Parfois, on peut se questionner sur la pertinence de certaines inventions/innovations. C’est définitivement le cas de cette invention qui requiert une modification importante et irréversible de votre guitare.
Le système Capo Clips requiert l’insertion de rails d’attache dans le manche de votre guitare qui permettent l’installation rapide de “clips” qui ont la même fonction qu’un capo mais une corde et une frette à la fois.
Il y avait longtemps que je n’avais pas consulté le site de Joni Mitchell. J’ai été agréablement surpris par la facture maintenant plus soignée du site et en particulier d’y découvrir une base de données de transcriptions de chansons de Joni ainsi que deux pages dédiées aux accords ouverts/alternés:
On pense parfois savoir tout ce qui est disponible sur le marché en terme de gadget pour changer d’accord rapidement, mais non. J’ai été très surpris d’apprendre l’existence cette semaine de trois capos qui ont trois fonctions bien distinctes:
Le “Spider capo” de la compagnie Creative Tunings Inc.:
Le “Glider capo” de la compagnie Greg Bennett Co. qui, bien qu’il ne permette pas la sélection d’accords ouverts/alternatifs, facilite tellement les changements de tonalités qu’il mérite sa place dans ce blogue:
Finalement, le plus excentrique du lot, le Voice capo de la compagnie Artioli Designs permet de véritablement sélectionner précisément quel accord ouvert/alternatif on désire utiliser, au détriment par contre de la longueur du manche de guitare:
Finalement, j’ai aussi découvert une page qui explique le fonctionnement (et vend) tous ces capos (et plus): http://www.partialcapo.com/devices.htm
Je travaille depuis quelques jours sur une pièce en EACGBD et, pour prendre un peu de recul, j’ai descendu le B de la deuxième corde d’un ton à A, pour obtenir EACGAD. Cette petite différence m’a permit de trouver immédiatement quelque chose de différent de l’autre pièce sur laquelle je travaille.
Pour récapituler: petit changement = gros résultat!
http://soundclick.com/share?songid=9589860
Cette création par Jimmy St-Germain est mise à disposition selon les termes de la licence Creative Commons Paternité-Pas d’Utilisation Commerciale-Partage des Conditions Initiales à l’Identique 2.5 Canada.
La pièce s’intitule “Pinède“. L’accord de base utilisé, par l’entremise du Varichord, est EAEADG. Voici le code des positions pour le Varichord:
6:0 (ouvert)
5:0 (ouvert)
4:2
3:2
2:3
1:3
Cette création par Jimmy St-Germain est mise à disposition selon les termes de la licence Creative Commons Paternité-Pas d’Utilisation Commerciale-Partage des Conditions Initiales à l’Identique 2.5 Canada.
Une nouvelle compagnie appelée Evertune s’apprête à mettre sur le marché un nouveau type de pont de guitare qui, avec l’aide un mécanisme (rien d’électronique), garde une guitare accordée en permanence.
L’invention ne permet pas d’avoir accès à des accords ouverts plus rapidement. Le site web indique que l’invention permet d’accorder la guitare de n’importe quelle façon et celle-ci conservera son accord jusqu’à ce qu’on décide de l’accorder différemment:
EverTune is based on simple mechanical principles. The EverTune bridge feeds your guitar strings into an adaptive spring-tensioner inside the guitar body.
As each string or tuner posts loosens, the springs compensate, maintaining exactly the tension you set the first time you tuned the guitar, no matter how hard or how often you play.
You’ll never again have to re-tune your guitar…unless you want to! Prefer alternative tunings? Easy! Tune or re-string your EverTune just like a regular guitar. Want to bend your notes? You can do that too! With EverTune, you are in control!
Je suis très curieux de voir comment ça fonctionne et j’ai hâte de voir les démos sur Youtube.
“A Tuning A Day” sera maintenant publié en français.
What is the origin of alternate tunings? I would bet the origin of alternate tunings is as old as stringed instruments.
A topic I’ll be getting back to in short order. In the meanwhile, here are two Wikipedia articles on the topic:
Hey wow! Another gadget to handle alt. tunings! Well not exactly…
This gadget, the Morpheus DropTune, allows you to downtune your current tuning. So if you’re in DADGAD, the DropTune allows you to go instantly to CGCFGC and so on. Cool in its own right but I’m not overly impressed by the tone produced. It’s digitized modelling after all. Anyway, it might come handy in some cases…
Here’s a demonstration of the DropTune:
I’m a big fan of The Church, a criminally creative and talented creative band. Here’s a favorite from their best-selling album “Starfish”:
No introduction necessary. Enjoy…
“Edith and the kingpin“
Third song in the “Chemin de terre” song cycle, the other two being “Boréal” and “Appalaches”. “Laurentien” is written in DGDGBD.
“Laurentien“
Cette création par Jimmy St-Germain est mise à disposition selon les termes de la licence Creative Commons Paternité-Pas d’Utilisation Commerciale-Partage des Conditions Initiales à l’Identique 2.5 Canada.
Another song I wrote last year.
“What is the blues?“
Cette création par Jimmy St-Germain est mise à disposition selon les termes de la licence Creative Commons Paternité-Pas d’Utilisation Commerciale-Partage des Conditions Initiales à l’Identique 2.5 Canada.
Here’s a little song I wrote last year. Not much to say about it except that the guitar is a Washburn Woodstock 12-strings.
“August blues“
Cette création par Jimmy St-Germain est mise à disposition selon les termes de la licence Creative Commons Paternité-Pas d’Utilisation Commerciale-Partage des Conditions Initiales à l’Identique 2.5 Canada.
I just found this comprehensive webpage (and companion “Alternate Tunings Guide” in PDF) by William A. Sethares.
