OPEN STRINGS and TRANSPOSING

Transposing a song means not playing it in the key it was originally intended but in a key higher or lower than it.
The keyboardists have a TRANSPOSE BUTTON, which they can use to transpose the key to whatever note, and yet play the same keys in the keyboard,
BUT ALAS :(
WE GUITARISTS DO NOT HAVE THIS SUPER FACILITY
NO BUTTONS, NO SYNTHS, NO NOTHING
except a cheap chorus, delay and distortion effect pedal maybe.

Imagine:
You are supposed to play nile nile amber on stage with some singer, and you practice it hard on Dm, and when youre on stage, the singer says
Not Dm today, my voice is ****ed, lets do it C#m (1/2 ket lower)
IF YOU WORKED THE SONG IN OPEN STRINGS -
MAN YOU ARE SCRWD!!!!

The key to not getting caught in any embarassment on stage
is to work songs without using open strings
no open string chords, no open string leads NO

SHIFT into playing into a closed string position
meaning you are not hitting ANY OPEN STRING anytime.
AND TRY LEARN THE SONG with your EYES CLOSED (very important)

and NOW if the singer comes and asks you to shift a key down.
just move your hand one fret down, dont look at the fretboard, and justy play with your eyes closed, imagining that you are in the same scale that you learnt the song.
WORKS WELL, TRY IT

Also, if you've heard of a CAPO, that helps in open strings transposing.
BUT
ALWAYS if you want to shift the song to a HIGHER SCALE
NOT for a LOWER SCALE.

SO for any transposing for lower scales, please forget OPEN STRINGS!!!

I prefer downtuning the guitar and using the capo. i've noticed that many songs become really easy when u play them with capo.
Like... I remember getting frustated while playing 'spies' by Coldplay but it was much easier when I down tuned some of the strings and used a capo.
If u want a reaally tough song even with a capo, for comping , then try 'She can't change me' by Sound Garden

nice post bandbajja ., hoe you are okay now , ...

Originally Posted by Bandbaaja

Also, if you've heard of a CAPO, that helps in open strings transposing.
BUT
ALWAYS if you want to shift the song to a HIGHER SCALE
NOT for a LOWER SCALE.

SO for any transposing for lower scales, please forget OPEN STRINGS!!!

one thing about guitar voicings is that the different chord positions of the same chord do not sound the sound to the trained ear. A composer or a player usually chooses the right voicing based on the requirement. The tonal qualities of a C open chord are different from the C barre chord in the A possiotn and those r different from the C barre chord in the E position.


To give u guys an example, A R Rahmans song from kannathil muththamittal, vellai pookal.. song is in E. if u play regular open E, it doesnt sound the same.

So u gotta capo the 4th fret and play E in C position.

here is my audio clip for that:
http://vorlon.cwru.edu/~jayen/IGT/vellai%20intro.mp3

Another famous example is Hotel California.
The signature riff for the song (which is in Bm) should be played in Em position, capoed at the 7th fret. Only then it will sound real.

If u see someone play hotel california in the Bm position, u can be assured of one of the 2 things.

1> he is a master of guitaring.. and has come up with his own cool way of playing it.
2> he is a novice guitarist.. who doesnt know what he is doing .

Originally Posted by light_of_erindi

I prefer downtuning the guitar and using the capo. i've noticed that many songs become really easy when u play them with capo.
Like... I remember getting frustated while playing 'spies' by Coldplay but it was much easier when I down tuned some of the strings and used a capo.
If u want a reaally tough song even with a capo, for comping , then try 'She can't change me' by Sound Garden

Using capo to play what u cannot is a bad idea. As i mentioned in my last post, one should use a capo only if certain voicing are desired.
If a Song is in C# and u dont wanna play barr chords and hence capo 1st fret.. thats like very silly if u ask me.
Tuning down the guitar is also encouraged only if u r doing it for creative purposes.. and not to mask any inadequacies in your guitar playing.

(i retune guitars for the latter all the time.. because i suck as a guitar player)
but officially i call my self a creative guitar player

sorry for newbie question ..... but i am not there yet.....
what exactly is capo? is that some sort of technique ?

nahi re.. remember u asked me during the meet too.. so i am atatching the pics of a capo
so capo is this thingie u attach on a guitar fret board to transpose it

Thanks your for all the "Transposing". Could any one give the full tablature for "Hotel Carlifornia(unplugged)"

am tired of tellin people over here abt the Em thing for hotel california...ve been playin it in Em since i started playing it...and bloody past one year nobody listnes to me...its a ****in waste of time...

good work both of u... bandbaaja & Jay

Thanx for the advice Jay.... But hey , I never said I was a pro...I just try to play the song so that it is suitable for me to sing with (my vocal abilities are infinitesimally small amount larger than zero!!). I'm learning guitar just for fun and I'm not very good at the theory of scales and all u know....I know a bit... but that's all. So i thought i should tell what i felt about it!

cool. whatevr works for u man. bottom lien u should have fun

Hello dudes, If you read my post clearly.
It was nothing to do with CAPO and DOWNTUNING.
It was more to do with PLAYING the song LIVE on stage - AMIDST other songs in the list.
YOU CANNOT EXPECT THE BAND TO WAIT WHILE YOU FIDDLE WITH YOUR TUNING.
And if you have a double lock floyd rose tremolo, youre finished!!!!

JAY is right about the voicing, and the capo.

any comments on this ??