Tuning, taste, and style

ed packard · From: Show Low AZ

Here is an "egg and chicken" subject: Which of the "Tuning, Taste, Style" choices determines the others?

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

Good one, Ed. I'm sure different people view it very differently.

For me, taste comes first. I have many different preferences, tastewise, which determine which style I want to effect that with. Then I choose tuning, "nominal" instrument tonality, playability, and other physical variables that I think go to that most naturally. To me, physics is in service of style, which is in service of taste. Which is why I generally take a different approach for surf-punk than country, blues, jazz, rockabilly, or bluegrass. But it's not a hard and fast thing - mellow jazz can be played on a Charvel guitar and raucous heavy metal on a Byrdland. But even then, I think taste comes first.

Charles Davidson · From: Phenix City Alabama, USA

I may be wrong[that happens often]IMO,TUNING is more importent than ANYTHING,No matter how much taste or style a picker has,if he's out of tune,he or she is not making music,just noise.

ed packard · From: Show Low AZ

I can agree with that Charles...It seems that each player tweaks his tuning to suit his taste.

To be more specific re tuning...the tuning that I refered to in the opening post was E9,C6,A6.Bb6.Eb9,D9,B11,13 series, E13,etc. Each of these, and others like Leavit(SP?), Alkire, have their own attributes and musical personality.

Is your musical taste driven by your tuning, your musical environment, your musical upbringing, or ? Which of tuning, taste, style came/comes first for you?

Charlie McDonald · From: out of the blue

To me, it's a circular path--tuning, taste, and style. Maybe it starts with taste, maybe something else, which changes the style, which might change the tuning. Then style changes, etc....
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Those that say don't know; those that know don't say.--Buddy Emmons

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

When I hear a guy sing a song, just accompanied by his guitar, I usually hear a steel part. With a little work and some experience, that steel part can become more interesting, more musically adventuresome, and more enjoyable to play.

The music is everything. The music is the chicken. Everything else is an egg.

The tuning, the style, and my evolving taste are just there to make the music. My job is just to take what I hear in my head, make it work on the instrument, and possibly 'flesh it out' a bit or fine tune the harmony or melody.

So my answer is that NONE of them determine the music. The music determines the tuning and style and taste is how that music is filtered through the player's personality and experiences.
_________________
Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
My CD's: 'I've Got Friends in COLD Places' - 'Pedal Steel Guitar'
2021 Rittenberry S/D-12 8x7, 1976 Emmons S/D-12 7x6, 1969 Emmons S/D-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Quilter ToneBlock 202 TT-12

Charles Davidson · From: Phenix City Alabama, USA

What I really meant above regardless what tuning you use,E9th,C6th,A6th,E13th etc,is actually playing IN tune.One of my pet peeves is trying to play with some one out of tune,especially the bass,also it helps to have a drummer that realizes that drums need tuning also.This may seem to be real pickey,but that's the way I feel about it.PLAY IN TUNE.

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

I assume (perhaps without justification) that an experienced player -- one who is developing a musical style and personality -- plays in tune. Some of us quibble about a few cents here or a few beats there, but most players with some miles under their belt sound pretty much in tune to me. My ears are pretty tolerant to anything other than extreme 'out of tuneness'. Smile

A player who has mastered the techniques and skills required to develop a style or show musical taste in note choice and to determine which tuning(s) are best to speak his/her musical language USUALLY knows how to pick out the strings and mute ones not wanted and to use the bar correctly to play in tune.

I don't usually seriously listen to a player who doesn't play in tune. It is one of those technical skills that must be mastered before getting your 'journeyman's license'. I strongly believe that there are at least two important phases in a musician's education: (1) learning to use the instrument to play the notes -- in tune, in time, with authority; and (2) forgetting all that -- putting it on autopilot -- and enjoying the art of making music.

Just my slant on it. Smile

_________________
Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
My CD's: 'I've Got Friends in COLD Places' - 'Pedal Steel Guitar'
2021 Rittenberry S/D-12 8x7, 1976 Emmons S/D-12 7x6, 1969 Emmons S/D-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Quilter ToneBlock 202 TT-12

Roger Francis · From: kokomo,Indiana, USA

For me, playing in tune is no 1 and taste would surly follw, and style would be the creation of the first 2 from knowinging your intrument well. Tone would have to fit in here somewhere (IMO)

Gary C. Dygert · From: Frankfort, NY, USA

It's all circular, but I think one's taste (likes/dislikes, preferences, intolerances) infuences style & tunings. Style & tunings affect each other, but I think your style more or less determines the tuning. I always seem to go back to my old E6 tuning, no matter what others I use, because (I think) it fits my style best. Maybe Dave M. already said it best and I should be quiet!

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

I think people are still missing the point - ed was talking about "tunings" (i.e. E9, C6, B6, E7, etc) - not "playing in tune".

I think in some cases tuning somewhat "guides" many players to a particular style, but not necessarily their OWN style.

But I think Gary hit the nail on the head noting that taste can cause one to gravitate to a particular tuning, and personal style develops from that. In my own case, I tried to make E9 work for me for quite a while but it just didn't go where I wanted to go, and never felt right. I'd been playing a B6-tuned Fender for a while while felt natural and intuitive, and then developed a 10-string version of it, which really fits who I am.

As to whether the tastes determined which tuning I'd end up with, or whther my style was already ingrained and just needed the right tuning to be fleshed out is a question that I don't think can ever be fully answered...but I know several pscychologists who'd love to get my money to try.

Winking

_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional

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