Best Of My Love tuning

[YoungEaglesFan]

This is sort of an obscure question but does anyone know what the tuning of what Best Of My Love is? I know Don in a recent concert said it’s open C and it came from Joni Mitchell but when I look up the chords for the song I don’t see any one say that it’s in open C. It sounds like just normal tuning in C major to me. Any help would be appreciated

[chaim]

I believe I have asked this before and no one knew. Still a mystery to me. Joni Mitchell has used a lot of different tunings and it wouldn't help going through them all. :mrgreen: Perhaps Glenn wrote it in an open tuning, but recorded and later played it in standard tuning?

[Pippinwhite]

When in doubt, consult the sheet music! Here's the first page:
https://www.screencast.com/t/7e81n6Nj

It's the in the key of C and you can see the guitar tabs in C and D minor. Just the first page, but it holds true throughout the song, I think. It's an unusual key for a guitar, but if Glenn wrote the melody on the keyboard, then it makes perfect sense. My husband the keyboardist, tells me these things. LOL.

[WalshFan88]

Standard A440 tuning with a C major key.

Not sure why Don would have said Open C, that's not used very often and is mostly for slide guitarists. I think it's a case of he doesn't know the guitar that well and that is the terminology he uses.

Open tuning means whatever you've tuned to, when you strum all strings with no fingers held down, that's the chord you get. Open E and G are the most used.

[chaim]

The tuning thing has been mentioned before, but I don't remember whether it was Don or somebody else. So Don didn't just make it up in the recent gig.

[WalshFan88]

The tuning thing has been mentioned before, but I don't remember whether it was Don or somebody else. So Don didn't just make it up in the recent gig.

Hmmm. Well someone has incorrect info because the recording on the album is most certainly standard tuning with a riff based in and around the C chord.

In fact, I'm having a hard time envisioning how that would be pulled off in open C. There are some chords in BOML that you just don't (not saying you can't) do in an open tuning. D minor, for one. Open tuning is all about major chords, IME, if you aren't playing slide. A great example is Keith Richards. It's all about one finger bars and that three finger minor-7th shape that makes that classic Rolling Stones sound. There are little parts you can play in the open position too but again, those are major chords. And you can strike the strings open for the chord. I can't think of any example of someone doing minor chords in an open tuning, but I am a straightahead rock guy. Maybe in other genres it happens. Dunno.

[chaim]

Hmmm. Well someone has incorrect info because the recording on the album is most certainly standard tuning with a riff based in and around the C chord.

In fact, I'm having a hard time envisioning how that would be pulled off in open C. There are some chords in BOML that you just don't (not saying you can't) do in an open tuning. D minor, for one. Open tuning is all about major chords, IME, if you aren't playing slide. A great example is Keith Richards. It's all about one finger bars and that three finger minor-7th shape that makes that classic Rolling Stones sound. There are little parts you can play in the open position too but again, those are major chords. And you can strike the strings open for the chord. I can't think of any example of someone doing minor chords in an open tuning, but I am a straightahead rock guy. Maybe in other genres it happens. Dunno.

I'm with you there. I don't know how BOML could be played in a different tuning. But I've heard it two different times (a couple of decades in between) that it was at least written in an open tuning.

EDIT:

Well, I'm not sure if it was an "open" tuning that was mentioned previously or just a "different" tuning.

[chaim]

When in doubt, consult the sheet music! Here's the first page:
https://www.screencast.com/t/7e81n6Nj

It's the in the key of C and you can see the guitar tabs in C and D minor. Just the first page, but it holds true throughout the song, I think. It's an unusual key for a guitar, but if Glenn wrote the melody on the keyboard, then it makes perfect sense. My husband the keyboardist, tells me these things. LOL.

The question was about a guitar tuning, not about the basic chords. :) In that sheet music the chord boxes show a simplified version of the chord progression for standard tuning.

[scottside]

I'm no authority on this, but maybe there are several guitars and at least one of them is playing the song in an alternate tuning. It doesn't necessarily have to be open, just something different. Joni Mitchell must use well over 50 diffferent tunings in her repertoire and many of these are unusual, but beautiful in the context of the songs. I know I've read that Glenn picked up some things from her and it's possible that it is used on BOML along with standard tuned guitars.

[chaim]

I'm no authority on this, but maybe there are several guitars and at least one of them is playing the song in an alternate tuning. It doesn't necessarily have to be open, just something different. Joni Mitchell must use well over 50 diffferent tunings in her repertoire and many of these are unusual, but beautiful in the context of the songs. I know I've read that Glenn picked up some things from her and it's possible that it is used on BOML along with standard tuned guitars.

Yes, if there's a different tuning in BOML, there are guitars in the standard tuning as well.

[WalshFan88]

Yes, if there's a different tuning in BOML, there are guitars in the standard tuning as well.

This. It could be something other than an open tuning but Henley said something about Open C which would not sound like the record and may not be able to be done period.

