In this article on the site we will talk about alternative guitar tunings.
Unusual setting guitars are a type of tuning that differs from the classical and generally accepted fourth tuning.
It is important to understand that we are talking here about open strings ah, that is, notes will be extracted from open strings without pressing.
Classic setting six string guitar in notes it looks like this (from the first string to the sixth): E (mi), H (si), G (sol), D (re), A (la), E (mi).
This tuning is used by guitarists 95% of the time and is considered the default tuning.
For example, if you see a chord grid with the indicated finger placement, it means that this classical tuning is implied, and you only need to use it.
On the other hand, there are a lot musical groups, who take advantage of their individual customization of tools. Often, such an alternative tuning differs little from the generally accepted one, and the changes affect only individual strings.
For example, the sixth bass string in heavy musical styles often drops a tone lower - from MI - to RE, adding an additional seventh string SI (the thickest).
Similar techniques of alternative tuning are used on the bass guitar, especially the five-string, where instead of the classical MI there is a SI or even a SI-flat in the bass.
If you look at the tabs of the same Korn, Sepultura or Cannibal Corpse, you will definitely notice the use of alternative guitar tuning.
However non-standard setting The guitar is not limited to just one string. The same metal bands, in order to give the music more heaviness and darkness, rebuild the entire guitar.
For example, classic guitar tuning Often the whole thing shifts down a semitone or tone, moving from the general tuning of MI fourths to the general tuning of RE.
All this is implemented simply: all the strings of the guitar are lowered at the same interval lower, which achieves a special lowered sound.
On the other hand, alternative guitar tunings are often used in other styles.
In jazz, in blues, in grunge and even in rock.
For example, when playing with a slider (a special tip placed on the guitarist’s finger), it is very convenient to line up the guitar in fifths, so that when the fret is pressed, a whole chord can be heard without dissonant notes. Similar practices are found in other styles of music.
Unusual guitar tuning, alternative tuning
In order not to bore the reader with long stories, we will present several alternative tuning options for a six-string guitar. You can use these settings variations at your own discretion.
For example, to diversify your playing, to find new musical ideas, to change the monotonous classical sound of an instrument...
Alternative tuning of a guitar is usually implemented so that all of the instrument's open strings produce a specific minor or major chord.
When playing in this tuning, you can simply press entire frets of the guitar and get new chords.
For example, by tuning a guitar in D major and plucking all the strings at the fifth fret, you will get a pure G major, and at the seventh fret you will get an A major.
Note: The examples below indicate an alternative order of notes from the SIXTH string to the FIRST string (the sixth is the far left and the first is the far right).
To execute correct setting you will have to either tighten or loosen individual strings, go beyond the generally accepted tuning.
1. Alternative guitar tuning in D major (D):
2. Unusual guitar tuning in G major (G):
3. Tuning a six-string guitar in the key of C major (C):
4. Alternative tuning E major (E):
5. Non-standard system G minor (Gm):
6. Alternative guitar tuning in D minor (Dm):
7. Unusual system six-string guitar in the key of A minor (Am):
And a few more completely unusual configuration options:
8. SOL fret tuning (G):
9. Alternative tuning in PE fret (D):
10. Guitar stand in A major (A major):
11. Tuning a guitar with sol bass:
12. Unusual tuning of an instrument with bass BEFORE:
13. Bass retuned to PE (D):
14. Guitar tuning with a lowered first string:
Note: "B" is the symbol for B-flat, and simply B is written as "H". Moreover, in the pictures for this article, “B” indicates the note SI.
This confusion is associated with the notation of the SI note in various options musical notation, but don't let that scare you. In the article, the pure note SI is designated exclusively as “H”.
As you can see, there are different approaches to rebuilding a six-string instrument. In some cases, all notes are changed, and in some situations, only some strings are twisted (not all).
For example, changes are often made to the bass strings, and you may see this option especially often. The most problematic type of guitar tuning is adding strings.
To implement such a tuning, you will either need to use a seven-string instrument, or shift all the strings, adding a thick B string in the bass.
In general, you could come up with such alternative tunings yourself, experimenting with different guitar tunings.
Don't think that everything possible options are limited only to the 14 examples described above. In fact, there are many, many more alternative configuration methods!
