--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We're not playing your typical guitar…" description: "\"We're not playing your typical guitar tuning, so there is no normal chords for us to get our footing with. We're pretty much making it up as we go as f..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b35/lee-ranaldo-4745_guitar_we-re-not-playing-your-typical-guitar-tu_1486202.jpg" --- # We're not playing your typical guitar tuning, so there is… ![“We're not playing your typical guitar tuning, so there is no normal chords for us to get our footing with. We're pretty much making it up as we go as far as the sounds we're creating. Oftentimes, the song will be inspired by just a certain kind of block of sound that somebody creates.” quote by Lee Ranaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b35/lee-ranaldo-4745_guitar_we-re-not-playing-your-typical-guitar-tu_1486202.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b35/lee-ranaldo-4745_guitar_we-re-not-playing-your-typical-guitar-tu_1486202.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b35/lee-ranaldo-4745_guitar_we-re-not-playing-your-typical-guitar-tu_1486202.jpg) > “We're not playing your typical guitar tuning, so there is no normal chords for us to get our footing with. We're pretty much making it up as we go as far as the sounds we're creating. Oftentimes, the song will be inspired by just a certain kind of block of sound that somebody creates.” [Lee Ranaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-ranaldo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote describes improvisational, experimental guitar work that abandons standard tunings and chords, creating music spontaneously from unique sounds. **In simple terms:** They make music by improvising with unconventional tunings. Key Takeaway Embrace experimentation and trust intuition. Themes creativity improvisation music innovation Mood excited curious adventurous Type artistic inspirational When to use this quote - songwriting - live performance - studio recording - band rehearsals Key Concepts experimental music alternative tuning sound design Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance spontaneity with coherence? - What tools help capture fleeting sound ideas? A Different Perspective May lack structure, leading to incoherence for listeners. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chords](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chords/) [Chords Footing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chords-footing-5428065/) [Guitar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guitar/) [Guitar Tuning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guitar-tuning-1680644/) [Normal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/normal/) [Normal Chords](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/normal-chords-5428064/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) [Sounds Creating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sounds-creating-812124/) [Us](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/us/) [Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/) ## Related quotes > [I was completely fascinated by the studio process and layering sounds and creating soundscapes out of layering massive squalls of sound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-johannsson/i-was-completely-fascinated-by-the-studio-process-and-layering-sounds/) [Johann Johannsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-johannsson/) > [If you are having trouble making a chord, get a book, that is how I learned. There are guitar tuning apps so you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-jett/if-you-are-having-trouble-making-a-chord-get-a-book-that-is-how-i/) [Joan Jett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-jett/) > [Chromamatic' is actually about changing the strings on my guitar and tuning my guitar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-static/chromamatic-is-actually-about-changing-the-strings-on-my-guitar-and/) [Wayne Static](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-static/) > [I can't remember the first song I learned to play on bass, but the first song I learned to play on guitar was 'For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geddy-lee/i-can-t-remember-the-first-song-i-learned-to-play-on-bass-but-the/) [Geddy Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geddy-lee/) > [My father would say, 'Play a scale,' and I'd play one and he'd say, 'What about the rest? There must be one above,' so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-pass/my-father-would-say-play-a-scale-and-i-d-play-one-and-he-d-say-what/) [Joe Pass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-pass/) > [I was a big fan of Jim Hall as well. I liked his comping style, his accompanying. And that he played, generally, four note…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-burton/i-was-a-big-fan-of-jim-hall-as-well-i-liked-his-comping-style-his/) [Gary Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-burton/) > [There are no rules or certain methods. I usually start with the guitar or piano and sing melodies over the chords. The lyrics seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reeves/there-are-no-rules-or-certain-methods-i-usually-start-with-the-guitar/) [Jason Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reeves/) > [I don't want to discredit people's opinions of me, but you talk about the violin or the cello or lead guitar where you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-raitt/i-don-t-want-to-discredit-people-s-opinions-of-me-but-you-talk-about/) [Bonnie Raitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-raitt/) > [“Wild Horses" started in a B-minor chord, and Stu didn't play minor chords, "fucking Chinese music.