[chaim]

At least here Glenn seems to be playing in the same (standard) tuning as everybody else. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRBIkHtWr18
(Incidentally I love Glenn's smile in the beginning.)

[Delilah]

This is sort of an obscure question but does anyone know what the tuning of what Best Of My Love is? I know Don in a recent concert said it’s open C and it came from Joni Mitchell but when I look up the chords for the song I don’t see any one say that it’s in open C. It sounds like just normal tuning in C major to me. Any help would be appreciated

I know nothing about guitar tunings but to clarify what Don said about BOML, at least at the Opry concert, he talked about Joni Mitchell and then said Glenn started the song in a drop C tuning. Is this the same as an “open C”? I thought it was a significant detail that he was talking about how the song began initially.

[Funk 50]

All reports tend to say that Glenn began writing The Best Of My Love with an alternate guitar tuning, which suggests that, although it may have provided some initial inspiration for the music, he may well have abandoned it at some point in the writing and recording process :shrug:

[chaim]

I know nothing about guitar tunings but to clarify what Don said about BOML, at least at the Opry concert, he talked about Joni Mitchell and then said Glenn started the song in a drop C tuning. Is this the same as an “open C”? I thought it was a significant detail that he was talking about how the song began initially.

This probably isn't going to make any sense to people who don't play an instrument..."Drop C tuning" would, I think, mean that the low E is tuned even lower to C while all the other strings are in standard tuning. This would make sense in the case of BOML since the basic verse progression is C major to D minor and you can't play the D root of the D minor chord on the guitar without detuning a string - not if you play the "third" (f note) on the D-string like they do. If you tune the low E to C you can play the D root with your thumb on the 2nd fret. And, of course, it gives you a very low C for the C major chord. But I don't think it's like that on the album. It's possible that Glenn wrote it that way.

[WalshFan88]

Drop C makes a hell of a lot more sense to me, and I can totally see that. Thanks for that bit of info, definitely helps make it easier to think about! lol

Again, open tunings are mostly for slide players, oh, and Keith Richards (and those who want to be him, like Rich Robinson of The Black Crowes as one example). Keith learned it from Ry Cooder, and Ry is a slide player.

Drop tunings are very fun. Chaim has it exactly right.

[chaim]

At 0:15 mark when it goes to D minor, you can see Glenn placing his thumb on the second fret on the low E (C?) string. So perhaps he's using the drop C tuning here?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRBIkHtWr18

[WalshFan88]

At 0:15 mark when it goes to D minor, you can see Glenn placing his thumb on the second fret on the low E (C?) string. So perhaps he's using the drop C tuning here?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRBIkHtWr18

Unfortunately that video is blocked in the US but from the way you are describing, yes, that is something commonly done with a drop tuning.

[chaim]

I've always wondered where the D comes from before the bass comes in, because the D string is fretted (F note), A string is open, the G-string has an A, the B string a C and the high E is open (Dm9 chord). This would explain it.

When they later play the G7 arpeggio, there's a low G. How did Glenn play that? Was the other low E in his 12-string tuned to low C and the pair string to G? Genesis's Mike Rutherford tuned some of the string pairs to different notes for some songs.

EDIT:

Changed my mind about string pairs tuned differently. See later post.

[YoungEaglesFan]

I've always wondered where the D root comes from (or any D note for that matter) before the bass comes in, because the D string is fretted (F note), A string is open, the G-string has an A, the B string a C and the high E is open (Dm9 chord). This would explain it.

When they later play the G7 arpeggio, there's a low G. How did Glenn play that? Was the other low E in his 12-string tuned to low C and the pair string to G? Genesis's Mike Rutherford tuned some of the string pairs to different notes for some songs.

Are you talking about the part in the song where the vocals stop and they play out that one chord one string at a time? Because based on the capital centre footage, i think Glenn strums like a triad or something. I can’t tell what it is but he’s not doing the chord on the record. Maybe joe or don is.

[chaim]

Are you talking about the part in the song where the vocals stop and they play out that one chord one string at a time? Because based on the capital centre footage, i think Glenn strums like a triad or something. I can’t tell what it is but he’s not doing the chord on the record. Maybe joe or don is.

Yes, that's what I'm talking about. I think Glenn does play the arpeggio in the video I posted. I'd have to check to make sure, but that's what I remember.

[UndertheWire]

Are you talking about the part in the song where the vocals stop and they play out that one chord one string at a time? Because based on the capital centre footage, i think Glenn strums like a triad or something. I can’t tell what it is but he’s not doing the chord on the record. Maybe joe or don is.
Don't forget that neither Joe nor Don Felder played on the record. It would have been Glenn or Bernie.

[YoungEaglesFan]

Yes, that's what I'm talking about. I think Glenn does play the arpeggio in the video I posted. I'd have to check to make sure, but that's what I remember.

What performance is it from?

[YoungEaglesFan]

Don't forget that neither Joe nor Don Felder played on the record. It would have been Glenn or Bernie.

I was just basing it off the live performance of it at the captial centre. I don’t think there’s a 12 string guitar on the record but there is one live

[chaim]

What performance is it from?