Details Author: JetNet Views: 1003 09/04/2017 19:57 Category: Where to start???In this article I want to clarify a little guitar tunings. What are they, why were they formed this way, and how to generally tune your guitar. Firstly, a little educational information. The order is indicated by letters. The letters are the notes that produce the open strings from the sixth (thickest) to the first (thinnest). Let's start with, so to speak, the standard - this standard guitar tuning.
Standard tuning E A D G B E (E)
In this tuning, the guitar is tuned in fourths, i.e. the interval between each string is a fourth. Read what it is. The exception is the second and third strings, the interval between which is a major third. They say in the jargon that the guitar is tuned in "E", i.e. these are the notes on the first and sixth strings. By tuning your guitar in this tuning, you can easily play regular full chords, major and minor. And in general, it seems to me that 90% of all songs can be played in it.
Low tuning Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb (E flat)
If all the strings are tuned to standard tuning and lowered each half a step, we get a lower tuning of E flat. The intervals between the strings are the same as in standard system Mi. What is this system used for? Mainly to make it easier for the vocalist to sing or for a lower and heavier sound (for example in heavy metal and other rock music).
Low tuning D G C F A D (D)
If in the standard tuning all the strings are lowered even lower - by 2 semitones, then we will get the D tuning. Here also the intervals are preserved. Essentially all lower tunings of this type are just standard tunings with a lower tuning. Used again for a heavier and lower sound, for example in heavy metal. The standard can be lowered further and get, for example, C (to). The meaning will be the same.
Dropped D: D A D G B E
Now this is more interesting. Take the E standard and lower the 6th string to whole tone. Now we have 2 D notes on open strings. Fifths on the sixth string are pressed not with 2 fingers, as in the standard one, but with one. This is probably the most popular tuning in alternative metal. Gives a meatier sound and expands the guitar's range. Well, convenience appears when playing fifths (power chords).
Dropped C: C G C F A D
Everything is the same as in the case of Drop D, only we take the lowered tuning of D as a basis and also lower the sixth string an additional tone. The favorite tuning of all metalcore players.
So, by equivalently lowering the strings, you can tune the guitar even higher or lower. That is, in fact, all these tunings above are variations of 2 tunings: standard and drop. They are probably the most popular among guitarists. Using just them, you can play 99% of all the songs in the world with ease. In addition to them, there are also a lot of non-standard tunings, but they are quite rarely used. And in general, you yourself can even come up with your own guitar tuning and figure out how to play it =)
In the previous article, the issue of lowered order guitars. In this article I would like to discuss it in more detail.
Let me remind you that the standard tuning of a six-string electric guitar is: E[E]-A[A]-De[D]-G[G]-B[H]-E[E], starting from the sixth string. Let's look at the prerequisites for switching to a different guitar tuning. Down tuning is used in extreme music to create a tighter, heavier and more powerful sound. You can also give an example of when musicians playing in rock bands decide to use a lower tuning to make it easier for the vocalist to sing. That is, they adapt to a certain person and a certain style of music. By the way, you can also raise the tuning of the guitar, adapting to the singer’s vocal abilities. Also, the use of a low guitar tuning is due to a different chord fingering. That is, the tuning of the guitar is selected for the convenience of playing chords.
When using low tuning electric guitars, naturally, the string tension will decrease and thin strings may simply hang. Therefore, you need to select thicker sets of strings.
I can say that there are quite a lot of options for tuning a guitar. We'll look at a few common ones. Using their examples, you can choose the optimal system for yourself or come up with your own.
- Lower by half a tone. In this case, the system becomes as follows: Re#-Sol#-Do#-Fa#-Aa#-Re#.
- Lower by tone. Guitar tuning: D[D]-G[G]-Do[C]-F[F]-A[A]-D[D].
- A formation called "Drop D". In this case, only the sixth string is lowered by tone: Re[D]-A[A]-Re[D]-Sol[G]-Bi[H]-Mi[E]. In this case, there is a fifth between the sixth and fifth strings and you can play various riffs by pressing these two strings with one finger.
- Build called "Drop C". The sixth string is lowered by two tones. The remaining strings are one tone. Then the guitar tuning looks like this: Do[C]-G[G]-Do[C]-Fa[F]-A[A]-D[D]. The tuning is lower than described above, but similarly you can play chords on two low strings with one finger.
- And in conclusion, let's look at one more system. I remember him from the song Kashmir by Led Zeppelin. It looks like this: Re[D]-A[A]-Re[D]-Sol[G]-A[A]-Re[D].
