“Ah! Five strings, three notes, two hands and one asshole”. – Keith Richards asked to explain Open G Tuning
In the late 1960’s, as best Rolling Stone guitarist Keith Richards can remember, it happened on a break during a recording session for the album Sticky Fingers (1969). The session was attended by guitar virtuoso Ry Cooder who played slide guitar and mandolin on several Stones albums (Cooder played mandolin on Love in Vain (Let It Bleed album) and also played slide guitar on Sister Morphine (Sticky Fingers album). Cooder was warming up in a corner and Richards’ unexpectedly heard something he couldn’t identify. He suspected Cooder had tuned his guitar differently than the usual “Standard E” tuning used by almost all rock guitarists. Richards asked Cooder why it sounded so different. Cooder’s response would change Keith Richards’ life and transform the sound of the Rolling Stones. “It’s Open G tuning.” Cooder had tuned his guitar like a banjo, a tuning sometimes used to played traditional Mississippi blues used almost exclusively with a slide.
The vast majority of guitarists play in Standard E: six strings, with five notes (E-A-D-G-B-E). But there is more than one way to tune a guitar known as ” alternate tunings. ” Open G only three different notes (D-G-D-G-B-D) on the a guitar’s six strings. Richards’ had rarely used alternate tunings and had never used open G. But there was something that Richards’ heard with his discerning ear that was epiphany of biblical proportions. In short order he started to experiment using Open G to play rock and roll instead of the blues. He started to create his own chords and riffs in Open G that enabled him to play rhythm and lead guitar at the same time. This new “vocabulary” would come to define the sound of the Rolling Stones. In his epic memoir Life (2010), Richards would reflect on Open G stating that “everything you play sounds like a god damn symphony.” It was a case where less is more.
But our story really begins in the early 1960’s. It was the era of the British Invasion led by the Beatle and the Rolling Stones. When theStones first formed in 1962, they built their reputation on electrifying performances of rhythm and blues covers of the greats- Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Chuck Berry to name a few. However, it quickly became clear that to truly succeed and endure in the music industry, they needed to create their own material. The pressure to write original material was amplified by the phenomenal success of their contemporaries and rivals, the Beatles and the magical songwriting of John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
The band’s manager, Andrew Oldham, recognized the financial and artistic importance of original compositions and pushed Richards and Mick Jagger to start writing. As Richards later recalled, “We were told, ‘You’re going to be songwriters. Because that’s where the money is.'” This directive set the stage for one of the most successful songwriting partnerships in music history arguably second only to the Lennon-McCartney juggernaut. The songwriting partnership of John Lennon and Paul McCartney had set a new standard in pop music, producing an astonishing catalog of original songs albeit the studio direction of producer George Martin (the fifth Beatle) added a great deal to the Beatles unique sound. By the time the Beatles disbanded in 1970, Lennon and McCartney had written nearly 200 songs together, almost all of them international hits. Lennon and McCartney had a transcendent ability to create hooks—most Beatle fans can recognize their songs within the first few bars.
This prolific output from the Beatles created a highly competitive atmosphere in the British rock scene. The Rolling Stones, along with other bands of the British Invasion, were not just competing for chart positions and album sales; they were in a race to define the sound and direction of rock and roll itself. The Stones needed to prove that they could match the Beatles not just in popularity, but in creativity and musical innovation.
Initially, Richards and Jagger rose to the challenge admirably. Over a five-year period in the mid-1960s, they penned an impressive string of hits including “Satisfaction,” “Get Off of My Cloud,” “19th Nervous Breakdown,” “Paint It Black,” and “Ruby Tuesday.” These songs showcased the Stones’ distinctive blend of blues-infused rock and provocative lyrics, establishing them as worthy rivals to the Beatles. The Beatles were clean cut while the Rolling Stones seemed to capture the grunge aesthetic. They were even forced to change the lyrics of their edgy song Let’s Spend the Night Together to Let’s Send Some Time Together for their infamous performance on the Victorian-esque Ed Sullivan Show
By the end of the 1960’s the well of compositional inspiration was beginning to run dry for Richards, the man responsible for crafting the band’s iconic guitar sound. The Stone’s blues-based rock was creatively restrictive; the Stones’ sound was inspired by and generally adhered to the Mississippi blues’ standard repeating structure of 8, 12, and 16-bar blues.
This method of tuning the guitar in Open G , where the strings are tuned to form a G major chord when strummed open, was not entirely new. In fact, it had deep roots in American folk and blues music, particularly in the playing of five-string banjos. This configuration allows for easy playing of major chords with just one finger barring across the fretboard. Richards saw something more in this simple tuning – a key to unlocking a whole new world of rock and roll. HIs discovery of Open G was like a bolt of lightening. In his own words: “It transformed my life.” But Richards didn’t simply adopt the tuning as it was traditionally used. Instead, he innovated, creating a unique approach that would come to define the Rolling Stones’ sound for decades to come. Richards made a crucial modification to his guitar. Finding that the lowest string (usually tuned to D in Open G) was just getting in his way, he simply removed it. This five-string approach, mirroring the five-string banjo that inspired the tuning, created more space in the sound and allowed for a tighter interplay with the bass guitar.
