Van Halen Tuning with Peterson Reference

[garbeaj]

You guys have perfectly valid reasons as to why Eddie used so many different alternate tunings...but I don't care!

[prelle]

Finger pattern would be {x 5 7 7 0 x}, if I understand you correctly.

How 'bout {x 5 6 7 0 x} ?

[garbeaj]

Finger pattern would be {x 5 7 7 0 x}, if I understand you correctly.

How 'bout {x 5 6 7 0 x} ?

That's definitely not the chord at 0:29. Once again, it is just a D5 power chord at the 5th position with the open B string ringing.

That would be the index finger on the fifth fret of the fifth (A) string-sounding the root note of D, followed by the ring finger on the seventh fret of the fourth (D) string-sounding the fifth note A, followed by the pinky on the seventh fret of the third (G) string-sounding the next higher octave of the root note D, with the open B string ringing.

There are no other notes present in this chord. It is just a D power chord at the fifth position with the open B string ringing.

Eddie plays power chords with the open B and/or the open high E ringing exactly like this in the "Nobody rules these streets at night but me" section of "Atomic Punk" and many other places throughout the catalog.

The main problem with this chord is that it has never been transcribed correctly in the official TAB book or in any published guitar magazine transcriptions. I feel that this led to the confusion. I didn't have it right for years...I just played it the way it was transcribed in the official TAB book...WRONG! It is really as simple as can be and it sounds amazing, especially when you tune your guitar as Eddie did.

[prelle]

That's definitely...

I listened to that chord in Transcribe and I now hear that fifth correctly, so I do indeed get the gist of your drift.

[Megaro]

garbeaj, another great post. The 10 cents up from E flat in sweetened tuning sounds bang on to me when I am playing along with the iso clip. As for the big chord that we are talking about, I like your version. I also like the version that Doug Steele uses which is { x 5 0 4 0 0}. The chords sound very similar, but Doug's version seems a bit more dissonant, if that makes sense. Try it out and see what you think. They both sound good and a huge improvement over the official tabs.

[garbeaj]

garbeaj, another great post. The 10 cents up from E flat in sweetened tuning sounds bang on to me when I am playing along with the iso clip. As for the big chord that we are talking about, I like your version. I also like the version that Doug Steele uses which is { x 5 0 4 0 0}. The chords sound very similar, but Doug's version seems a bit more dissonant, if that makes sense. Try it out and see what you think. They both sound good and a huge improvement over the official tabs.

Thanks very much!

Yep, Doug's version of that chord is just wrong! It sounds really dissonant because it is wrong!

Seriously, it is just a D5 power chord with the open B string ringing, exactly as I have described. Eddie does not deviate from that fingering at all during the recording.

Doug (Johnny) gets some things right, many things right in fact. He has put a lot of time and effort into his video lessons and they are definitely a great place to start. More accurate in many instances than the official TAB books, but he misses a few things as well. He just plain doesn't care about getting things note-for-note correct, although it might seem that way from his video lessons.

He has told me personally that he really doesn't care about getting it note-for-note correct so many times. He reaches a point where he says "close enough" and he doesn't really care going beyond that.

[garbeaj]

The tuning that I have found for the nylon string guitar on "Spanish Fly" from Van Halen II is as follows:

1st string: D + 10.7 cents
2nd string: A + 10.9 cents
3rd string: F + 17.6 cents
4th string: C +18.0 cents
5th string: G +9.0 cents
6th string: D -2.3 cents

I used the remastered HDCD version of Van Halen II for reference. I used my Ovation steel string acoustic guitar to find and notate the tuning. This is the closest guitar that I have to the Ovation nylon string acoustic guitar that Eddie used on the original recording.

This DOES NOT require use of the "Sweetened" preset...these are actual, true pitches. Use the EQU setting.

