Probably a really stupid question but i wanted to clarify the actual tuning used on Life.

I did some looking and some tabs i found were tuned to the usual open c we all know and love whereas others had some different tunings (for example one was tuned to drop d followed by tuning down another half step).

I'm really interested in playing this song, so damn catchy, but i cant do it if i have the wrong tuning can i!

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I'm really interested in playing this song, so damn catchy, but i cant do it if i have the wrong tuning can i!

The questions are: In which tuning does it sound best to you and in which tuning do you find it easier to play? When you find a way of playing it that delivers satisfying answers for both of those questions, it isn't so important if it really is the tuning Dev used on the actual record.

As far as I am concerned, I once found tabs for it in standard tuning (or am I just making this up?) and in Devin's CGCGCE tuning. My poor attempt at playing it that way didn't sound too wrong, so you should give it a shot. And watching the DTB's live performance of it on the Safe Zone DVD could also be useful.

Thats a very good point, i never thought of it that way before.

Thank you for enlightening me!

Thats a very good point, i never thought of it that way before.

Thank you for enlightening me!

Pas de problèmes - another thing that I just thought of: Post your question in the "Fan Question" section and Brain aka Beavis might answer you. He wasn't around when Dev recorded Ocean Machine, but has played it live a couple of times by now, and if he wasn't that stoned during all those concerts he even might remember the tuning...

Yet another stroke of genius good sir.

I may well just do that, although hoping that Beavis wasnt stoned during all the concerts is asking a little much

It's in Open C.

The hardest part to play is the intro. Most of the tabs on the net for this song are not very accurate (big surprise there hehe).

I tabbed out most of it some years back and posted it at the old hevydevy forums. I'll see if I can dig it up. Don't hold your breath


The chords for the chorus are..(you can figure out the strumming)

888XXX

X68XXX

555XXX

X68XXX

888XXX

X68XXX

555XXX

444XXX

666XXX

888XXX


Don't strum the X's obviously. Hope this helps some

Thanks man that is a big help!

I wont hold my breath but if you could find the old tab then that would be a god send!

Thanks for the chords

The intro is actually quite easy. It's the middle of the night now, but as soon as I have some time, I'll write it down in a text-editor for ya.
Coming soon!

Screw it.. I'll do it now

Hope this works:

C----------8--10--12--10--8---------10--8------------10--8---
G------8------(8 )-------------------------------------------------
C--8----------(8 )-----------------12----------12--10------------


... and don't forget to use lots of delay (ping-pong/stereo) and added reverbs on it.
Enjoy.
I'm pretty sure it's accurate; just checked the Synchestra DVD again.