinda a big influence on this project (along with Sigur Ros, Peter Gaberial and porcupine tree to name a few) which is a bit of a departure from my normal 'grr' metal.

but... what chords are there for Open C tuning? is there a limited amount? because whilst writing i only found about 5 or so different chords, and does anyone have or know what the intervals of open C are?

thanks Dudes and Dudettes

Peace out

PostPosted: Sat Dec 10, 2005 7:40 pm
by mo
You should check out an app called Guitar Pro (v5 just out now).

It will show you all chords and scales.

PostPosted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 5:01 am
by rio85
mo wrote:You should check out an app called Guitar Pro (v5 just out now).

It will show you all chords and scales.


unfortunatly im one of those lesser spotted mac users you hear so much about, so no such usefull programs for me unfortunatly, is there a way to convert the files to HTML? that'd be rad if you could help, thanks man

PostPosted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 11:28 am
by Terraformer
Forget scales and chords sheets, lad.

Make your own! Find out yourself! This is now joke.
I switched to open C (Open A# now) 3 years ago. Never went back.
This tuning is so...well...comfortable and intuitive...it doesn't get much
easier. It's not hard to find out how the whole thing works (and I bet
that for YOU it'l lwork in a WHOLE different way than for me).
I for myself can say that I actually started to REALLY play the guitar
with this tuning. All the years before (with the standard tuning) it was
just like...you know scales 'n chords. I got bored with it. Even thought
about quitting. Not 'cause I couldn't manage the guitar. Like I said before.
I got bored. I wanted something new. I tried the CGCGCE tuning and...
...voila! There it was. It was a new beginning.

PostPosted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 1:27 pm
by fragility
agreed....doesn't take long to work out your intervals ( and therefore your chords) if you want to get the theoretical side of things done....when I play in it, I prefer to just work on intuition....just because when I use it, I'm more in that mind set

PostPosted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 2:02 pm
by Spinalcold
Personally I don't like drop tunings, if you want to go lower, throw everything down a step, or just a few strings (I drop only the E and A string for a few songs). I don't know why, but I find that dropping just the single string closes a persons mind to many of the weird chords that you can come up with. I make up all the chords I use, which I also recommend doing, and I just like standard tuning for my imagination.

PostPosted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 1:54 pm
by The Incision
Spinalcold wrote:Personally I don't like drop tunings, if you want to go lower, throw everything down a step, or just a few strings (I drop only the E and A string for a few songs). I don't know why, but I find that dropping just the single string closes a persons mind to many of the weird chords that you can come up with. I make up all the chords I use, which I also recommend doing, and I just like standard tuning for my imagination.

That is a cool concept, especially for alternate sounding chords...but the more ways you try things, the more options you have
-Brent 8)

PostPosted: Sat Jan 07, 2006 11:45 pm
by Cygnus
open C is a very awesome tuning, but i have the same problem. Im so limited with it. I honestly dont know how the hell devin can use that tuning so well. I learned "Deep Peace", "Traveller" and "Deadhead," but i have no idea how he can solo so well with it.

I personally find alot of his songs easier in CGCGGC tuning as opposed to CGCGCE tuning. (Especially Traveller)

PostPosted: Sun Jan 08, 2006 7:22 am
by rio85
a cool one ive found is Csus9 (i think thats it) which is CGCGCF it adds to the ethnic sound of open C, im using it for one of my acoustic songs, which are becoming easyervto write than the electric songs

Edit: turns out its Csus4 :roll:

PostPosted: Sun Jan 08, 2006 12:43 pm
by Deathcom7000
I've been using Open for 2 years, and couldn't make crap. I tried open C one night, and made some great riffs instantly. You'll be fine.

PostPosted: Sun Jan 08, 2006 8:27 pm
by Cygnus
rio85 wrote:a cool one ive found is Csus9 (i think thats it) which is CGCGCF it adds to the ethnic sound of open C, im using it for one of my acoustic songs, which are becoming easyervto write than the electric songs

Edit: turns out its Csus4 :roll:


I always thought Csus4 was just Dsus4 (DADAGAD) dropped down a half step?

Thats how i play it anyway...

PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2006 9:15 pm
by -THe-Billy-
Here's some stuff to get you started. Its in the Key of C (no sharps or flats) and will hopefully get you familiar with the open C tuning. If anyone has questions, feel free to PM me, and by all means enjoy!

