Estimated reading time 4 minutes
Table of Contents
Introduction
Are you tired of your band sounding out of tune? Can’t get the classic rock sound when jamming with your group? Read more to learn how to jam like a rock star with open E tuning.
In prior posts, we talked about how Keith Richards tunes his guitar without holding down frets. Furthermore, we learned that how he tunes impacts his guitar sound. We also worked on soloing over riffs in open G fined-tuned using harmonics.
However, you can’t jam like a rock star by yourself. So, how do you put it all together with the rest of the band? It depends on the types of instruments.
Guitarists, after you learn to fine-tune open E using harmonics, you can use the video below to learn the rhythm and lead parts in the Rolling Stones’ song “Gimme Shelter.”
Jam Like a Rock Star: The Band
The Instruments
Whole band tuning is a critical part of jamming like rock stars.
If you have a synth in your band, it needs to be first tuned to Supplemented Equal Temperament (SET). Then, you need to tune the guitars to the synth. To learn how to do this, read the post Learn How to Get a Killer Sound for Your Band.
If you do not have a synth, then all the guitars (and any other fretted instruments) need to be open tuned using harmonics. The bass guitar is a special exception, which we’ll talk about in the next section.
Any flexible pitch instrument (such as violins, woodwinds, brass, and voices) needs no special tuning. They will innately adjust their pitch to the guitars.
Likewise, many percussion instruments (such as idiophones and most drums) also don’t need special tuning. These instruments get classed as percussion of indefinite pitch. Their tone color obscures the listener’s ability to perceive the exact note or notes of the instrument. Even though some drummers will tune their kits to the key of a song, most do not bother. In most cases it’s not worth it.
The guitar’s tuning has some equal tempered (ET) notes. So, for ET instruments such as the piano, organ, xylophone, and bass guitar, they can play at least some notes that will work with the guitars. However, listen closely to the notes you play on these instruments to make sure they work with the guitar parts.
Mostly, the notes that work will be the roots of the chords. All other notes need to be played quickly to cover over the fact that they lack the ideal tuning.
The Fretless Bass and the Rolling Stones
As stated before, your bassist can use a regular fretted bass. Alternately, your bassist can play a fretless bass. Like other fretless instruments, the fretless bass can tune-up notes while playing.
Bill Wyman, the Rolling Stones’ bass player, made his own fretless bass. Along with Richard’s open tunings, Wyman’s fretless bass was essential in creating the Stones’ late sixties/early seventies sound.
According to Wyman, his first bass was a cheap instrument. He had someone cut down the body, and Wyman removed the paint. Then, he sanded it and beveled the edges. Also, the bass had worn frets, so he pulled them.
Wyman describes the sound he got, “…when I pulled ‘em out, it suddenly sounded really good! [Laughs.] …but you had to be dead on to be in tune. Anyway, I never put frets back in, and I think it was the first fretless electric ever. I used it on every Stones album and many of the singles up to 1975” (34).
Wyman also says that he used the gaps where the frets used to be as a guide for tuning. However, it is also likely that he subconsciously fine-tuned the pitch, allowing the guitars and flexible pitch instruments to sound even better.
Similarly, Geoff Emerik, the Beatles recording engineer, said of Paul McCartney, “I’ve actually seen Paul’s fingers bleed from pulling out the notes, getting the notes to speak properly” (88).
This just goes to show the talent that these players had. It also shows the lengths they went to in search of a better sound or to be better in tune. If you want to jam like a rock star, you need the same level of commitment to your gear and your craft.
Jam Like a Rock Star: Tuning Open E Using Harmonics
Mobile users: for best results reading the music, tilt your screen 90o to the right.
Guitarists, before you can jam like a rock star, you need to get in tune. Start by using an electronic tuner to tune the guitar strings to open E. From fattest to thinnest the strings get tuned: E-B-E-G#-B-E.
After tuning the guitar to open E, use the above tab example to fine-tune the strings using harmonics. Make sure you tune the strings in the order shown in the tab.
Want more details? Read How to Tune the Classic Rock Open G Sound Using Harmonics where it discusses tuning using harmonics. Tab also gets explained at the same time.
Jam Like a Rock Star: Gimme Shelter Video
Conclusion
Try playing “Gimme Shelter” using the fine-tuned open E tuning on guitar. It sounds fantastic. Make sure that all of the instruments in your band agree in their tuning and you’ll be jamming like rock stars!
Please leave any questions or comments below.
Related Articles
- How to Tune Like a Rock Star
- Play Like a Rock Star with Open G Tuning
- Sound Like a Rock Star with Open G Tuning
- How to Tune the Classic Rock Open G Sound Using Harmonics
- How to Tune the Blues Rock Open D Sound Using Harmonics
- Learn How to Get a Killer Sound for Your Band
- Tune Your Ukulele Like a Hawaiian
- Intonation and Supplemented Equal Temperament
© 2021 Geoffrey Keith
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