Questions tagged [alternative-tunings]
Methods of tuning the open strings on a guitar or other chordophone that differ from what is considered to be standard.
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1answer
56 views
String Off Tune
I just got an Arabic Oud, I recently notice that my 5th string is off tune when I tune the string. That would be in the 3rd course. I decided to put some small piece of paper under by where it touches ...
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3answers
105 views
G-D-A naming convention
I've tuned my guitar to CGCGGe in order to learn 'Head Down' from Soundgarden, and are now experimenting a bit with that tuning. While in that specific tuning, and you hold a normal power chord rooted ...
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3answers
84 views
Need help understanding the difference between diatonic and chromatic semitones
I am writing an essay on musical temperaments for which I was doing something extensive research on the history of tuning and how it evolved over time. I understand the Pythagorean tuning system quite ...
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1answer
138 views
How far to de-tune an orchestra to match the BBC World Service pips (beeps)?
The BBC World Service Radio pips (or beeps) are an iconic aspect of the radio program broadcast around the planet by shortwave radio as well as the internet now.
The 2 minute podcast A brand new ...
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2answers
38 views
Stringing an acoustic for down-tuning
Any acoustic guitar experts willing to help me out with some info?
I would like to have an acoustic guitar tuned down a step and a half (C#F#BEG#C#, and at times open Bsus2 BF#BEbF#C#) for a big warm ...
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3answers
787 views
String gauge for playing on Drop G# on a 25.5 scale 7 string guitar
I recently bought an Ibanez RG7421, which is a 7 string guitar with a 25.5 scale. It came tuned in standard tuning (from 1st to 7th: E B G D A E B). I want to tune it to drop G# (D# C F# C# G# D# G#) ...
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1answer
144 views
Why is a banjo on a lesson book's tracks tuned to 438hz?
I have a Hal Leonard banjo lesson book that includes a series of tracks for downloading, including 5 tracks with tuning notes. I tuned a banjo using an electronic tuner set to 440hz, and noticed the ...
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6answers
1k views
Why do I want different guitars for different tunings?
A lot of books and blog posts I've read, including Guitars for Dummies, The Rough Guide to Guitar, and this Stack Exchange question, encourage or expect me to have different guitars with different ...
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1answer
633 views
How to change bass guitar tuning in Sibelius 8?
How can I change my bass guitar tuning? In this case I want to have a whole step down standard tuning (DGCFAD) (for 4 string bass it should be DGCF). How can I do it?
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1answer
78 views
What Increments Are The Tuning Settings On My Keyboard
I have a keyboard, a Roland RS-50, and I have been playing around in D Double Harmonic major a lot recently. That Wikipedia article says that you can play the scale with quarter tones, and I'd like ...
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2answers
531 views
Can I tune an Ukulele in DGBD without damaging it?
I got an Ukulele as a gift. I am not a ukulele music fan, and I dislike its tuning scheme, but I like the fact that it is lightweight, small and soft enough for my kid to tinker with it, and I would ...
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1answer
273 views
Can I tune a banjolel to DGBE?
I play baritone uke tuned DGBE. Can I set up my banjolele to be DGBE also? Banjolele now is standard uke GCEA tuning.
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1answer
392 views
Tuning six-string in open D, just intonation?
I am playing a six-string guitar tuned to open D (DADF#AD).
I have “heard tell” of players who use the principles of “just intonation” to... improve/make more pleasing to the ear... the intonation of ...
4
votes
1answer
101 views
What alternate tuning improves ease of playing in a specific family of keys?
I play the hurdy-gurdy, and a guitarist friend has joined me over the past months to play acoustic music together. My instrument is in the key of C, and we transpose whatever we want to learn into C (...
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3answers
340 views
Is even-interval tuning a sensible idea for lead guitar?
I'm primarily a rhythm guitarist who has recently taken up bass. I've been struck how easy the equal 4th intervals between strings is for scale patterns, which surely have as much relevance for lead ...
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4answers
880 views
How to learn a new guitar tuning
What techniques and practices are best to learn a new guitar tuning?
I am familiar enough with standard tuning to play rhythm parts in several places and also improvise with different scales.
I want ...
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votes
2answers
328 views
Octaves doubling on double bass in “Sometimes I'm happy” by Lester Young?
