paulrobertwagner - Posted - 12/19/2010:  16:48:39

From the new autobiography "Life":

"And then I found out all this stuff about banjos. A lot of five-string playing came from when Sears, Roebuck offered the Gibson guitar in the very early '20s, really cheap. Before that, the banjos were the biggest selling instrument. Gibson put out this cheap, really good guitar, and cats would tune it, since they were nearly all banjo players, to a five-string banjo tuning. Also, you didn't have to pay for the other string."

"...The beauty, the majesty of the five-string open G tuning for an electric guitar is that you've only got three notes -- the other two are repetitions of each other an octave apart. It's tuned GDGBD. Certain strings run through the whole song, so you get a drone going all the time, and because it's electric they reverberate. Only three notes, but because of these different octaves, it fills the whole gap between bass and top notes with sound. It gives you this beautiful resonance and ring. I found working with open tunings that there's a million places you don't need to put your fingers. The notes are already there. You can leave certain strings wide open. It's finding the spaces in between that makes open tuning work. And if you're working the right chord, you can hear this other chord going on behind it, which you're actually not playing. It's there. It defies logic." -- "Life" by Keith Richards (pgs. 242, 243).

The Pope - Posted - 12/19/2010:  16:51:55

Keith is the on rock 'n' roller playing the extremely rare 5-string Tele!

August - Posted - 12/19/2010:  16:55:24

there are chords and then there are implied chords and notes and implied notes

1four5 - Posted - 12/19/2010:  17:24:23

Keith is why I took a string off my Tele and tuned it to open G years ago. And that's actually the background that eventually lead me to banjo. I gotta get me that book!

paulrobertwagner - Posted - 12/20/2010:  04:29:07

A bit more from the man himself:

"The big discovery late in 1968 or early 1969 was when I started playing the open five-string tuning. It transformed my life. It's the way of playing that I use for riffs and songs the Stones are best known for -- "Honky Tonk Women," "Brown Sugar," "Tumbling Dice," "Happy," "All Down the Line," "Start Me Up," and "Satisfaction." "Flash," too. (pg. 241)

To say that this tuning was life transforming says a lot. But then again, so do the tunes he lists.

1four5 - Posted - 12/20/2010:  08:11:55

I have to agree. I was just a guitar noodler with standard tuning and 6 strings. 5 strings and open tunings just work for my brain and playing style. What it does is emiminate all the pain in the arse stuff, and leaves all the good stuff! Suddenly I was jamming, sounding like something, and having a blast. When the banjo finally came around and found my hands, playing it was a no brainer. I got to see Keith and the Stones in 2006 when their "Bigger Bang" tour came through Kansas. We were only a couple rows from the stage. I'll never forget that night.

paulrobertwagner - Posted - 12/20/2010:  14:42:56

I imagine the open tuning and ready use of barre chords would make the five-string guitar just a whole lot more accessible to us five string banjo players. Plus you wouldn't need to work on roll patterns.

blindsniper - Posted - 12/23/2010:  22:10:22

Who knows, The Keef could well be a closet banjo player. Do any of you know where the whole open G tuning took hold? I read somewhere the "taro patch" open G tuning originated in Hawaii

dustinTN - Posted - 12/26/2010:  22:33:33

Thanks for posting this! I might have to grab that book soon.

NickC - Posted - 12/27/2010:  01:12:30

Been meaning to read that book. Just gave me a great excuse!

Tom Hanway - Posted - 12/28/2010:  20:45:55

Brown Sugar, try it.

blindsniper - Posted - 12/28/2010:  22:20:14

quote:

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Originally posted by Tom Hanway

Brown Sugar, try it.

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Boog - Posted - 12/29/2010:  12:00:29

quote:

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Originally posted by Tom Hanway

Brown Sugar, try it.

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Edited by - Boog on 12/29/2010 12:00:57

SJL - Posted - 01/02/2011:  17:50:51

I just finished the book. It is fascinating on many levels. I would recommend it highly.

Rob MacKillop - Posted - 01/03/2011:  01:12:01

I was given the book for Christmas from my daughter. It's a great read. He has always been a (musical) hero of mine. I loved the way he developed a style that blurs the line between lead and acompaniment playing, especially with Ron Wood - 'an ancient form of weaving' is how he describes it. Open G tuning is wonderful - I can't tell you how much fun I've had blasting out 'Can't you hear me knockin' on my Strat. Wouldn't be the same on a banjo, I'm sorry to say. 'Honkey Tonk Blues', on the other hand...

Jim Yates - Posted - 01/03/2011:  09:26:58

My son just gave me Keith's Life for Christmas. I've just started it last night. I haven't gotten to the banjo references yet.

Does Keith have a low or high G on his 5th string?

Edited by - Jim Yates on 01/03/2011 09:28:25

Rob MacKillop - Posted - 01/03/2011:  09:32:07

Low.

fred davis - Posted - 01/03/2011:  10:09:54

Taro Patch is low G tuning used in Hawiian music I use it on my acustic lap guitar and my nylon string classic guitar for slack key playing it has a wonderfull low sound I use the same bar chords and regular chords Makes it easy to switch between instruments

blindsniper - Posted - 01/03/2011:  22:34:53

quote:

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Originally posted by fred davis

Taro Patch is low G tuning used in Hawiian music I use it on my acustic lap guitar and my nylon string classic guitar for slack key playing it has a wonderfull low sound I use the same bar chords and regular chords Makes it easy to switch between instruments

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Rob MacKillop - Posted - 01/03/2011:  23:42:06

Low G means his 5-string guitar is tuned GDGBD, rising from bass to treble, and not gDGBD. So it is not used like a banjo, with the thumb playing a high note as a drone. But the tuning, he seems to be saying, was influenced by the banjo.

blindsniper - Posted - 01/04/2011:  22:56:54

quote:

---

Originally posted by Rob MacKillop

Low G means his 5-string guitar is tuned GDGBD, rising from bass to treble, and not gDGBD. So it is not used like a banjo, with the thumb playing a high note as a drone. But the tuning, he seems to be saying, was influenced by the banjo.

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Jim Yates - Posted - 01/12/2011:  09:42:43

My friend and bandmate Ted Staunton also received Kieth's Life from his son for Christmas. I just had coffee with my friends Collin and Al (Jazzy Al on the Hangout) and they both got the book for Christmas. Keef must be makin' a bundle on that book.

Marc Nerenberg - Posted - 01/13/2011:  17:10:01

I bought it for myself as an Ibook....the first Ibook that I bought to read on the Ipad I got for Christmas! Yeah ... he must be making a bundle!