Rather than using Open G primarily for slide guitar playing as was common in blues, Richards began to develop his own vocabulary of chords and riffs. He discovered that he could create complex, full-bodied triad or three-note chord voicings using just two fingers, leaving his other fingers free to add embellishments and lead lines. This led to a unique style where rhythm and lead guitar parts were seamlessly interwoven.
The result was a sound that, in Richards’ words, was like “a goddamn orchestra.” The open strings created a constant drone that filled out the sound, while the simplified fingerings allowed for greater freedom and expressiveness in his playing. Songs like “Honky Tonk Women” and “Start Me Up” showcase this new approach, with their instantly recognizable riffs that are at once simple and complex, driving and melodic.
The adoption of Open G tuning also had a profound effect on the interplay between Richards and the Stones’ other guitarists. When Mick Taylor, and later Ronnie Wood, joined the band, they typically played in standard tuning. The combination of Open G and standard tuning created a rich, layered sound with each guitarist occupying a distinct sonic space. This “weaving” of guitar parts became a hallmark of the Stones’ sound, creating a texture that was greater than the sum of its parts.
To truly appreciate the significance of Richards’ innovation, it’s worth exploring the historical context of Open G tuning. The technique has its roots in the transition from banjo to guitar in American folk and blues music. In the late 19th century, the banjo was the instrument of choice in the southern United States, particularly among African American musicians. Its distinctive sound, combining syncopated rhythms with simple melodic lines, was a crucial element in the development of blues and early jazz.
When affordable guitars became widely available through mail-order catalogs in the early 20th century, many banjo players made the switch. However, rather than learn the more complex standard tuning, many of these players simply tuned their guitars to mimic the open tuning of a banjo. This allowed them to transfer their existing skills to the new instrument and maintained the drone-like quality that was characteristic of banjo playing.
This tuning found particular favor among blues guitarists, especially those playing with a slide. The open chord allowed for easy sliding between harmonically related positions, creating the expressive, vocal-like quality that is a hallmark of delta blues. It’s this tradition that Ry Cooder was tapping into when he demonstrated the tuning to Richards.
What makes Richards’ adoption of Open G tuning so radical is the way he applied it to rock and roll. Rather than using it primarily for playing slide guitar or to mimic banjo techniques, Richards developed a whole new approach. He created a style that combined the rhythmic drive of rock with the harmonic richness of open tuning, all while maintaining the raw, bluesy edge that was the Stones’ trademark.
In many ways, Richards’ use of Open G tuning can be seen as a disruptive innovation in music. It took an existing technique and applied it in a new context, creating something that was at once simpler yet, in other ways, more complex. The simplified fingerings made it easier to play certain types of phrases, but the richness of the open strings and the new chord voicings opened a universe of new musical possibilities.
This innovation also demonstrates a crucial principle of creativity: sometimes, constraints can be liberating. By limiting himself to five strings and a specific tuning, Richards paradoxically expanded his creative palette. The restrictions forced him to think differently about how he approached the guitar, leading to new ideas and techniques.
The impact of Richards’ adoption of Open G tuning extends far beyond the Rolling Stones. Many guitarists, inspired by Richards’ distinctive sound, have incorporated the tuning into their own playing. It’s become particularly popular in various forms of roots rock and alternative country music, where its resonant, earthy quality is prized.
In the context of the Stones’ rivalry with the Beatles, Richards’ innovation came at a crucial time. While the Beatles were winding down their career, the Stones were entering a new phase of creativity. The fresh sound provided by Open G tuning helped the Stones maintain their relevance and continue producing original material long after many of their contemporaries had faded from the scene.
In the end, Keith Richards’ exploration of Open G tuning stands as a testament to the power of innovation in music. By taking a technique rooted in traditional American music and applying it to rock and roll in a new way, Richards not only revitalized his own playing but helped shape the sound of rock music for generations to come. It’s a reminder that in music, as in all creative endeavors, true innovation often comes not from inventing something entirely new, but from seeing new possibilities in the familiar. In doing so, Richards and the Stones were able to meet the challenge of continual originality, cementing their place in rock history alongside their illustrious rivals, the Beatles.
The contrast between these two legendary bands is striking and illuminating. The brilliant songwriting of Lennon and McCartney, masters of unique-sounding, groundbreaking pop music, defined the Beatles — arguably the most successful band of all time. However, it was Open G tuning that came to define the sound of the Rolling Stones, cementing their status as perhaps the world’s most enduring and successful rock and roll band. This distinction underscores how different paths of musical innovation can lead to equally monumental legacies. The Beatles revolutionized pop music through their songwriting prowess, while the Rolling Stones found their unique voice through Richards’ innovative approach to guitar playing.
In the grand tapestry of music both bands stand as giants, each leaving an indelible mark on music. The Beatles showed the world the heights that pop songwriting could reach, while the Rolling Stones, through Keith Richards’ Open G revelation/revolution, demonstrated how a seemingly simple change in approach could create a wholly new and enduring sound. Together, they exemplify the diverse ways in which musicians can push the boundaries of their art, inspiring generations of artists to find their own unique voices and innovations.
