wileypickett
Enlightened Member
I do keep track -- I have to!
Here's a bit of background:
I'm a completely intuitive player with little understanding of music theory. Open tunings are my way of writing new pieces of music, a way of making the familiar unfamilar, and with each new tuning comes at least one new composition, a way of navigating that tuning. I rarely use an open tuning for more than single piece of music -- one tuning, one piece of music -- no idea why, just seems to work out that way.
I have nothing against standard tuning -- it's amazingly versatile and the range of what you can do with it is mind-boggling. There are people who have played in standard tuning their whole lives and are still discovering new things.
I started out playing country blues and ragtime in standard tuning in my late teens / early '20s -- Mississippi John Hurt, Rev. Gary Davis, Sam McGee many others. (Still love that music.)
But as much as I loved playing in standard, I had a hard time writing in it. (That standard tuning C chord just didn't belong to me; it was there before I came along and it'll be there after I'm gone. However, any C chord I stumble upon in open tuning -- and I imagine there must be some -- I own!)
I recorded nine albums with my electric instrumental psych band, Cul De Sac (1988-2007), including collaborations with John Fahey, who I was friends with for some 25 years or so. (I've written about him extensively and have produced several albums by him.) The band also collaborated with and toured with Damo Suzuki of the "krautrock" band, Can. We toured all over the world.
After breaking up the band, I went back to acoustic guitar, where I'd started. I've since recorded seven full-length albums of instrumental guitar and banjo music, and I've written enough new stuff during the pandemic for at least one more.
Before the pandemic I toured the US and Canada, Europe and the UK, about once a year. I've written extensively about guitar music. I'm an expert on so-called "American Primitive Guitar," the style identified with John Fahey, Leo Kottke, Robbie Basho and a number of others. I've produced and / or written liner notes for a couple dozen or so records and have authored numerous articles for various magazines.
Some of my pieces have been used in films and television shows.
And partial capos! I'm an inveterate tinkerer; I first got the idea to take a hacksaw to capos in 1988. Today most of my pieces employ partial capos, which barre the bottom three or four strings. They're another way of making the familiar unfamiliar, and a way to create new compositions. (BTW, I take comissions on these gizmos and to date have made about 100 of them for guitarists all over the world.)
Glenn Jones
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Amazing music Glenn. Always so enjoyable and inspiring to me! Bergen County Farwell is a favorite of mine but they're all wonderful. Thank you!!