The link is in my previous post.

Just checked the original version. There's definitely at least one 12-string guitar right from the beginning.

[chaim]

Now that I looked at the video again Glenn doesn't play the C on the A string when the play the C chord. (He also avoids playing barre chords.) I think his low E's are in C and his A strings in G. So in the C chord his two lowest strings (C and G) are open, whether he actually picks them or not, and in the D minor chord his thumb plays the low D and A on the 2nd fret. And when they come to the G7, he plays the open G and the chord on top of that.

EDIT:

When you look at Glenn's fingerings, he plays the Em7 and Fm7 chords the same way. Thumb on the two lowest strings providing the root and the 5th. For example, on the Em7 chord his thumb is on the 4th fret (two lowest strings) and the rest of the notes are G (D string), B (G string), D (B string) and possibly the high E open. (Of course he doesn't play an open E in the Fm7 chord!)

I'm not saying I'm right, but I tried it on the guitar and it works. Plus it looks like what Glenn is playing.

[Telecaster_nitro]

I have the Sirius XM channel, and they had CH 30 as the EAGLES channel ( Now a damn Billy Joel channel - who gives a **** about Billy Joel?) - Don Henley refers to a "Drop C" tuning - For guitar players , you tune down your top ( Fat E ) string down to a C -

I have tried the "Double Drop C" ( tune BOTH E strings down to a "C" - this DOES work, but really does not seem to add much to the dynamics of that song. I can tell on videos, that they don't fret EITHER of the E-strings when they play it-
Joe Walsh's guitar appears to be standard tuning as he DOES fret these strings..

Hope it helps a little -

SPK

[chaim]

Glenn did fret the low E and A string with his thumb imo

[YoungEaglesFan]

After listening to Glenn’s 1989 interview about the making of On The Border, he explains the tuning he comes up with. He said that he was inspired by open C that Joni Mitchell was using but got lost along the way. The tuning he said he “came up with” was that he lowered the low E string to C and the a string to g. He was playing with that and then hammered on a a minor 7th onto the D and B strings. His state’s that the first two chords (in simple terms) are a c and d minor chord. The most trustworthy chord book I used had it as being standard tuning with a F major chord instead. But it is not apparently which is interesting. I’m gonna have to try this out soon and see. Normally I’d trust Glenn but Don himself was off about the tuning of the song so who knows Lol.

Here’s the interview in case you’re interested: http://www.inthestudio.net/online-on-demand/eagles-desperado-on-the-border-45th-anniversary-randy-meisner-the-late-glenn-frey/?fbclid=IwAR0x0oZyl3FgupiZ1jDGS72GG7P-Dtl4d4HjOVLGC9l9Eaocl97hraUrbfs

Keep in mind it covers Desperado and On The Border so you have to skip around if you want to hear strictly the BOML part but the interview is really good in general though

[Out of Control]

After listening to Glenn’s 1989 interview about the making of On The Border, he explains the tuning he comes up with. He said that he was inspired by open C that Joni Mitchell was using but got lost along the way. The tuning he said he “came up with” was that he lowered the low E string to C and the a string to g. He was playing with that and then hammered on a a minor 7th onto the D and B strings. His state’s that the first two chords (in simple terms) are a c and d minor chord. The most trustworthy chord book I used had it as being standard tuning with a F major chord instead. But it is not apparently which is interesting. I’m gonna have to try this out soon and see. Normally I’d trust Glenn but Don himself was off about the tuning of the song so who knows Lol.

Here’s the interview in case you’re interested: http://www.inthestudio.net/online-on-demand/eagles-desperado-on-the-border-45th-anniversary-randy-meisner-the-late-glenn-frey/?fbclid=IwAR0x0oZyl3FgupiZ1jDGS72GG7P-Dtl4d4HjOVLGC9l9Eaocl97hraUrbfs

Keep in mind it covers Desperado and On The Border so you have to skip around if you want to hear strictly the BOML part but the interview is really good in general though

Thanks. I’ll have to get my guitar out and try and I’ll get back to you if Austin doesn’t beat me.

[NightMistBlue]

Greetings! I’d just like to clarify that Redbard’s interview with Glenn was on May 9, 1992. The Randy interview was done circa 1989.

[YoungEaglesFan]

Greetings! I’d just like to clarify that Redbard’s interview with Glenn was on May 9, 1992. The Randy interview was done circa 1989.

Oh my bad, I mixed those two up. Thanks for the clarification

[WalshFan88]

Thanks for that, YEF.

I plan to try this soon.

[chaim]

C and Dm7 are the first two chords. With the tuning Glenn is able to play F major with his first three fingers and the D and A with his thumb. This makes it a D minor 7th. If the high e string is open, it's a Dm9.

I already explained earlier what Glenn does, based on watching Glenn's fingers. For every minor 7th (Dm7, Em7, Fm7) he does the same thing. A major chord (for example G) on the d, g and b strings, but his thumb makes it a minor 7th (Em7).