Guitar tuning: Drop D
Guitar Tuning: Drop C
Led Zeppelin
A natural question arises: "how to tune a 6 string guitar for a beginner?". If you have big plans and want to become a guitarist from God, at a minimum you need to be able to tuning your guitar correctly. But even if there are no such plans, you will still have to tune the guitar).
“I can’t tune my guitar” is a phrase you can often hear from a beginning guitarist, but first, let’s figure out how the strings should be tuned. The strings on a guitar are numbered from bottom to top, from the thinnest string to the thickest..
10 Tips: How to Play Guitar with Good Technique
With classic guitar tuning The 6th string is tuned to , the Latin designation "E" is often used. Usually the sixth string is tuned first, and the rest from there, but more on that later. This is how the strings should be tuned when classical system:
- e (first, most thin string- note "mi")
- B (second string, note "B")
- G (third string, G note)
- D (fourth string, note "D")
- A (fifth string, note "A")
- E (the sixth, thickest string is the note "E")
Now that we know how the strings should be tuned, let's try to tune them. By the way, you know ? To do this, we will use pegs or, as some beginners call them, “twists”). can be turned in one or the other direction.
By turning the peg clockwise we tighten the string, giving it a higher sound, and accordingly turning it counterclockwise we loosen the string and it sounds lower.
When tuning a 6 string guitar, turn you need to be careful so as not to break the string, especially for beginner guitarists. With experience, you will feel the tension of the string much more accurately, but for now, be more careful and turn the “twists” carefully.
Tuning the 6th string
First of all, we tune the sixth string on the guitar. To do this, we need a so-called reference sound, specifically the note “E”. Where can I get it? You can listen to it on our website, take it on another tuned musical instrument, you can use a tuning fork, or go to YouTube and search for “E notes for guitar tuning” or something like that.
Some people have perfect pitch and can determine the pitch of a note without using the above methods. This quality of hearing can be developed, but as a rule it is innate. However, not all professionals have such skills, so the method proposed below is used by both experienced guitarists and beginners.
And so, we have found a “sample” note, let’s start tuning. Tuning a 6-string guitar, as well as playing any other musical instrument, requires at least some degree of hearing. The presence of hearing in a beginner is very easy to determine, if you are able to distinguish which of two notes sounds higher and which lower, then you definitely have hearing. This is what we need now.
How to learn to play guitar from scratch at home?
Play standard note "mi" and at the same time start plucking the sixth string of your guitar. Do you feel the difference? Does your guitar string sound lower than the reference note? So you need to tighten it up a little, twist smoothly and continue tuning the 6th string until our string and the reference note sound . Try tightening and loosening the string a little until you achieve the desired sound.
Tuning the rest of the strings
can be tuned in a similar way, using reference notes, but as a rule, “in everyday life” they are tuned relative to the 6th string. The procedure is as follows:
We will use the 6th string clamped on the 5th fret and the 5th string open (that is, not clamped on any fret). We alternately pluck the fifth and sixth strings and adjust the sound of the fifth string until we achieve unison.
The remaining strings are tuned according to a similar pattern, but with a slight correction (pay attention to the setting of the second string). I will describe the entire string tuning scheme:
- Sixth string - tune either by reference note or by ear.
Non-classical settings are used for the convenience of playing certain musical genres or pieces of music.
Classic setting method
- tuning fork
- The 1st string is used to tune the 2nd string, which, being pressed at the V fret, should sound the same as the 1st open (not pressed) string.
- The 3rd string, pressed at the 4th fret, is tuned to the 2nd open string.
- The 4th string, pressed at the V fret, is tuned to the 3rd open string.
- The 5th string, pressed at the V fret, is tuned to the 4th open string.
- The 6th string, pressed at the V fret, is tuned to the 5th open string.
Tuning with harmonics and temperament
Allows for much more precise tuning, since the accuracy of the frets is not always sufficient.
- The 1st string is tuned using the reference sound - the sound of a tuning fork - or the sound of an already tuned musical instrument.
- The 6th string is tuned so that its harmonic at the 5th fret sounds in unison with the 1st string.
- The 5th string is tuned so that its harmonic at the 7th fret sounds in unison with the 1st string, and then slightly tightened so that a beat occurs with a frequency of 0.372 Hz (one beat in 2.7 seconds).
