Topic: Pink Anderson's Tuning

[junko]

I'm working on Pink's "I got Mine" and "Travelin' Man" - I believe its the same chord progression for both tunes.? Anyone know what tuning/capo/chords, etc. he's using?? Thanks.

[Yves]

Both in Standard tuning
Both key of C
Good luck
Yves

[junko]

Wow, that's tricky.  Do you know if it's written out anywhere?

[Johnm]

Hi Junko,
These tunes are both played in standard tuning, but they are played in G.  Pink's turn-around which opens them starts on a C chord--C-C#-G-E7-A7-D7-G.  You can probably orient yourself to the verse accompaniments from there. 
All best,
Johnm

[Bob B]

Hi Junko

Ken Perlman has a book entitled Advanced Fingerstyle Guitar which has a transcription of Travelin' Man that is very reminiscent of Roy Bookbinder's version of the tune.  Some of the best lyrics in the genre!

Happy picking

Bob B

[junko]

Starting to get a handle on it, thanks all for the assistance.

[Rockdale]

  Hi everyone,

     This is my first post and I think this is a great website. I just had a question about Pink Anderson. I've been listening to his album "Medicine Show Man Vol. 2" and I'm pretty sure he tunes about a step low but I haven't tried playing any of the songs. Is there anyone here that can give me some deeper insight into his guitar technique and tuning? It would be much appreciated.

        Thanks,
   
         Kenny

[Slack]

Hi Kenny,

Welcome to Weenie Campbell.   JUst gave a short listen just now and I'd say you are right - he's about a step low... standard tuning.  If you like Pink, Stefan Grossman has some video that is worth watching.  Pink has got these incredibly long spidery fingers .. and makes reaches mere mortals can only dream about.

Cheers,
slack

[Rockdale]

    Thanks for the reply Slack. It's good to know my ear isn't as bad as I think it is. I think I'll start messing with "Greasy Greens"....I love that song.

    Kenny

[thehook]

I am confused when people talk about tuning down in steps. Does this mean down one step instead of tuning mostly at 5th fret you go to 4th then 3rd for G or whatever?

would down a step be dgcfad? and what about half step from stand just sharps or something?

[Johnm]

Hi,
I have always used one step as the sum of two half-steps, with a half-step being synonomous with a semi-tone, so if Pink was tuned a whole step low, I would say he was tuned DGCFAD as you had it, John Hardy.  I just checked the CD, and that's where he is.  I've always thought of someone tuned D#G#C#F#A#D# as being tuned a half-step (semi-tone) low. 
All best,
Johnm

[waxwing]

Confusing, isn't it? A step is a semi-tone, so a tone is two steps? Or could be a step is two half steps, or a full tone, as John M says (which is what I always thought)? The best way to express it would be to say Pink is tuned to Standard at D, meaning the reltionship of the strings is the same as in Standard, but instead of having the 6th string at E it is now at D, and everything follows from there, tuned at the 5th fret of the previous string, except the 2nd string, of course , as Alex desscribed. This is also why it is better to say Vestapol at D (or E), or Spanish at G (or A or F# or whatever). These names, along with Crossnote and others, describe the relationship of the strings to each other. "Open D" or "Open G" could actually refer to several different tunings, but Vestapol is always Vestapol, no matter where it's tuned. For instance, Blind Willie McTell often tunes his 12 string to Standard at B and sometimes Vestapol at B or Spanish at D. It would be really confusing to say he was tuned to "Open G"at D, eh? But saying he was in "Open D" would imply to most that he was in Vestapol, when he's really in Spanish (at D).

Making sense? Just a little pet peeve of mine. In interviews, most of the prewar greats referred to these tunings by these names.

But folks persist. I've given up trying to point this out to folks on other forums. <G>

All for now.
John C.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I really don't think this is so confusing.? If you think of the step formula for the major scale, it is whole-whole-half-whole-whole-whole-half.? If you plug this into the notes of the C major scale, you get C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C.? A whole step, or one step, is the distance between C and D, for example.? A half-step or semitone is the distance between E and F or B and C.? The prefix "semi" means half in this context, so it would naturally take two semitones to make a whole tone, or two half-steps to make a whole step.? Translated to the neck of the guitar, a whole step, or one step, is a distance of two frets; a half-step or semitone is one fret.
All best,
Johnm

[Slack]

Translated to the neck of the guitar, a whole step, or one step, is a distance of two frets; a half-step or semitone is one fret.

And of course this was the basis on which Kenny and I had instant understanding. 

[waxwing]

Yeah, and my post made more sense before Alex deleted his. <G> Should I delete mine? Altho' I still think it's clearest to say he was tuned to standard at D. But I was always in agreement with you on "steps" John M.
All for now.
John C.