Topic: What is Vestapol tuning?

[waxwing]

Spanish tuning is sometimes referred to as Open G (DGDGBD) or Open A (EAEAC#E). Similarly to Vastapol, there was a popular parlor era song, called Spanish Fandango, which gave the name to this tuning. Also like Vastapol, it doesn't matter what key you tune or capo to, the the intervals between the strings are always the same, 5th-root-5th-root-3rd-5th, and that's Spanish tuning.

The other common tuning you'll see mentioned a lot is Crossnote tuning, which is similar to Vastapol except that it has a minor 3rd, and thus is a minor tuning, root-5th-root-minor 3rd-5th-root. This was used extensively by Skip James and, in his rediscovery recordings, Bukka White, as well as others.

You can find threads in the main forum here with lists of songs in these keys, or go to the Adventures in Open and Alternate Tunings section in the Keys to the Highway area, to which there is a link in the left menu.

All for now.
John C.

[flakey foont]

quick question: what are alternate tunings good for? i've read that some of them make slide playing easier, and i understand that the bass is lower, but do you actually get notes from it outside of "our" music system? + can anyone instruct me on a simple, referential way of tuning the guitar to, say, open g? i don't really understand this "root note;5th;root note;3rd"etc. stuff. thanks alot

[Coyote Slim]

Spanish in G (Open G) is, from lowest string to highest: DGDGBD.  So your middle three strings are the same as in "standard" tuning: EADGBE.  Just tune the sixth string down a whole step to "D", the fifth down to "G" and the first down to "D." 

Your guitar will be tuned to a "G" chord, but note that it is NOT the same structure of a "G" that you normally play in standard in the first position.  Hope that helps.