- The 4th string is tuned so that its harmonic at the 7th fret sounds in unison with the harmonic of the 5th string at the 5th fret, and then slightly tightened so that a beat occurs with a frequency of 0.497 Hz (one beat per 2.01 seconds).
- The 3rd string is tuned so that its harmonic at the 7th fret sounds in unison with the harmonic of the 4th string at the 5th fret, and then slightly tightened so that a beat occurs with a frequency of 0.664 Hz (one beat per 1.51 seconds).
- The 2nd string is tuned so that its harmonic on the 5th fret sounds almost in unison with the harmonic of the 1st string on the 7th fret, but is slightly shortened so that a beat with a frequency of 1.12 Hz is heard (one beat per 0.9 seconds).
When tuning using the tuning fork A (“A”), the 5th string is tuned first (the harmonic on the V fret in unison with the tuning fork), then the 1st and 6th, and then the 4th, 3rd and 2nd.
If you have good hearing and have gained enough experience, you can do without using harmonics, catching the beat of overtones in the sound of open strings.
Since changing the string tension leads to deformation of the guitar body and detuning of the remaining strings, it is recommended to tune the guitar in 2-3 iterations, the first of which can be done without temperament (without carefully counting the beat frequency).
Lower tunings of a six-string guitar
Decreased (i.e. lower than the normal EBGDAE tuning) tunings are used for more comfortable playing a certain key, or to obtain a lower, “heavy” sound. In particular, many rock guitarists love the so-called. Drop tunings, which are named by adding to “Drop” a note on the 6th string that drops 1 tone below the first (for example: Drop C = DAFCGC). To rebuild from classical system in any lowered mode, all the strings of the guitar are lowered by a certain interval (for example, to change to tuning D, you need to lower all the strings of the guitar by a tone). To lower the guitar's tuning by more than a tone, you may need to change the strings to thicker ones due to the weakening of their tension. Also, for tunings below B (B), mostly baritone guitars are used.
| String | Scale E♭ (E-flat) | Build D (re) | Scale D♭ (D-flat) | Build C (before) | System B (si) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note | Frequency (in hertz) | Note | Frequency | Note | Frequency | Note | Frequency | Note | Frequency | |
| First | e♭¹ (E-flat first octave) | 311.13 | d¹ (D first octave) | 293.66 | d♭¹ (D-flat first octave) | 277.18 | c¹ (to the first octave) | 261.63 | b (B small octave) | 246.94 |
| Second | b♭ (B-flat small octave) | 233.08 | a (A small octave) | 220.00 | a♭ (A-flat small octave) | 207.00 | g (small octave sol) | 196.00 | g♭ (G-flat small octave) | 185.00 |
| Third | g♭ (G-flat small octave) | 185.00 | f (f small octave) | 174.62 | e (minor octave E) | 164.81 | e♭ (small octave E-flat) | 155.56 | d (small octave D) | 147.83 |
| Fourth | d♭ (D-flat small octave) | 138.59 | c (to small octave) | 130.82 | B (big octave B) | 123.48 | B♭ (B-flat major octave) | 116.54 | A (A major octave) | 110.00 |
| Fifth | A♭ (A-flat major octave) | 103.80 | G (major octave G) | 98.00 | G♭ (G flat major octave) | 92.50 | F (major octave F) | 87.31 | E (major octave E) | 82.41 |
| Sixth | E♭ (major octave E-flat) | 77.78 | D (major octave D) | 73.91 | D♭ (D-flat major octave) | 69.30 | C (to major octave) | 65.41 | B¹ (B counter octave) | 61.74 |
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Open C
One of characteristic features is the ease of extracting basic major chords. A simple barre at the 2nd fret will give "D", 4th fret will give "E", 5th fret will give "F" and so on. Open strings will give you "C".
In order to tune the guitar in “Open C”, you need (starting from “ standard tuning"): 1st string (thin) Leave as in “standard tuning” - “E” (“E”)
2nd string. Raise half a step to “C” (“C”)
3rd string. Leave as in “standard tuning” - “Salt” (“G”)
4th string. Lower one step to “Before” (“C”)
5th string. Lower one step to “Salt” (“G”)
6th string (thick). Lower by two steps from “E” to “Do” (“C”)
Raised tunings of a six-string guitar
Tuning a guitar, especially a classical one, can damage the instrument., as well as to injuries due to a sudden break of a tightened string.