I am intrigued by the sound of what I assume to be a Double Bass played with a bow in "Sometimes I'm happy" by Lester Young, between minute 1 and minute 2.
If I am ...
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6answers
6k views
Do I risk ruining my guitar by switching the tuning often?
I'm currently learning a song which needs drop-d tuning.
Since I found myself switching back and forth from drop-d to standard tuning a couple of times a day, I wonder if I'm risking damage to the ...
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2answers
302 views
Do alternative tunings exist for 12-string guitars? [duplicate]
I often use alternative tunings for 6-string guitars. Now I'm facing a 12-string guitar.
Do alternative tunings exist for 12-string guitars?
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1answer
501 views
How to name a new tuning? (for example A=448 Hz) [closed]
How to choose the best name for it?
Does anyone have a method or algorithm how to do that?
Example 1: a 24-second song in this tuning: A=448 Hz
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votes
3answers
1k views
What are some of the alternate tunings of a modern piano?
Modern Pianos are tuned to equal temperament at A440. Are there other prominent alternate tunings used in art music or popular music? I'm accepting that historical reproductions will tune the A to 430 ...
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3answers
293 views
Guitar: Fretless fretboard (why ebgdaE?)
There are many fretless percussion/stringed instruments from/relating-to many different cultures each tuned to a predetermined set of notes/note relationships.
In our (Western?) culture it seems to ...
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3answers
789 views
What do you think of attempting to tune an Acoustic 12-string one full step up?
Many like to tune a 12 string 1/2 to 1 full step down. I understand it reduces tension, reduces breaking the high G string and/or allows you to run thicker gauges for a fuller sound.
However I ...
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3answers
3k views
Do Scale Shapes change with different tunings?
All the scale diagrams I've seen are shown in E standard tuning.
Would the scale shape change in another tuning, like Drop D for example? Alternatively, do I just keep the same scale shape regardless ...
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2answers
2k views
open tunings for bass?
Long time bass [hack] player, also play a little bit of guitar, working on learning some music theory to expand my understanding of the mechanics of creating music. I'm curious about open tunings on ...
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1answer
218 views
Create chords for alternate tuning?
In my specific case, I have a baritone ukulele which I tuned to all-fourths (personal preference), making its strings match the lower 4 strings of the standard guitar tuning (G4-D4-A3-E3). It also ...
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2answers
117 views
How is this electric guitar tuned?
The song in question is "Pet Carrot" by Palehound.
You can hear the guitar right at the beginning of this video:
I thought it was a bass at first. Anyone know the ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
Is it possible to tune a short scale (22.4") acoustic guitar up to ADGCEa with 10-47 strings?
I'm considering getting this guitar: http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_ds_10_mini.htm?ref=search_rslt_benton+mini_321012_0
According to the description, the scale is 568mm (~22.36") and it comes ...
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3answers
3k views
Is it more difficult to learn to play mandolin after learning guitar than if starting from scratch since the tuning is opposite?
My main instrument is guitar. I have played electric guitar, acoustic guitar, classical guitar and 12 string guitar and the patterns and fingering is pretty much the same. I have tried playing a 4 ...
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1answer
393 views
Lowered or drop tuning interchangeability
Let's say I want to play "Master of Puppets" by Metallica but I like the heavy sound of D standard. Can I play the riffs in that tuning using the same chord fingerings as in E standard to get the ...
3
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1answer
515 views
Is there a tuning that gives open Maj7 chords?
A song I'm playing with (Ordinary People by John Legend) basically has a 3-chord pattern BbMaj7, EbMaj7, FMaj7.
I can strum these as barre chords OK but not reliably finger-pick, and as I'd like a ...
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1answer
1k views
Guitar setup for which tuning?
I play songs by breaking benjamin and other rock and metal bands which are in low tunings like drop C but i also play in standard when i play for church. I want to get a new acoustic but im unsure ...
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4answers
622 views
EADGBE, thin to thick
How would you tune your guitar in EADGBE where the THINNEST string is closer to your CHEST and the THICKEST is closer to your BELT? Not in a Hendrix way, that is inverted. I mean regular EADGBE, with ...
