Tunings / Keys / Chords

Hi Jon

In WAZ! Mk1 I used mostly three tunings, DADGAD, CGDGCD and CFCGCD.
DADGAD is fairly standard.
CGDGCD is like DADGAD one string over, giving an extra bass string. The four bass strings are like the bouzar tuned a fifth down. G is the central key here.
CFCGCD The middle four strings are like the bouzar a tone down, with a C bass string and a spurious D on top. F is the central key.

On New Breton on Serving Suggestion, the acoustic lead was tuned EADEAE, the same as Nic Jones used for Canadee-i-o. The second guitar was tuned AAAAAA.

On Mairi's Flowers Of The Forest, one guitar was tuned GGGGGG. Drone stuff, obviously!

I sometimes make up tunings to fit what I want to do within a song. Luckily I'm then able to quickly find my way around and wring what I want from it. One such was A Dream from OX15. DAC#F#AE. A is central.

One of my favourite chords is with a dropped D on the bass string, 0x3010 (6th string open, A string deadened, D string fret three etc). Dm9. Capo 3 and it's the first chord of Elementary from OX15.

Here's a great chord you can try in normal tuning: 606060 (E string fret six, A string open, D string fret six etc. Play it loud and fast. This chord was used on Fairport's Old New Borrowed Blue album, at the start of the Swimming Song. My keyboard player friend Dave Stewart invented it.

As for which keys, I'm fully chromatic. I spent eleven years in D major with FC. When I left, the first thing I wrote was in Ab, as far as you can get from D. Untiled from OX15, written for the album to raise funds for Deddington Church Roof. I thought Untiled was quite funny, but at every step it came back as Untitled...

Maart