Author Topic: 1960 Walk Don't Run - key?  (Read 281 times)

Offline abstamaria

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1960 Walk Don't Run - key?
« on: May 26, 2013, 09:18:48 am »
Is the original (1960) recording of Walk Don't Run off concert pitch?

Regards,

Andy

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Offline wstagner

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Re: 1960 Walk Don't Run - key?
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2013, 10:44:45 am »
Compared to what reference?

Offline abstamaria

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Re: 1960 Walk Don't Run - key?
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2013, 06:36:19 pm »
The standard concert pitch, Walt.  440hz.  Tune your guitar with an electronic tuner and then play along with WDR.  You will find the original recording sharp, or a higher pitch than your guitar.

It's as if the studio speeded up the tempo of the original recording, thereby raising the pitch.

In contrast, Blue Moon is LOW, a whole semitones off.  Try playing along with it too.  You will find our guys are playing about a C flat.  Since they couldn't have been playing faster when recording, so the only explanation I can think off is that they tuned using an off-key piano in the studio.  Or a tuning fork made before 1939.

Best,

Andy 
« Last Edit: May 26, 2013, 06:37:56 pm by abstamaria »

Offline Gandy Dancer

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Re: 1960 Walk Don't Run - key?
« Reply #3 on: May 27, 2013, 05:00:38 pm »
I think this probably happened when the engineer (Joe Boles on WDR) decided it sounded better sped up a bit (which also raises the pitch). Quite a few of the early songs are a bit (usually) sharp or a little flat. If you've ever seen the Electron Music books that came out in the 60s a lot of the songs are in the wrong key (and often unplayable as written) as a result of being transcribed from these recordings.  :(

Offline abstamaria

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Re: 1960 Walk Don't Run - key?
« Reply #4 on: May 28, 2013, 09:00:54 am »
You're probably right, Gandy Dancer.  And that's quite funny, the Electron Music notations.  I didn't know that.  Someone just noted they wrote WDR in Bb.

Best,

Andy

Offline oldflogger

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Re: 1960 Walk Don't Run - key?
« Reply #5 on: May 28, 2013, 10:03:54 am »
Some 33rpm record players, such as Bang and Olufsen have a dial so that you can speed up the or slow down the rpm's. Always worked for me when playing with the Ventures albums.

Rich Miller

Offline wstagner

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Re: 1960 Walk Don't Run - key?
« Reply #6 on: May 28, 2013, 10:54:05 am »
That wood b call pitch control.  :)