To increase the tuning, you can use a capo. If rebuilding your guitar is necessary, it is recommended to use a thinner set of strings.
| String | Build F (fa) | Tuning F# (F-sharp) | Tuning G (sol) | G# scale (G sharp) | System A (la) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note | Frequency (in hertz) | Note | Frequency | Note | Frequency | Note | Frequency | Note | Frequency | |
| First | f¹ (fa first octave) | 349.23 | f¹# (F-sharp first octave) | 369.99 | g¹ (sol of the first octave) | 392.00 | g¹# (G-sharp first octave) | 415.30 | a¹ (A first octave) | 440.00 |
| Second | с¹ (to the first octave) | 261.63 | с¹# (C-sharp of the first octave) | 277.18 | d¹ (D first octave) | 293.66 | D¹# (D-sharp first octave) | 311.13 | e¹ (E first octave) | 311.13 |
| Third | g# (G-sharp small octave) | 207.00 | a (A small octave) | 220.00 | a# (A-sharp small octave) | 233.08 | b (B small octave) | 246.94 | c¹ (to the first octave) | 261.63 |
| Fourth | d# (d-sharp small octave) | 155.56 | e (minor octave E) | 164.81 | f (f small octave) | 174.62 | f# (F-sharp small octave) | 185.00 | g (small octave sol) | 196.00 |
| Fifth | A# (A-sharp major octave) | 116.54 | B (big octave B) | 123.48 | c (to small octave) | 130.82 | c# (C-sharp small octave) | 138.59 | d (small octave D) | 147.83 |
| Sixth | F (major octave F) | 87.31 | F# (F-sharp major octave) | 92.50 | G (major octave G) | 98.00 | G# (G-sharp major octave) | 103.80 | A (A major octave) | 110.00 |
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"Drop D" formation
This tuning differs from the classical one in that it is lowered by tone sixth string. It is often used by hard rock electric guitarists because it makes it easier to play 5th chords. power-chord), also some works were written for him classical guitar(in the keys of D major and D minor).
"Drop C" formation
Used to produce an even lower and “heavier” sound on an electric guitar. Unlike the classical system, all strings except the sixth tune in to tone below and sixth string- on two tones.
Like Drop tuning D is used to play fifth chords.
Double Drop-D formation
The tuning is similar to Drop D, differing in that the first string is lowered a tone. For tuning from classical tuning first And sixth the string is lowered to tone.
In this tuning, the top four open strings of the guitar form a G major chord, making it easier to play with slide. Double drop D was often used by performer Neil Young.
Build "DADGAD"
The tuning most often used in folk music. It was invented by British guitarist David Graham for more convenient playing from notes recorded for violin or bagpipes.
To change the “DADGAD” system from the classic one, you need to lower it to tone first, second And sixth strings.
Build "DADDAD"
The “Papa-Papa” tuning is most suitable both for use in folk music (Celtic) and for playing rhythm guitar parts in “heavy” (alternative) music, 4 notes at a time. To change the tuning “DADDAD” from the classical one, you need to lower it to tone first, second And sixth strings. A third tune in unison with fourth.
Build "Open D"
In this tuning, the open strings form a D major chord. It is used primarily on slide guitars.
To rebuild into this system from the classical first, second And sixth strings drop to tone, third goes down to semitone.
"Open G" build
In this tuning, the open strings form a G major chord.
To change to "Open G" tuning from the classic first, fifth And sixth strings drop to tone.
"New Standard"
Also known as "Crafty tuning". A tuning developed by musician Robert Fripp and used by him since 1983. In contrast to the classical “quart” tuning, the tuning proposed by Robert Fripp is closer to bowed string instruments, and first, second And third the strings are tuned similarly to a violin. Tuning to this tuning may require replacing the lower strings with thicker ones and the upper strings with thinner ones.
"Alternative tuning Cross A"
E-A-E-A-E-A. "Sitar A" is an alternative lowered guitar tuning. Reminds me of the sound of an Indian sitar. Great for creating Indian (oriental) music.
Seven-string tunings
Standard
The structure of the strings of a seven-string guitar is mixed - third-fourth, so the chord of the open strings is consonant (major quarter-sixth chord), unlike a six-string guitar. This system is considered classical (academic).