Last Man Standing - guitar tuning??

Captain Jovi

Your comments on the Amsterdam video are bang on. I thought it was a luke-warm peformance. I merely wanted to point out that on that occasion the band played it in a different key which is why he didnt use a capo.

With regard to the tuning debate - the only difference between dropped D and standard is the bottom E which is tuned to D [I'm not preaching here - I assume most of you guys are from the US and I'm from the UK - I dont know whether there is any ambiguity in guitar terms]. You have to take the dropped bottom E into account when chording - but it doesnt change the fretboard positions.

I dont think any of the videos are sharp enough to make a judgement. He could be usng standard but he could just as easily be using drop D. I can manage it and if Im able to do it then so is richie. I've looked at the vids closely and none of them get close enough make a call either way.

Well, from watching the Madison Square Garden 2006 DVD (which is pro shot), it looks like Drop D with a capo at fret 2 IMO.

How is it just drop D? If the intro its self starts at 10th on standard, and in the live videos he plays the at 12th, would mean that all strings would be a full step above? I have tried it, it doesn't fit. But you have to take into account that Richie plays tuned a half-step down.
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IPAD ACCESSORIES

It's been a while since we played that one at a gig but, if memory serves me correctly, I play it at the first notes at the 12th too and I use Drop D with a capo at 2nd. The capo at the 2nd fret is to give you the palm muted E string pattern played during the main riff. The song itself is played in E minor on the album (or Eb minor live).

The only time I can recall they have differed from this is for the Heineken Music Hall gig in 2005, which has already been mentioned, and is dire because it is played in D minor with standard tuning (without capo). I cannot remember off hand whether the Nokia Theatre gig also featured this tuning but I'm glad they ditched it for when the 2006 tour came about at any rate.

RS8MBOR8

Agreed - I can see both sides of the argument but Drop D with Capo on 2 makes more sense to me. This is the way I have been practising it and it sounds just like the record.

You mentioned a DVD of a live performance from Madison Sq Garden. Cant find this in the UK.

Assume this is all from the Nice Day tour?

Is it a bootleg or is it avaible from retail stores?

I have it on bootleg from the 2006 tour. I'll upload it to youtube and link it.

Just watched it again and it is standard tuning with a capo at fret 2. I just play it in drop D so that I can play the album solo run with the low E.

...which is what I said in the first place.

Ice

Key point highlighted. If you want to play it as it is on the album, you need Drop D with capo - otherwise, you can get away with standard tuning with a capo.

Saw a video on utube last night that I hadn't seen before - think it was titled "Bon Jovi Last Man Standing (2007)". Its the one with jon wearing a white/grey jacket. Richie was using an LP.

The clip featured some pretty good closeups of the band.

LMS was peformed in Em. Richie used standard with no capo. I think he was doing the main riff by using the low open E for the "chug".

Solo was pretty close to the record, but the run down was played in a lower octave (I think).

This was a pretty good comprimise - although I think I prefer the way the chords ring when played with the capo.

That can't be done, there are two strings in the way.

Ice