Black Sabbath: Paranoid

[seanm]

I am learning Paranoid and it is just not quite right. If I play the E on the A string, 7th fret, it dosen't sound quite right. If I play it on the E string, 12th fret, it is better, but it is hard playing that high. The D string, 2nd fret is right out.

So a couple of questions:

1. Anybody know if it is in a drop tuning? That would explain the 12th fret sounding better.

2. Anybody know where the E is played? Maybe from a video?

3. Where do you tend to play the E?

4. Any other suggestions?

[paz]

well black sabbath always tune down a half step, im 95% certain he plays on the a string

[Motorhead Mark]

If you don't/won't tune down half, play A# (6th fret A String) and rock away!

[seanm]

Ok, I found the answer to tuning down. In an interview at Vintage Guitar magazine (TI = Tony Iommi):

How many guitars do you generally take on the road?
TI: Probably about six or eight, but I use two throughout the show. We use different tunings because some of the albums were played in different tunings in the early days. We never went by the rules and just tuned the way that sounded right for that track or that album. We’ve always tuned a semi-tone down, but on the Paranoid and Black Sabbath albums we tuned to pitch. On Master Of Reality we tuned down three steps. We didn’t have any rules, because everybody else made the rules up. We just broke them. Onstage we tune down a semi-tone.

So it is not tuned down, but they play it tuned down live.

[Finger Blister]

It's not tuned down, and the Bass "E" is played on the 7th fret.

[seanm]

Yeah, I think I am worrying about it too much. It is probably just that the sound is thinner through the mixer and headphones, even with a SansAmp. It will probably sound better through a real amp.

Thanks everybody for the replies. I am just going to stick with the 7th fret and not worry about it

[Terrorstorm]

hehe, I saw them live in Vienna on Monday, 20th!
in the original old line-up! It was great... and Geezer sounded fantastic!

[eldave777]

Tony I. plays it at the twelth fret on the E.