query re peaches by The stranglers

[daz]

Best played with open strings or not ? and does anyone know which way its played on the original single?

[Stewart]

Isn't it D# ? (basically 6th fret on A then E strings, then 4th fret A string, then 6th, 4th an 2nd on E....)

Edited January 13, 2011 by Stewart

[Doddy]

From just listening to it (I've never learned it before),it's just a big Eb minor pentatonic line(Eb,Gb,Ab,Bb,Db),so unless
you are drop tuned you have to play it in a closed position with no open strings.

[Happy Jack]

I'm guessing they either Varispeeded it, or tuned down a semi.

[daz]

[quote name='Doddy' post='1088433' date='Jan 13 2011, 06:51 PM']From just listening to it (I've never learned it before),it's just a big Eb minor pentatonic line(Eb,Gb,Ab,Bb,Db),so unless
you are drop tuned you have to play it in a closed position with no open strings.[/quote]

Yes thats the way I learned it and play it. Though on hearing it played on open strings ( a semitone different) i couldnt decide if it sounded better, so i just wondered how it was played originally.

I dont care how [i]old hat [/i] it is, or how much the riff is looked down upon in guitar shops. I always have a soft spot for it, as it was the first punk record i heard and the first one where i recognized and fell in love with the bass sound.

Edited January 13, 2011 by daz

[Pete Academy]

Great riff, great sound.

[Lozz196]

Yes, those that dismiss either The Stranglers, Peaches, or JJs bass sound should themselves be dismissed.

They`re touring in March, by the way.

[ahpook]

i always play it with open strings...but i'm lazy like that.

[Bassassin]

The first 2 Stranglers albums were as rough & ready as you get - I very much doubt they were bothered about tuning to concert pitch so I imagine the line starts on D - either open or A string, 5th fret.

I pretty much learned to play the bass by playing along to Rattus Norvegicus in my bedroom when I was 16, and I didn't have to re-tune for the other songs, the patterns all seemed quite logical, well - as far as I remember.

Jon.

[PaulWarning]

an old thread I know, but the band have decided to have a go at peaches, now I've always played it in D, but it would appear that the original is in Eb (that's what it looks like J J is playing on a live video I've looked at), no open strings there then, what key do others play it in? not that it matters a lot as long as the guitarist is playing in the same one lol

[ahpook]

Didn't realise I'd replied already

 

Edited May 31, 2019 by ahpook

[PaulWarning]

3 minutes ago, ahpook said:

Didn't realise I'd replied already

 

well it was a long time ago 

[Stub Mandrel]

On 22/01/2011 at 21:41, Bassassin said:

The first 2 Stranglers albums were as rough & ready as you get - I very much doubt they were bothered about tuning to concert pitch so I imagine the line starts on D - either open or A string, 5th fret.

I bet they were tuned properly, given their reliance on keyboards and JJ's classical training.

[chris_b]

The Strangles weren't a bunch of kids fired up by Punk. They knew how to write a song and play their instruments. The keys on Peaches certainly means they were tuned to concert pitch.

The song is as easy to play in Eb as any other key, because the bass doesn't hit the low Eb. The lowest note you have to play is F#. 

[Twigman]

Whenever I've played it - not often, granted - I've always played it in C# - that way the lowest note is an open E...

Surely it depends on in which key the vocalist is comfortable singing it?

[PaulWarning]

28 minutes ago, Twigman said:

Whenever I've played it - not often, granted - I've always played it in C# - that way the lowest note is an open E...

Surely it depends on in which key the vocalist is comfortable singing it?

this is true, but we do like to play it in the 'right' key wherever possible