Curtis Mayfield

• Open Eb minor tuning is mandatory — standard tuning produces completely different sounds. Tune to D#-G#-D#-G#-B-D# (open Eb minor chord)
• Capo moves the key while preserving the fingering shapes — Mayfield used a capo on frets 1-5 frequently to transpose the open tuning to different keys
• The guitar voice matches the vocal range — Mayfield played in a high register that matched his falsetto. The guitar "sings" in the same voice as the vocalist
• Arpeggio patterns on the upper strings with open bass string drone — melody lines on strings 1-3 while the open Eb bass string rings continuously
• Call-and-response with the voice — in performances, the guitar fills the gaps after vocal phrases, like a conversation between singer and guitar
• Study "People Get Ready," "Move On Up" and "Freddie's Dead" — these three tracks demonstrate clean soul, uptempo funk and psychedelic soul respectively
• Light touch and very light strings — the upper-register playing is more accessible with .09s or .10s
• The spiritual and political content of the lyrics influences the guitar approach — the music is not separate from its social context
• Jazz chord substitutions appear in sophisticated progressions — Mayfield's chord work goes beyond simple soul changes to include jazz-influenced voice leading

Curtis Mayfield was as much a guitar innovator as a singer-songwriter — his open Eb minor tuning created a falsetto-voiced guitar sound that matched the upper register of his singing, producing the intimate, conversational guitar tone of "People Get Ready," "Move On Up" and "Superfly."