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-richards/wild-horses-started-in-a-b-minor-chord-and-stu-didn-t-play-minor/) [Keith Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-richards/) > [Pete Townsend for me was a huge influence. Because essentially they were a three-piece band and the way he structured his chords and took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-lifeson/pete-townsend-for-me-was-a-huge-influence-because-essentially-they/) [Alex Lifeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-lifeson/) > [There's four chords in every song. That's the fun part - trying to make that your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-rodrigo/there-s-four-chords-in-every-song-that-s-the-fun-part-trying-to-make/) [Olivia Rodrigo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-rodrigo/) > [Talk health. The dreary, never-changing tale Of mortal maladies is worn and stale. You cannot charm, or interest, or please By harping in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-wheeler-wilcox/talk-health-the-dreary-never-changing-tale-of-mortal-maladies-is-worn/) [Ella Wheeler Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-wheeler-wilcox/) > [So I concentrated on the rhythmic side of things, and therefore left a lot of holes. I didn't want to use big pad chords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/midge-ure/so-i-concentrated-on-the-rhythmic-side-of-things-and-therefore-left-a/) [Midge Ure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/midge-ure/) > [Every time I finish a song... most of the time it's in my own head, like this sounds too much like a Townes Van…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/every-time-i-finish-a-song-most-of-the-time-it-s-in-my-own-head-like/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [The term "black metal" has become a lot looser, or can include a larger range of sounds and extra-musical aesthetics, not just Satan and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-marston/the-term-black-metal-has-become-a-lot-looser-or-can-include-a-larger/) [Colin Marston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-marston/) ## More by Lee Ranaldo > [We've been around long enough that there have certainly been people at every stage of our career telling us about one or another record…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-ranaldo/we-ve-been-around-long-enough-that-there-have-certainly-been-people/) [Lee Ranaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-ranaldo/) > [I guess I see 'Goo' half as a really New York record because I think there are a lot of really particular New York…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-ranaldo/i-guess-i-see-goo-half-as-a-really-new-york-record-because-i-think/) [Lee Ranaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-ranaldo/) > [It's easier to write about a celebrity, a personality, than it is to dig in and write about the music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-ranaldo/it-s-easier-to-write-about-a-celebrity-a-personality-than-it-is-to/) [Lee Ranaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-ranaldo/) > [I have nothing against change or evolution, and I'm not one of those people who wants the city to be what it was 40…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-ranaldo/i-have-nothing-against-change-or-evolution-and-i-m-not-one-of-those/) [Lee Ranaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-ranaldo/) > ['Daydream' brought us to the top of the heap of the indie-college market and recognition by all of our peers; 'Daydream' kind of capped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-ranaldo/daydream-brought-us-to-the-top-of-the-heap-of-the-indie-college/) [Lee Ranaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-ranaldo/) > [Signing to a major label was an experiment for us. It was a challenge: working in a big studio with a producer was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-ranaldo/signing-to-a-major-label-was-an-experiment-for-us-it-was-a-challenge/) [Lee Ranaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-ranaldo/) > [New York always has a lot of creativity going on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-ranaldo/new-york-always-has-a-lot-of-creativity-going-on/) [Lee Ranaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-ranaldo/) > [We'd been on Geffen for a long time, and I think we felt that we needed a change. I just don't think we felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-ranaldo/we-d-been-on-geffen-for-a-long-time-and-i-think-we-felt-that-we/) [Lee Ranaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-ranaldo/) > [It's not like we set out to antagonize the audience in any way. We're just presenting our music; it's really much more innocent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-ranaldo/it-s-not-like-we-set-out-to-antagonize-the-audience-in-any-way-we-re/) [Lee Ranaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-ranaldo/) > [One of the things I loved - or I love still - about this Occupy movement is it's got a very gentle core. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-ranaldo/one-of-the-things-i-loved-or-i-love-still-about-this-occupy-movement/) [Lee Ranaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-ranaldo/) > [We got our first significant pieces of press in the 'New York Rocker' from early gigs at CBGB.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-ranaldo/we-got-our-first-significant-pieces-of-press-in-the-new-york-rocker/) [Lee Ranaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-ranaldo/) > [Being a guy who was a geek with tape machines in the early days and really interested in how records get made, I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-ranaldo/being-a-guy-who-was-a-geek-with-tape-machines-in-the-early-days-and/) [Lee Ranaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-ranaldo/) > [The world is going to end for each of us in a prescribed time, and you sort of understand that your time is limited…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-ranaldo/the-world-is-going-to-end-for-each-of-us-in-a-prescribed-time-and-you/) [Lee Ranaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-ranaldo/) > [My main pedal is the Ibanez Analog Delay, the AD9 or the AD80, whichever one it is. That's my go-to pedal for short delay.