Gimme Shelter Intro Question (mostly for guitar players/musicians)

He used a capo on this one, iirc??

 

Pretty sure the studio version of Gimme Shelter is in open E.

Live versions are in standard tuning. Not sure how much difference that makes to including that note (without checking)...

... but the change of tuning on JJF (open E on the record, open G live) definitely accounts for the changes to the riff (and no intro) on that song.

 

If the Stones had only made one one-sided 45 with Gimme Shelter, their reputation would be secure. Mick's tradeoffs with Merry Clayton and the tension they build is just stunning.

 

This one in particular has changed over the years. I thought the 1969 live version sounded best, and I'm not sure what tuning that was. Still, how can the intro be hard to recreate? It's just the three main chords.

 

Since you're saying it's the little things...isn't it an Am7, not Am? Now I've never sat down and played with the tune, but the melody sounds like it implies Am7 to me. I may be wrong though...

 

For the studio JJF, the root chord in open E is at the 7th fret, and the opening chords are 7th fret/Open/5th fret/7th fret (B-E-A-B).

But in open G, Keith puts a capo on the 4th fret and that is the root chord (B). The riff is then played slightly differently. You can't play 'behind' the capo for the intro.

You can sort of play the intro higher up, but it doesn't sound the same. The 'intro' is repeated in the solo, but in open G Keith plays the same notes as the bass instead.

 

Thank you for that helpful explanation. Why does the root chord need to be open though? I mean, the capo itself is the same as chording across 5 strings... so is it just a convenience?

 

"Gimee Shelter" is a signature song if there ever was one.

 

It's just the way he adapted the riff for open G (which ends up more bluesy than the original), playing it from the root.

Even so, to play the A chord in the chorus requires going up to the 14th (!!) fret, as the 2nd fret position is unavailable due to the capo.

Keith did play a sort of intro at Hyde Park in 1969 - nothing like the original though.

 

I was under the impression that Keith played GS in standard tuning, he did on the Official St Louis 1997 version.

 

He does live, ever since 1969.

(I was discussing JJF above)