Tunings

[john]

Hi

As a guitarist I almost exclusively work with standard tunings. Ok, I've experimented with tunings when I've ventured into Delta Blues, but not much more.

Can you recommend any pieces that will let me experiment with new tunings, and point me at the tab to accompany them? Similarly I'd like to know if any tunings are better for some styles more than others?

Cheers

John

[john]

Hi All

What, no advice? has anyone else out there dabbled in other tunings?

Maybe you lot are just unadventurous!

[Didier]

Hi John,

I didn't reply until now, because I normally take the instrument "as is". Perhaps that's coming from the piano, but I tend to adapt myself to the instrument rather than the reverse.

However, I did one "alternate" tuning once.

I'm going now to reveal a trade secret

To play the intro of "Lady jane" (for that "Sitar" sound), just tune down your high E into D. Then you play the melody on the B chord, and let the E (now D) chord ring freely.

That's the only alternate tuning I ever did

Didier

[Guest]

I have a friend who has three accoustic guitars each tuned differently. He plays his own songs mostly with a folky feel, just guitar and voice. He is quite accomplished as a player but he finds it difficult to play standard tuning! Also, when I have tried to play along with him in a jam session, he can't tell me what he is playing? He just makes it up as he goes along! I willtry to upload some of his music and see if I cant get some tunings and tabs from him.

[Rudi]

I cant point to any tab, but...

You probably know that `open' tunings are just chords.

eg: open D

DADGAD - both Es drop to D. B drop to A

lots of tunes played in this. Joni Mitchells `Chelsea Morning' and I think `Big Yellow Taxi' too.

I dont use them much, but I have an old acoustic that has been in C for about 8 years. I may have a Steffan Grossman instrumental on tab somewhere. Ill have a look if you are interested. This is also GREAT for bottlenecking. Its how Michael Chapman played `Andrus Easy Rider'.

open C

ECEGCE drop A to C, drop D to E, raise B to C

If you leave the B where it is you get

ECEGBC

which is an open major 7th chord. The Rev Gary Davis used this for a bottleneck piece too, but the title escapes me...

open G

DBDGBE drop both Es to D, raise A to B

Its more fun finding nice chords yourself, but most approximate the 2 relative minors at 2nd and 4th fret positions and dominant and sub-dominant at 7th and 5th fret positions.

have fun

[Steve]

Waddya mean "Have Fun!" slike bein' bac at scool....

[Nightwolf]

An old e mail I found, don't know how much of this was already covered:

> Tunings I've used over the years (and strings,

> low-to-high):

>

> Drop-D: D A D G B E

> Double-Drop-D: D A D G B D

> DADGAD: D A D G A D

> Open G: D G D G B D

> Open C(1): C G C G C E

> Open C(2): C G C E G C (for thick strings or a

> baritone)

> Open D: D A D F#A D

> Open D(2): D A D A D D

> Open D(3): D A D A D F#

> Open E: E B E G#B E

> Open A: E A E A C#E (light strings recommended)

> Open A7: E A E G C#E (great for slide)

> Open G7: D G D F B D (ditto)

>

> Some alternate tunings I've liked:

>

> "Chorussy": E A D A B E

>

> Makes it easy to get the same voice on the 2nd and

> 3rd

> strings, producing a chorusing effect. Only the 3rd

> string is different from standard tuning, so it's

> quick to change back and forth.

>

> F/Bb thing: F Bb D G Bb F

>

> Again, light strings recommended

>

> Open Eb: Eb Bb Eb G Bb Eb

>

> "DC" - C G D G A D

>

> Basically DADGAD with the lower two strings dropped

> an

> additional step. I also tune a bass guitar C G D G

> and

> played cello for years, so this one is more

> "intuitive" for me than most folks

>

> Alt "D": D A D A D D

>

> The unison notes on top can make for some

> interesting

> voicings and effects

>

> New Standard Tuning: C G D A E G

>

> As practiced by the Guitar Craft folks like Robert

> Fripp, the California Guitar Trio, etc.