Definitely worth a look: “Alternate Tuning Guide“.
By the way, I feel like I should organize a page with relevant links about alt. tunings.
I can’t decide if I like this gadget or if it is ridiculously over the top. This will not help you play better. I’m not even sure it will help you understand alt. tunings better. However, the construction looks solid and it’s actually beautiful, as a trophy to hang on the chimney over the mantelpiece.
I’m not putting down the invention because I might well decide to buy it sometimes.
See for your yourself:
Here’s the company link: Chordstar
As expected, no particular difficulties in writing new music with this beautiful tool. However, a notation system is required in order to properly archive and reference how the capo is set-up for a particular song. Here’s what I’ve come up with: string #: fret #
For this first tryout, I’m using:
6:2
5:2
4:open
3:1
2:open
1:2
Here’s the video:
Cette création par Jimmy St-Germain est mise à disposition selon les termes de la licence Creative Commons Paternité-Pas d’Utilisation Commerciale-Partage des Conditions Initiales à l’Identique 2.5 Canada.
Just thought I should share that I am awaiting a Varichord capo (see earlier post about this item). Even though the item is not available anymore, I figured I might try to get in touch with the inventor to try to get one.
Well I was lucky and I’m awaiting a brand new Varichord capo…
Excerpt from Gibson’s Lifestyle blog:
“I could see a magnetic pickup in the “neck” position and there’s a Piezo underneath the bridge. A stereo jack carries both outs on a stereo cable, like the Dark Fire. There are three three banks of tuning, but the inventors are toying with the idea of adding yet another bank, as alternate tunings are so popular with acoustic guitars…although too much of a good thing can indeed be too much, so that decision remains to be made.“
I’ve never given much thoughts to fine tuning string gauges for different tunings. Admittedly, this aspect of alternate tunings has to be addressed sooner or later in order to keep the guitar in good shape.
I found this article which covers basic points in regards to string gauges in an alternate tuning context:
http://www.bansheewerks.com/frivolities/geetar/tech.shtml#gauges
Both of these songs sound like they may have been written in some alt. tunings although I can’t be sure of that.
“Oublie pas” by Karkwa
“We gathered in spring” by Midlake
I made these demos recently. These are written in DGDGBD and DGDGBE respectively:
“Boréal“
Cette création par Jimmy St-Germain est mise à disposition selon les termes de la licence Creative Commons Paternité-Pas d’Utilisation Commerciale-Partage des Conditions Initiales à l’Identique 2.5 Canada.
“Appalaches“
Cette création par Jimmy St-Germain est mise à disposition selon les termes de la licence Creative Commons Paternité-Pas d’Utilisation Commerciale-Partage des Conditions Initiales à l’Identique 2.5 Canada.
These two songs are part of a song cycle titled “Chemin de terre” (“Dirt road“). There is a third song in this cycle, titled “Laurentien“, which should be posted in a few weeks.
Upcoming experiment in which I’ll tune the guitar to a completely unkown (to me) tuning, explore and write a musical snippet, with no edits at all.
I just found a nice online tool that gives possible names to a given chord. Of course we all know that without proper harmonic context, it can be difficult to properly identify any given chord. However, the tool provides a good starting point.
The tool is called “Chorderator Chord Generator“.
Just click on the button “More options” to access the alt. tuning field
The Varichord capo is another gizmo allowing the use of alternate tunings without actually retuning the guitar (on the other hand, you could tune the guitar to a tuning of your choice and use the Varichord to put the guitar in standard tuning…).
The Varichord is not available right now because the inventor, Martin Furey, has stopped selling them a while ago. Considering it is possible that information about this gizmo becomes less available over time, I’m quoting the complete review of the Varichord capo from the following web page:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/coleman005/Varichord.htm
The idea behind this device is that it lets you stop strings with a capo at places other than straight across the fretboard. You can treat the strings individually (within limits). The first thing I tried was to make it “finger” a D chord in dropped D tuning (DADGBE low to high). After a few minutes I started finding new sounds on the guitar – sounds I could not have made without the device. Next I tried an open Esus4 tuning (EBEABE). This sounded, predictably, like DADGAD tuning with an ordinary capo at the 2nd fret. There was a big difference though. I could play standard tuning chords above the capo without needing new fingerings as the string tensions were unaffected. This is much easier to appreciate with a guitar in your hands than having it explained in words.
I think the main value in the Varichord is in helping a guitarist to create new sounds. I am not saying it’s indispensable but it could certainly come into its own during one of those uninspired periods that I’m sure we all go through. It keeps you playing and gives you a fresh way of approaching something.
——————
This review is simply my opinion of the device. I am not connected with the company and do not sell the device. It can, however, be obtained from … http://www.varichord.co.uk/
The inventor is also an accomplished musician. Here’s a link about one of his recordings (“Howl“) which features, incidentally, the Varichord:
All related to the release of the Dark Fire Les Paul:
Here’s the new version of the robot guitar, named “Dark fire”, which, I must say, looks stunning. The original robot guitar didn’t do anything to me but this one really looks good.
Most of my free time is taken by the restoration of my sailboat. If you are interested by this endeavor, visit the dedicated blog at http://ceto001.wordpress.com/ (in french only).
I just found this ingenious invention on the web, the Timara String Drop which is basically a detuner but the detune speed is controllable and the inventor is some kind of crazy inventor:
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EDEBCA update
There’s a post below (almost a year ago) about a challenge sent to me with this tuning. I had determined a while ago that tunings in which adjacent strings were separated by a semitone did not lend themselves well to exploration. EDEBCA is one such tuning.
What I’m trying to say is that I will not write anything with EDEBCA.
13 avril 2009 | Categories: Accords, Mes commentaires | Laisser un commentaire »