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5answers
2k views
Tuning Acoustic from Drop D to Standard Repeatedly
There are a few songs I play where Drop D tuning is required to get some nice, bass-heavy, open 6th string notes. It also facilitates many of the chords in the song in addition to adding a full tone. ...
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7answers
39k views
Tuning for small-size guitar?
I have a toy store, where we try to get decent kids instruments among other things.
One of the guitars we stock is the Janod "Confetti" series guitar. It's 25" long, open string length is 16". I sold ...
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1answer
131 views
Double Sharps in Just Intonation. The mathematics?
So I'm experimenting around and I'm creating a small little thing in C#### minor just because. I understand the mathematics of C#### in Pythagorean and Equal Temperment music systems but how do you ...
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2answers
535 views
How to tune your guitar to F major on capo 5?
So i'm learning how to play yesterday by Beatles on my acoustic guitar and I have self taught myself so I have no tuning knowledge about the guitar whatsoever. So when watching this video about how to ...
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2answers
3k views
Is deliberately putting your guitar out of tune a valid technique?
I remember hearing an interview about the recording of Nirvana's "Something in the Way"; apparently Kurt played the acoustic part it once on an out of tune 12-string guitar, and then refused to do it ...
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2answers
460 views
How to name quarter tone chords
Studying the flamenco mode I found that the third note of the scale is tonic when tonic is played, so it would be a major chord, yet minor in all the other cases. Eg. in the key of E the scale would ...
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2answers
2k views
Choosing the right harmonica to fit with guitar part transposed using an alternative tuning
I play a song in standard tuning on the guitar. The song requires a 'G' harmonica.
I tune the guitar down to D-G-C-F-A-D. What key of harmonica would I need for the same song in this tuning?
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1answer
797 views
Is 7 string guitar a must have for lower tunings?
Note that I'm familiar with the post Why Move to a 7-String Guitar? but it doesn't quite answer my question.
My question is can you get to lower tunings such as C standard, drop B tunings without ...
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2answers
251 views
How to correctly classify different guitar tunings?
How would you correctly classify say - ECDGAD?
Like, how people will say "E Minor 9th Tuning" or something like that, if you understand what I'm saying - what would you call ECDGAD and how would you ...
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3answers
1k views
How exactly the exact symbols (C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B) of 12 tone equal temperament with octave (2x) and perfect fifth (3/2) found?
How are the exact symbols (C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B) of 12 tone equal temperament with octave (2x) and (3/2) found?
What is the math or formula used to find those specific symbols?
Imagine a ...
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2answers
210 views
Does 'just' or 'well' temperament center around the key of a given piece, or is it key-agnostic?
I'm going to be recording some piano music in the near future, and I'm interested in the (possibly crazy) idea of tuning the piano to a non-equal-tempered system for the recording.
I am recording ...
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1answer
70 views
Learning Appropriate Finger Picking Styles with Alternating Tunings
I play with alternate tunings on my guitar. I've noticed several things.
No matter how I play it, the key of the song will be whatever my tuning is. Open C tuning leads to the song being in the key ...
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1answer
438 views
Nylon strings for alternative tunings on hollowbody electric
I have a hollowbody electric guitar on which I put some ball-end nylon strings as an experiment and tuned to by preferred tuning (G-D-d-f-g#-b). I really liked the distinction in sound between the "...
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5answers
16k views
How low can a normal 6 string guitar be tuned?
Let's say I have a normal 6 string guitar that is standard tuned.
How low can I tune it? I'm especially interested in the tuning of the low E string of the guitar.
I have seen bands that tune it ...
2
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2answers
107 views
Guitar Banjo used as G-banjo
Would it make any sense to retune the first and fifth strings of a "guitar banjo" (which is essentially a guitar neck with a banjo sound board) and play it like a G 5-string banjo?
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1answer
737 views
Can any guitar be tuned in Drop D
I have 10+ (years) guitar with new steel strings and I was just playing around trying to tune it to Drop D however the 6th string snapped while in the process. I'm a newbie in guitars so I was just ...
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3answers
215 views
Problem with low tunings on my guitar
So I have a problem when I tune my guitar down to say D standard. Say if I'm putting my E to D I will go to the A and it will be a little closer to the A# then I left it and if I tune that down G the ...
