THE INDIE MUSICIAN: LETS FIX YOUR WRITER'S BLOCK

This is for songwriters with guitars!

If you don't write songs using a guitar, I'll find something else especially for you. Maybe you could take up guitar? (seriously)

If you're feeling a little blocked in the creative department, go get your guitar and tuner............I'll wait.

Now, try some of these alternate tunings to get your creativity going. Playing standard chord shapes will give you a different sound than your ears are used to. Even make up chord shapes if you like. Rules! No rules, just play.

Don't think 'I've got to write a song' just let flow whatever comes naturally. Even grab your guitar and head outdoors or just to a room you would not normally play in.

Playing in the bathroom is an oldie but still a goodie to get great acoustics. If you sound better, you are more likely to come up with better ideas.

And ideas are all you need to be concerned with looking for. If you can't get there, put the guitar down (I'll wait again) and come back to it later.

So, without further ado - here's some tunings and suggestions as to what styles they may suit.

If these aren't enough for you, just click here to check out some more of Richard Ebbs' tunings.

All tunings are from 6th string (the fat one) to 1st string (the thin one)

The example chord shape is just something to get you started

rotating dot TUNING: DADGBE
Used by: Ry Cooder, John Renbourn and others
Suggestions: known as 'dropped D' tuning- provides a deeper bass for songs in D
Example chord shape:
1st string 2nd fret
2nd string 3rd fret
3rd string 2nd fret
(and the rest open)

rotating dot TUNING: DADGAD
Used by: invented by Davy Graham, used by many folk guitarists
Suggestions: if you can be patient enough to find lots of shapeswhich use strings 6, 5, and 3, a 'sound' useful for playing withfiddle/mandolin etc can be had
Example chord shape
fifth string second fret
sixth string second fret
(and the rest open)

rotating dot TUNING: DADF#AD
Used by: Bert Jansch, John Martyn, Robin Williamson, Mississippi John Hurt
Suggestions: this one is used extensively for blues playing, but it can also be a 'mellow' tuning as well-
try this shape for example (which is not a D, G or A chord)...
Example chord shape
third string eighth fret
fifth string ninth fret
sixth string ninth fret
(and the rest open)

rotating dot TUNING: CGDGCD
Used by: the author (Richard Ebbs)
Suggestions: this is a good one. There's a lot of potential here
Example chord shape
first string tenth fret
fourth string tenth fret
fifth string ninth fret
sixth string ninth fret
(and the rest open)

TUNING: FGDGG#Eb
or (the same tuning a semitone lower)
TUNING: EG#C#F#GD
Used by: the author (Richard Ebbs)
Suggestions: this was discovered by putting a Ravi Shankar(sitar) raga on the record player and twiddling the machine headsuntil all strings were related to the music on record-consequently some very Eastern sounds can be had
Example chord shape
first string twelfth fret (harmonic)
second string twelfth fret (harmonic)
third string twelfth fret (harmonic)
fourth string twelfth fret (harmonic)
fifth string twelfth fret (harmonic)
sixth string twelfth fret (harmonic)

TUNING: DADEAE
Used by: the author (Richard Ebbs).
This sounds a bit like a Dick Gaughan tuning (but it isn't) -it's a good 'un!
Suggestions: hard to use at first but the plethora of 4ths and 5thscan make for a good sound
Example chord shape
third string second fret
(and the rest open)

TUNING: GBDGBD
Used by: possibly Led Zeppelin(?)
Suggestions: you can play Led Zep's 'Rain Song' in this tuning
Example chord shape
second string third fret
fourth string third fret
fifth string third fret
(and the rest open)

TUNING: GGDGBD
Used by: Pink Floyd

TUNING: EBDGAD
Used by: Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

TUNING: CGCGCE
Suggestions: this tuning is useful if you want your guitar to sound like a mandolin (if you want to play Joni Mitchell's Case Of You on a guitar, for example)