Drop tunnings

One of the main reasons you see guitarists changing guitars during a performance is for this reason. Some folk artists may use 4 or 5 different guitars during a show because each one is tuned differently. I always thought it was just so they could show off how many guitars they had but now I can see the reason behind it.

Hey Alvee ,
   Even doing what I do with the guitars tuned differently ,
I always assumed that performing guitarists used different guitars on different songs , just for a certain sound they wanted , but your explanation makes much more sense........
            Thanks............

  Sorry Sinjin , I don't right now , but will ask around ......
                                 L O L

Mcatak ,
   You know , I always wanted to try that after watching Barry and Maurice
Gibb do some of my favorite songs that way , but I was always afraid I would get spoiled ( or lazy ) , and not want to play the other way anymore . I'd be lost , I'd have to completely relearn all my picking patterns and run ups and downs . Might just have to try it anyway.........

I'm a songwriter and believe some new energy could be on the horizon with alternate tunings. I love the sound of the low e tuned down to d, but would like to know of some particular songs that I could see chord charts for. After I learn a couple covers played this way, I'm sure I can create some original stuff with it. Any ideas?

Terry,
Like Mcatak mentioned, open g (DGDGBD) tuning is the basis for many Keith Richards comps like Honky Tonk Women, Happy, Tumbling Dice on and on.   In fact, for live performances he was known to use a telecaster with no E (6th) string so he wouldn't have to worry about muffling the string.  This may come as a surprise to you, but he would tend to drink some during a show and needed to work smarter, or at least less hard  

Open g is also a typical slide tuning used by the likes of Duane Allman, if you like blues.
See if you can find a copy of Richie Havens playing Here comes the Sun.    Very original.

I have a song that is supposed to be tuned down one and a half notes.  Do I tune all of the strings down?  When I do, it sounds OK but it still not quite right.  Thanks for the help.

Mrjay I know what you mean about Nick Drake.
I love his music but practically all his songs I want to learn are in awkward tunings (From the morning, parasite, place to be)
I'm very reluctant to tune up the B or high E string for fear of snapping them.
You can do Northern Sky and river man in normal tuning - the latter is especially nice (if you can get the rhythm down).

Shane

I always played She Talks to Angels in Open E....

We should post a topic about songs in each tuning because when I tune differently I want to learn at least a couple songs before switching back

I agree with etc_04.  Open E is where you want to be with "She Talks to Angels".   You might want to tune to open D and capo the second fret.  That way you open up the door to a ton of songs in D and E.  Everything from Curtis Loew to Suite Judy Blue Eyes, Four Walls of Raiford and Long Haired Country Boy.  The list for Open D or E is as long as the list for Open A or G. Personally, I'm better at open G, but Slim Fatz once told me that "There was no song that couldn't be played in D, and its easier".  That may be true.  Drop D and Double drop D will send you in many directions related to Stephen Stills, and early Bob Dylan.  Play them all.  The guitar is incredibly versatile. Thats the beauty of it.

I'm not sure how to solve your little problem there. But if I were hoing to perform 2 songs on stage, one in d-tuning another in say standard ( Won't probably ever happen) I'd bring two guitars, tuned and everything. So if you have the luxury of two guitars; etc...  I haven't read the entire tread so if someone has already mentioned this forget about my suggestion.