How to play One of These Things First by Nick Drake

This is what I believe is the correct tuning for this song. BEBEBE. Here are the chord shapes:

X0040X or X00400
X0250X
X0470X
X0360X

X550XX
X333XX or X3330X
X220XX or X222XX
2220XX

X04500 end chord

Tune to BEBEBE: Drop your A to match the low E. Drop your D to be an octave lower than B. Drop your low E to be an octave lower than that. Drop you G to an octave lower than high E.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• nick
• drake
• howto
• bebebe
• one
• of
• these
• things
• first

[OneDrinkForMankind]

BEBEBE, the same Bs and Es? sorry, i don't really get the tuning, don't want to do it wrong!

[sazma]

@OneDrinkForMankind Check the info box for the video. I explain there how to tune.

[groundworkderby]

Never tried this tuning, looking forward to getting home and trying it out. Do you know river man?

[sazma]

@groundworkderby I do. And I play it differently than most people :) I play it in the CGCFCE (pink moon, etc) tuning. Maybe I'll get some time (seems unlikely) soon and make a vid for it. Cheers.

[melodel2]

Wow, thanks so much for this great and well-explained tutorial! I can't seem to play the picking pattern fast enough to get the effect that you are getting, is this normal?

[sazma]

@melodel2 Are you using a pick or your fingers? Try it with just your fingers. Thanks for the kind words :)

[leapsplashafrog]

Well done. I have learnt this in DADFAD but I think you're correct BEBEBE. Sounds good in both tho. Being himself is something Nick struggled with and i think the tuning is a message in itself. What a great artist Nick was and i imagine poor mothering is behind his 'mental health' problems. Brought up initially in India he must have been inspired by all that open tuned music.

[1supaflyninja]

Brilliant!...wish i could keep up..

[somedayprovidence]

really awesome man...good work

[greguitar8888]

thank you very much... great tutorial and lots of fun to play.

[zackypooofillinois]

ever heard of the tuning babebe? i tuned my electric to it and you can get some decent riffs off the top three strings(BAB) i looked it up and haven't heard anything on the tuning but i highly doubt i'm the only one thats done it... can you possibly help me find out if any songs have been used for it?

[JoeChrisMorris]

I found the sheet music for this in a soundtrack songbook for Garden State

[Wrangle19]

@sazma i really like the quality of the tones from your guitar. seems perfect for Drake. just curious as to what you are using to generate that sound...guitar, wood, strings, etc? thanks

[ergoguitar]

@sazma Probably because Chris Healey notates the tune in open D tuning, as do others here.

[ergoguitar]

nice try...but if you want to see how its done, check out plectrum 34's video. It is 100 percent correct. This guy is without a doubt the real deal, and has put in a lot of time to get it right.

[fret6th]

Brilliant I must agree all the tabs are WRONG thank you for clearing things up HUGE fan of NICK Drake.