Keith Richards on the simple guitar trick at the heart of the Rolling Stones' sound: "Somehow that one extra note disappearing allows for all kinds of other instruments to come through"
There are lots of musical element that make the Rolling Stones… roll, but in a new cover story interview with Guitar Player, Keith Richards strikes at the very heart of what makes their guitar-playing dynamic tick.
"That's the sound of a Stones record; a five-string with a six-string on top, and Ronnie [Wood]," says Richards. "It always creates a beautiful blend."
Keef's five-string layer is a Tele tuned to open G (GDGBD) with the lowest string removed) and it's served him endless inspiration over the years.
You always have to play around with the amps a bit," he says of his Fender Twins and Champs, "but guitars are amazing things. You can make an orchestra out of them with just a simple blend.
It's always been the mystery to me why so much space opens up for other instruments by taking off the bottom string
Removing the low sixth string has advantages for the other instruments in the Stones mix too. "It's always been the mystery to me why so much space opens up for other instruments by taking off the bottom string… I can't really out my finger on a reason why, but somehow that one extra note disappearing allows for all kinds of other instruments to come through. It's just one of those things, I guess."
If the idea of opening up the door to open G tuning inspiration interests you, try our Keith Richards open G tuning guitar lesson.
