Van Halen Tuning with Peterson Reference

[garbeaj]

Here is a clip I made of me playing some riffs from "Jamie's Cryin'" (including the D5 power chord at the 5th position with the open B ringing on top) to demo the tuning I notated from the album as Strat78 requested:

[garbeaj]

The tuning that I have found for the overdubbed harmony guitars on the intro and outro on "Jamie's Cryin'" from the Van Halen LP is (incredibly) +26.0 Cents UP from Eb or "half-step down" tuning. This is crazy because the guitar used to record the harmonies was tuned around +16.0 cents HIGHER than the main/rhythm guitar track.

Again, this is when using Peterson's "Sweetened GTR" offset tuning preset. If you need "True Pitch" cent references, please PM me and I'll be happy to provide exact pitch references for those that have non-digital strobe tuners that are not modern Peterson models with the built in "Sweetened GTR" offset preset.

I used the isolated guitar track and the DCC Compact Classics gold Master CD version of the Van Halen LP for reference. I used my Musikraft/Locke '78 Frankenstein replica to find and notate the tuning which is as close as I could get to Eddie's Frankenstein which was likely the guitar used to record these overdubs.

The harmony guitars definitely have Eventide going as well. I have actually been working with my Ditto looper on this and these tunings work perfectly with the main rhythm guitar track. I'll post a clip of me playing the outro parts using the looper to play back the harmonies that I recorded with my '78 Frankenstein replica tuned to the +26.0 cents from Eb tuning while I use my '75-'76 Ibanez Destroyer tuned to the +10.0 cents Up from Eb tuning to play the main guitar parts. I did it yesterday and it works! Stay tuned for my forthcoming clip! I even used my Eventide H9 on the harmony parts and it sounded great!

[whopperplate]

Food for thought :
I assume the studio environment was probably very stable, I don't really know much about the sunset studios, but I always wonder about differences in temperature and humidity effecting perceived audible pitch. I remember reading in an old book that at 52degrees Fahrenheit the pitch will be several hz or so flatter Compared at 72 degrees, especially at loud volumes. In an unregulated environment this I theorize could possibly create such small variances on overdubbed Tracks recorded at separate times, that amongst other variables.

Btw You can totally hear the richness and inherent harmony of the dictated tuning styles. Lovely.

Charlie

[whopperplate]

Also, I believe I have read the louder you get the flatter the audible sound becomes, or vice versa one Or the other. Differences in pick attack and volume controls may create this effect from track to track, in conjunction with other mentioned variables. Just thinking out loud

[garbeaj]

Well as far as I can tell, the overdubs on "Jamie's Cryin'" and "Ice Cream Man" were the very last things recorded for the album.

I would completely rule out finger pressure or volume having that much of an effect...why? Because Eddie's tuning varied so greatly over all the different songs on all the Roth albums. Also, yes you can apply too much finger pressure and that can cause a string to go sharp (never flat) of where you intentionally tuned the guitar, but not by +16.0 cents...at that point you have to actually be physically bending the string.

Also, Eddie didn't have an especially hard left hand pressure or heavy pick attack as far as I've been able to tell. If anything he just applied medium pressure with his left hand and a medium right hand attack. The ripping, "popping" aggressive sounding attack came from his choice of picking direction.

I think that the higher tuned overdubs on "Jamie's Cryin'" work because +16.0 cents is still a tiny gap for most ears and secondly the Eventide also covers up a lot as far as pitch differences are concerned.

I just chalk it all up to the first album being the one album that has the most varied and unusual alternate tunings of any of the albums. Which is saying a lot because they do vary a lot. It's just a very quirky album in a catalog of quirky albums tuning-wise.

[garbeaj]

Here is a clip I made of me playing the main rhythm guitar track on my Ibanez Destroyer tuned at around +10.0 cents above Eb or "half-step down" tuning and a loop I made of the outro harmonies using my '78 Frankenstein replica tuned about +26.0 cents above Eb or "half-step down" tuning.

In the first clip I have the looper going with my Eventide H9 effecting the harmonies. In the second clip I am simply playing back the loop that I created for the harmonies without the H9 engaged. I'm still a newbie at looping so the clip where I play the main guitar track on top of the harmonies isn't balanced very well...The main part drowns out the looper too much. But I think it proves that these two tunings do work together as they do on the original recording.

[whopperplate]

Fwiw I don't think finger pressure is the responsible variable. I brought up pick attack mainly for the concern of volume differences it produces.

[garbeaj]

D6 omit 3, once and for all.



lovin the peterson tuner!

Lots of fun playing along w iso tracks (drums, bass) and being tuned as Ed did.

I guess you could say that D6 omit 3rd is a way of saying it...But to me it just makes more sense to say D5 add 6, especially since it is a D5 power chord with the higher octave of the root added with just the 6th (B) added. There are many fingerings for D6 omit 3rd that don't include the 5th and that don't include the higher octave of the root. It just seems like a much clearer way to say it is D5 add 6. But that's just me...I know absolute fuck all about theory.

Glad you are enjoying the Peterson and the tunings I've posted. It really is nice to have the tunings finally sorted out!

[garbeaj]

[Leotis]

Just to further muddy the waters... how are you guys fingering the A, Bm, and G chords in the pre-chorus? You know, the "She wants to knit him a sweater...yeah, yeah....just to try to make herself feel bet-ter..." section?
Here's what I'm about 90% sure Ed's doing there...with the arpeggiated bits using these same fingerings...
_____A______Bm_____G______A
E-----0----------0---------0--------0
B-----0----------0---------0--------0
G-----9---------11--------7--------9
D----11---------12--------9-------11
A----12---------14-------10-------12
E-----X----------X---------X--------X

Then, I think on the last A of the pre-chorus he shifts down to play an A chord in the typical 5th position...where the lyrics go "but she knows what that'll get her...". I think it's fingered one of these two ways...I'm pretty sure I can hear that high open E ringing out, so I'm leaning toward the 2nd fingering.

_____A__or___A
E------5---------0----
B------5---------5----
G------6---------6----
D------7---------7----
A------0---------0----
E------X---------X----

Try this and see what you think.... ?

[Strat78]

[garbeaj]

Phil is correct!

[Leotis]

Maybe so...but that's essentially like what I just posted.

[Strat78]

[vh junkie]