[Strat78]

Stumbled on the site today; thought the Metro forum had been shut down a while back, but I guess it's still hanging in there. I think the sharp tuning on the low E in JC LP version was a mistake on Ed's part, but I don't agree on the B string being sharp. Seems to work better using the RWTD or ITO tuning with the B slightly flat and in tune with the high E, especially for the verses and solo. Allan, post a clip showing how this sounds with your tuner, because I only have the analogue Peterson and my old ears to go by. As far as the D chord with the open B, I think Bill and I went over this way back in the good ol' days. Off topic, but I've got a clip in that thread somewhere comparing Ben's amp to Ed's 12301. You can hear how equally and authentically nasty both amps sounded. Even though Chris said his tranny's were not for classic EVH, I think they actually were pretty damn close:
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=37477&p=370405#p370405

[garbeaj]

Stumbled on the site today; thought the Metro forum had been shut down a while back, but I guess it's still hanging in there. I think the sharp tuning on the low E in JC LP version was a mistake on Ed's part, but I don't agree on the B string being sharp. Seems to work better using the RWTD or ITO tuning with the B slightly flat and in tune with the high E, especially for the verses and solo. Allan, post a clip showing how this sounds with your tuner, because I only have the analogue Peterson and my old ears to go by. As far as the D chord with the open B, I think Bill and I went over this way back in the good ol' days. Off topic, but I've got a clip in that thread somewhere comparing Ben's amp to Ed's 12301. You can hear how equally and authentically nasty both amps sounded. Even though Chris said his tranny's were not for classic EVH, I think they actually were pretty damn close:
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=37477&hilit=jamies+cryin+fingering

Hey Phil! It's great to have you back! I remember the thread where you, me and Bill discussed the "Jamie's Cryin'" chord (for lack of a better term)...that's where I finally learned how to play it correctly!

I stand by my findings on the "Jamie's Cryin'" tuning. I can make a clip of me playing the song if that would convince you, but really the proof is in the pudding. If you get a Peterson StroboPlus HD and tune as I have it notated you will be exactly in tune with the record, just as on all the tunings I have posted. I'll PM you the "True Pitch" offsets so you have those...

I can't urge you strongly enough to get a Peterson StroboPlus HD...just $139 and you are in business with the best tuner on the planet! I know that you have the ears and the playing chops to appreciate what it does!

[Strat78]

Okay, I see it now, thought you had the B sharp to the G. Does the Peterson HD have an audio function: An mp3 of each tuning from the Peterson? I should dress my frets before I start talking about tuning much less spend $140 on a tuner.

[Megaro]

Strat78 and garbeaj, forgive me because I have gotten a little lost with the different posts. I read the thread Strat78 linked. Aren't you guys both using the same chord {x 5 7 0 0 x} ? Also, are you using one big downstroke ? I have been doing a straight downstroke on this chord, with just a little different fingering. I tried a big upstroke, and it did not have the same ooph. Please keep up the posts ! There is so much wisdom and talent on these boards and everyone is very generous with showing what they do.

[Strat78]

The tuning (which is what this thread is all about) plus the right position and finesse make or brake an EVH riff or solo. Without these things, most EVE stuff is unremarkable, excluding "Unchained" which sounds good no matter how bad the tone, tuning or playing.

[garbeaj]

The tuning (which is what this thread is all about) plus the right position and finesse make or brake an EVH riff or solo. Without these things, most EVE stuff is unremarkable, excluding "Unchained" which sounds good no matter how bad the tone, tuning or playing.

You are correct sir!

[garbeaj]

Okay, I see it now, thought you had the B sharp to the G. Does the Peterson HD have an audio function: An mp3 of each tuning from the Peterson? I should dress my frets before I start talking about tuning much less spend $140 on a tuner.

The caveat I always give is that assuming your guitar is setup and intonated correctly, the tunings will match up with the recordings, so yes get them frets dressed!

Not sure about what you are talking about with the audio MP3 on the StroboPlus?!?!

[garbeaj]

Strat78 and garbeaj, forgive me because I have gotten a little lost with the different posts. I read the thread Strat78 linked. Aren't you guys both using the same chord {x 5 7 0 0 x} ? Also, are you using one big downstroke ? I have been doing a straight downstroke on this chord, with just a little different fingering. I tried a big upstroke, and it did not have the same ooph.

Nope. Me, Strat78 and wjamflan all play the chord the same way {x 5 7 7 0 x}...a D5 power chord with the open B string ringing, played with a Downstroke!