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Post new topic Christmastime Is Here - Dmaj7 Tuning Arrangement
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Author Topic:  Christmastime Is Here - Dmaj7 Tuning Arrangement
Andy Volk


From:
Boston, MA
Post  Posted 15 Dec 2017 3:03 am    
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Here's a re-post of my arrangement of Vince Guaraldi's"Christmastime Is Here" in Dmaj7 tuning. Dmaj7 tuning is the same as Open D tuning except string #1 is flatted one half step to C#. Happy Holidays!



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Last edited by Andy Volk on 16 Dec 2017 8:11 am; edited 2 times in total
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Mike A Holland


From:
United Kingdom
Post  Posted 16 Dec 2017 5:36 am    
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Hi Andy, Thanks for the tab. I just retuned the Weissenborn to this Dmaj7 tuning and it sounds lovely. Plenty of scope in this tuning for a soulful melancholic Weissenborn style. Just been having some Saturday morning fun playing your tab. My 3/4" dia bar can't reach the first 3 note slant so 2 notes will suffice. Always look forward to your arrangements. Cheers!
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Andy Volk


From:
Boston, MA
Post  Posted 16 Dec 2017 6:08 am    
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You're welcome - it is a beautiful tuning. I just replaced the above tab with the correct key signature which doesn't changes the tab, only the formal notation. Also corrected tuning to read low to hi.
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Peter Funk


From:
Germany
Post  Posted 5 Dec 2021 10:51 am    
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Andy, I just stumbled across your wonderful arrangement!!
Made a video today: Christmas Time is Here
(changed a little bit here and there ...)
Thanks for the idea of tuning to Dmaj7 Very Happy
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Andy Volk


From:
Boston, MA
Post  Posted 5 Dec 2021 11:49 am    
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Peter, that sounds wonderful!

I'm glad you like the arrangement and also glad you made those nice changes in it. Jingle Bells inn harmonics make a sweet coda to the melancholy aspects of this tune. I tried a number of tunings including C6th and nothing was right until I tried Dmaj7. You can get some beautiful voicings in this tuning.

Here's an original tune of mine in Dmaj7: https://soundcloud.com/aev/sweet-tea-andy-volk-dmaj7-tuning
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John Burton


From:
Manassas, Va
Post  Posted 7 Dec 2021 8:01 am    
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Thank You!!! I love Vince Guaraldi's Christmas stuff and have already been playing it around the house to get in the mood a bit. My favorite Christmas Music.

I've been wanting to play this tune for awhile.

Soon as I saw your post; I ran and grabbed my old Oahu Squareneck I keep in open D, retuned it and gave it a shot.

LOVE IT!

I got a ways to go before I can play it smoothly and with the emotion it deserves; but definitely will be working this one.

And; Peter; thanks for posting that. Sounds Amazing! really good soulfull playing.
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Allan Revich


From:
Victoria, BC
Post  Posted 5 May 2023 12:41 pm    
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I’ve been playing around with this DM7 tuning today. It seems to work really well as a blues tuning. The M7 chord isn’t very bluesy, but a single fret slide or slant up on the first string brings you to the root, and a single fret down gets you to the dominant 7. And you have the minor triads on the top 3 strings.

Later today I’ll explore 7 string variations. Probably D F# A D F# A C# (Dmaj7) and D A D F# A C# E (Dmaj9).

Addendum: I really like the Dmaj7 on the 7 strings. Very different character from 6 strings. The addition of the F# at string 6 gives nice, full minor chords, but at the expense of the 151 power chord available on the 6 string DM7.
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Current Tunings:
6 String | G – G B D G B D
7 String | G6 – e G B D G B D (re-entrant)

https://papadafoe.com/lap-steel-tuning-database
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Andy Volk


From:
Boston, MA
Post  Posted 6 May 2023 2:10 am    
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Very few people seem to use the 6-string Dmaj7 variant on Open D but I love it and use it a lot. It can completely change the character of Open D via just that one 1/2 step change.

Here are a couple of tunes I recorded a while back in this tuning.

SWEET TEA (original)
https://soundcloud.com/aev/sweet-tea-andy-volk-dmaj7-tuning

MAID WITH THE FLAXEN HAIR (Debussy)
https://soundcloud.com/aev/maid-with-the-flaxen-hair-weissenborn

I first learned the tuning from Harry Manx:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgRpXSr_OFk
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Allan Revich


From:
Victoria, BC
Post  Posted 6 May 2023 9:49 pm    
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Andy Volk wrote:
Very few people seem to use the 6-string Dmaj7 variant on Open D but I love it and use it a lot. It can completely change the character of Open D via just that one 1/2 step change.

Here are a couple of tunes I recorded a while back in this tuning.

SWEET TEA (original)
https://soundcloud.com/aev/sweet-tea-andy-volk-dmaj7-tuning

MAID WITH THE FLAXEN HAIR (Debussy)
https://soundcloud.com/aev/maid-with-the-flaxen-hair-weissenborn

I first learned the tuning from Harry Manx:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgRpXSr_OFk


Nice stuff! I’m a huge fan of Harry Manx and saw him not long ago here in Victoria. He lives near here on Salt Spring Island I think.

Like you, I’m surprised that this tuning isn’t more popular. It’s not as versatile as a 9th tuning, but it’s simpler and much more versatile than open major tunings.
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