Adventures in Spanish
Sometimes referred to as open G or open A tuning, Spanish tuning is perhaps better viewed in terms
of the relationship of the strings to the root pitch on the 5th string:
The root, 3rd and 5th are the notes of the major scale that make up a major chord for
whatever key you are playing in: in A, they would be A, C# and E. So if you are tuned to
Spanish at A, playing the top 5 open strings will sound an A major chord. The pitches you are
tuned to - EAEAC#E - are actually the same as a regular A chord in standard tuning.
If you tune to G, the strings are tuned DGDGBD. Whatever pitch you tune to, the
relationship between the strings will always stay the same: 5R5R3R. A note on tuning: Many guitarists prefer not to tune up to A in Spanish, since it exerts more tension on the neck, and
therefore tune to G and use a capo as needed. We wouldn't recommend leaving your guitar tuned up to A, but most guitars should
be able to handle the stress of tuning up to that pitch temporarily. You may notice some string breakage on occasion. While
we are not dealing with slide tunes here, those songs in particular can benefit from the higher tension of tuning up to A.
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Blind Joe Taggart
Been Listening All The Day
C & O Blues
Goin' To Rest Where Jesus Is
I've Crossed the Separation Line (with Josh White in Vestapol)
The Storm Is Passing Over
There's a Hand Writing on the Wall (with Josh White in Vestapol)
Blind Roosevelt Graves
Woke Up This Morning With My Mind Standing On Jesus
I Shall Not Be Moved
I'll Be Rested When The Roll Is Called
Buddy Boy Hawkins
A Rag
Awful Fix
Jailhouse Fire Blues
Snatch It Back
Voice Throwin' Blues
Clifford Gibson
Bad Luck Dice
Beat You Doing It
Brooklyn Blues
Hard Headed Blues
Levee Camp Moan
Society Blues
Stop Your Rambling
Tired of Being Mistreated parts 1 & 2
Ed Bell
Snigglin' Blues (Barefoot Bill)
Barefoot Bill's Hard Luck Blues (Barefoot Bill)
Big Rock Jail (Barefoot Bill)
One More Time (Barefoot Bill)
Bad Boy (Barefoot Bill)
Elizabeth Cotten
Jesus Is Tenderly Calling
The Wreck Of The Old 97
Til We Meet Again
When I Get Home
Emry Arthur
She Lied to Me
Etta Baker
Lost John
Furry Lewis
Black Gipsy Blues
Furry's Blues
Good Looking Girl Blues
I Will Turn Your Money Green
Kassie Jones Parts 1 & 2
Rock Island Blues
Herman E. Johnson
You Don't Know My Mind
Ishmon Bracey
Suitcase Full of Blues
J.W. Warren
Careless Love
A Long Old Lane
Jack Kelly and Will Batts
61 Highway Blues
Country Woman
Joe Callicott
France Chance
Roll And Tumble
Leadbelly
Poor Howard
Li'l Son Jackson
Roberta
Gamblers Blues
Cairo Blues
Mance Lipscomb
Willy, Poor Boy
Marshall Owens
Try Me One More Time
Wild Ox Moan
Memphis Minnie & Kansas Joe McCoy
Joilet Bound
What's the Matter with the Mill
Mississippi John Hurt
Frankie
Boys, You're Welcome
Peg Leg Howell
Ball and Chain Blues
Broke and Hungry Blues
Coal Man Blues
Rolling Mill Blues
Tishimingo Blues
Pete Harris
Square Dance Calls
Robert Pete Williams
Mississippi Heavy Water Blues
Dyin' Soul
I Got The Blues So Bad
Sinner Don't You Know
I Want To Die Easy
Lord I Done You Wrong
All Out And Down
Teddy Darby
Built Down On The Ground
R.L. Burnside
Long Haired Doney
Smokey Babe
Boogie Woogie Rag
Skip James
Special Rider Blues
William and Versey Smith
Everybody Help the Boys Come Home
I Believe I'll Go Back Home
When That Great Ship Went Down
Sinner You'll Need King Jesus
Willie Doss
Coal Black Mare
Hobo Blues
Have a song to add to the list?
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