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-ranaldo/my-main-pedal-is-the-ibanez-analog-delay-the-ad9-or-the-ad80/) [Lee Ranaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-ranaldo/) > [The Strokes will never get anywhere after that first record.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-ranaldo/the-strokes-will-never-get-anywhere-after-that-first-record/) [Lee Ranaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-ranaldo/) [Explore all 107 Lee Ranaldo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-ranaldo/) ## More Chords quotes > [The term "black metal" has become a lot looser, or can include a larger range of sounds and extra-musical aesthetics, not just Satan and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-marston/the-term-black-metal-has-become-a-lot-looser-or-can-include-a-larger/) [Colin Marston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-marston/) > [Every time I finish a song... most of the time it's in my own head, like this sounds too much like a Townes Van…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/every-time-i-finish-a-song-most-of-the-time-it-s-in-my-own-head-like/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [So I concentrated on the rhythmic side of things, and therefore left a lot of holes. I didn't want to use big pad chords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/midge-ure/so-i-concentrated-on-the-rhythmic-side-of-things-and-therefore-left-a/) [Midge Ure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/midge-ure/) > [Talk health. The dreary, never-changing tale Of mortal maladies is worn and stale. You cannot charm, or interest, or please By harping in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-wheeler-wilcox/talk-health-the-dreary-never-changing-tale-of-mortal-maladies-is-worn/) [Ella Wheeler Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-wheeler-wilcox/) > [There's four chords in every song. That's the fun part - trying to make that your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-rodrigo/there-s-four-chords-in-every-song-that-s-the-fun-part-trying-to-make/) [Olivia Rodrigo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-rodrigo/) > [Pete Townsend for me was a huge influence. Because essentially they were a three-piece band and the way he structured his chords and took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-lifeson/pete-townsend-for-me-was-a-huge-influence-because-essentially-they/) [Alex Lifeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-lifeson/) > [“Wild Horses" started in a B-minor chord, and Stu didn't play minor chords, "fucking Chinese music.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-richards/wild-horses-started-in-a-b-minor-chord-and-stu-didn-t-play-minor/) [Keith Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-richards/) > [I learned to play by ear before I learned music theory. For me, that makes sense. After all, children learn to speak before they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jools-holland/i-learned-to-play-by-ear-before-i-learned-music-theory-for-me-that/) [Jools Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jools-holland/) > [My course is about really working on a sheet of music. You work out the chords, which note complements the other, and how they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catriona-gray/my-course-is-about-really-working-on-a-sheet-of-music-you-work-out/) [Catriona Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catriona-gray/) > [I don't write poetry and then strum some chords and then fit the words on top of the chords.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-bird/i-don-t-write-poetry-and-then-strum-some-chords-and-then-fit-the/) [Andrew Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-bird/) > [I always think of each night as a song. Or each moment as a song. But now I'm seeing we don't live in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-always-think-of-each-night-as-a-song-or-each-moment-as-a-song-but/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [It's a double-headed coin, because technology is a convenience but it's stifled our attention spans. At one time, albums had songs that were like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cee-lo-green/it-s-a-double-headed-coin-because-technology-is-a-convenience-but-it/) [Cee Lo Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cee-lo-green/) > [I don't want to discredit people's opinions of me, but you talk about the violin or the cello or lead guitar where you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-raitt/i-don-t-want-to-discredit-people-s-opinions-of-me-but-you-talk-about/) [Bonnie Raitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-raitt/) > [There are no rules or certain methods. I usually start with the guitar or piano and sing melodies over the chords. The lyrics seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reeves/there-are-no-rules-or-certain-methods-i-usually-start-with-the-guitar/) [Jason Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reeves/) > [I like really sparse electronics, lush arrangements, and interesting chord structures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-klinghoffer/i-like-really-sparse-electronics-lush-arrangements-and-interesting/) [Josh Klinghoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-klinghoffer/) [Browse all 544 Chords quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chords/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We're not playing your typical guitar tuning, so there is no normal chords for us to get our footing with. We're pretty much making it up as we go as far as the sounds we're creating. 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