Help me, I think Ive got an idea

[Sprocket]

You want to retune for each chord?

To change a major to a minor you drop the third by a semitone:

AM     A  C# E
Am     A  C   E

So, you could not use the open A tuning to play the minor off a one finger barre, as it would be difficult to drop the half tone. You could tune to Am and add the sharp third to make a major tho, but a novice would have more trouble with that than simple open chords.

OOps, you want open E. Same principle tho. (Assuming I have this right, not checked on a guitar)

Im having a hard enough time following what you are recommending, could you put that in terms of open E? Half step, whole step....if I have to translate and convert it all it makes it a lil more difficult for me to wrap my head around....IM a simpleton.
BUT I think I follow you...so instead of barring, the other person is gonna have to hang a finger out there every now and again...so I tell them to play double stops(powerchords for open tunings) instead.
Im pretty sure I can make this work.

[SteveG]

Open E....

E Major is built from the first, third and fifth of the E major scale, ie: E, G# and B.

Open E (Vestapol) tuning is E, B, E, G#, B, E.

This is the tuning a lot of the old time blues slide players used.

Strum any group of strings and you are going to get a EM chord.

Now, E minor is built the same way, but from the minor scale, E, G, B.

You are tuned to EM, so to go minor you need to drop the G string fingering down one ... hard!

But, if you were tuned to Em you need to raise the G srting one fret, so a barre and one finger, easier. But you need that finger on for all the major chords.

Play E and Em and you will see how it works, dropping the third half a tone to go minor from major.

Again, this is all off the top of my head and I am no theory guru!!! I am half expecting someone to pop up and tell me I am talking shite!

Would work best I still think for a simple 3 chord trick song, give someone a taste of playing along without having to actually learn anything.

Hope that's clearer.

[Sprocket]

Now, E minor is built the same way, but from the minor scale, E, G, B.

Again, this is all off the top of my head and I am no theory guru!!! I am half expecting someone to pop up and tell me I am talking shite!

Mine was all off the top of my head too, and I nailed it...according to you.
And Im also terrible at theory.

Would work best I still think for a simple 3 chord trick song, give someone a taste of playing along without having to actually learn anything.

With the blues thats all you really need!
And I really like how you threw the old blues slide players in there...as I can use this oddly tuned guitar for my own personal use as well, to learn some blues slide.

[SteveG]

Just put the slide on the 3 obvious places and wiggle it around a lot 

I am CRAP at slide playing, probably because I don't practice it ... typically 

[Flash Harry]

you've given my secret away.

You beat me to it!

[Sprocket]

For anybody not familiar with Richie Havens...or open tunings
Please have a look at this:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1pMeyy__r0

Its 2 songs, the first Im not familiar with, but it shows his chord structure as well as his technique...but at 5 mins is when the show starts!!!
I like how the simplicity of what he is strumming allows him to put more feeling into everything he is doing...to see this guy live, even today, is just a powerful moving experience...I saw him 3 years ago, and am always looking for new dates...so powerful!
And he does some great Beatles covers, among others.

[Bluesberry]

you've given my secret away.

You beat me to it!

Don't ya feel better now for sharing that.

[Sprocket]

you've given my secret away.

You beat me to it!

Don't ya feel better now for sharing that.

No offense...but this doesnt really go far into helping me feel apart of all of this.
It really just feels like yall are picking on me...even if thats not the intent.
Im asking for help, and I kinda figure you older members, with more talent, could actually bring something to the table.
Its bad enough that I listen to yalls posts, comment and then get blown off...but in my own topics?

Thank you SteveG for entertaining me and my topic with the help and advice youve offered.

[edit]And please forgive me if Im out of line...overly sensitive has been a re-occuring theme with me lately(in the last 2 weeks).

[Geir]

to make it really easy:

take off the E and A string, then tune :

D (leave it)
G -> A
B -> A
E -> D

Then you have an open D with no 3rd and they can play along to both minor and major chords.

cheers

[Bosko Schwartz]

No offense...but this doesnt really go far into helping me feel apart of all of this.
It really just feels like yall are picking on me...even if thats not the intent.
Im asking for help, and I kinda figure you older members, with more talent, could actually bring something to the table.
Its bad enough that I listen to yalls posts, comment and then get blown off...but in my own topics?

Thank you SteveG for entertaining me and my topic with the help and advice youve offered.

[edit]And please forgive me if Im out of line...overly sensitive has been a re-occuring theme with me lately(in the last 2 weeks).

Sorry, Sprocket, I would help you if I could, but I am 100% self-taught and know almost zero music theory.  I know nothing about tuning either, other than standard E and dropped D.  I don't believe I have ever blown you off when you've commented, have I?  I don't recall you commenting, actually, but if you did and I blew you off, I apologize.  That's something I make a point not to do.