1.Minor shape from C:
E
C
G
C-8------or--5
G-5-----------5
C-5-----------8

2.Major shape from C:
E
C
G
C-9------or--5
G-5-----------5
C-5-----------9


3.Minor shape from G:
E
C
G-8------or---5
C-7-----------7
G-5-----------8
C

4.Major shape from G:
E
C
G-9------or---5
C-7-----------7
G-5-----------9
C

Diminished:
E---------------------10-----7----
C---------------------8------8---
G---------10-7-------7-----10---
C-8--5---8---8---------------
G-7--7---7---10-------------
C-5--8------------------------

the 7 modes: (4 note per string) (KEY OF C, no sharps or flats)

Ionian
E----------------------------------------------7-8-10-12-
C-------------------------------------4-5-7-9------------
G----------------------------2-4-5-7----------------------
C-------------------2-4-5-7--------------------------------
G----------0-2-4-5-----------------------------------------
C-0-2-4-5---------------------------------------------------

Dorian
E------------------------------------------------8-10-12-13-
C--------------------------------------5-7-9-11--------------
G-----------------------------4-5-7-9-------------------------
C--------------------4-5-7-9----------------------------------
G-----------2-4-5-7-------------------------------------------
C--2-4-5-7----------------------------------------------------

Phrygian
E----------------------------------------------------10-12-13-15
C----------------------------------------7-9-11-12--------------
G------------------------------5-7-9-10--------------------------
C---------------------5-7-9-11-----------------------------------
G-----------4-5-7-9----------------------------------------------
C--4-5-7-9-------------------------------------------------------


Lydian
E--------------------------------------------------------12-13-15-17
C----------------------------------------------9-11-12--------------
G----------------------------------7-9-10-12------------------------
C----------------------7-9-11-12------------------------------------
G------------5-7-9-10------------------------------------------------
C--5-7-9-11----------------------------------------------------------

Mixolydian
E------------------------------------------------------------------13-15-17-19
C----------------------------------------------------11-12-14-16-------------
G--------------------------------------9-10-12-14-----------------------------
C-------------------------9-11-12-14------------------------------------------
G-------------7-9-10-12-------------------------------------------------------
C-7-9-11-12-------------------------------------------------------------------

Aeolian
E--------------------------------------------------------------------15-17-18-20
C------------------------------------------------------12-14-16-17------------
G----------------------------------------10-12-14-16----------------------------
C--------------------------11-12-14-16-----------------------------------------
G--------------9-10-12-14------------------------------------------------------
C-9-11-12-14------------------------------------------------------------------

Locrian
E---------------------------------------------------------------------17-18-20-22
C-------------------------------------------------------14-16-17-19-----------
G-----------------------------------------12-14-16-17---------------------------
C---------------------------12-14-16-17----------------------------------------
G---------------10-12-14-16-----------------------------------------------------
C--11-12-14-16-----------------------------------------------------------------

Sweeps: C Major intervals 4/4 time (16ths count 1e+a,2e+a...)

E------------------------12-15-12---------------------
C---------------------12----------12------------------
G------------------12----------------12---------------
C-----------12-16----------------------16-12---------
G--------12-----------------------------------12------
C-12-16------------------------------------------16--

E------------------------15-20-15---------------------
C---------------------16----------16------------------
G------------------17----------------17---------------
C-----------16-19----------------------19-16---------
G--------17-----------------------------------17------
C--16-19-----------------------------------------19--

E------------------------20-24-20---------------------
C---------------------19----------19------------------
G------------------21----------------17---------------
C-----------19-24----------------------24-19---------
G--------21-----------------------------------21------
C--19-24-----------------------------------------24--


Sweeps: C Minor intervals 4/4 time (16ths count 1e+a,2e+a...)

E------------------------11-15-11---------------------
C---------------------12----------12------------------
G------------------12----------------12---------------
C-----------12-15----------------------15-12---------
G--------12-----------------------------------12------
C-12-15------------------------------------------15--

E------------------------15-20-15---------------------
C---------------------15----------15------------------
G------------------17----------------17---------------
C-----------15-19----------------------19-15---------
G--------17-----------------------------------17------
C--15-19-----------------------------------------19--

E------------------------20-23-20---------------------
C---------------------19----------19------------------
G------------------20----------------20---------------
C-----------19-24----------------------24-19---------
G--------20-----------------------------------20------
C--19-24-----------------------------------------24--


Um...thats all I can think of for majors and monirs to get ya started, you can do the rest from there...best wishes and happy playing!

PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:06 am
by sj_2150
^ god damn im glad i decided to play bass instead of guitar.

PostPosted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 6:53 pm
by Cygnus
sj_2150 wrote:^ god damn im glad i decided to play bass instead of guitar.


play both... like me

PostPosted: Mon Feb 27, 2006 10:39 am
by mo
Cygnus wrote:
sj_2150 wrote:^ god damn im glad i decided to play bass instead of guitar.


play both... like me

and me


I got my guitar serviced, the guy calls me today and says, "Yeah you're guitar's ready and its in that open C stoner tuning..."

Cheeky bastard... How'd he know!?