headstone
09-26-2004, 05:12 PM
Tuning / Different Tunings
Standard Tuning
While tuners are good to have and can be useful, sometime you aren't gonna have that magic little box with you to tune your instrument. So I bring you:
1 Relative Tuning
Relative tuning is when you use your fattest string (which normally goes the least out of tune) to tune the others. This can useful when all you have is a tuning fork or an other player to give you an E. And even if your E is hopelessly out of tune, having your instrument tuned to itself is better than nothing. To relative tune:
E-------------
B-------------
G-------------
D-------------
A---------0---
E---------5---
^
|
Tune these together by
fooling around with the A
string until it it harmonizes
with the E. Try to listen for the
pulsating beat you hear when
they are out of tune, and get
that to slow down until each
"wow" is about a second apart.
Gain helps.
Then do that for each of these pairs,
each time, tuning the higher string
to the lower:
E---------------0-
B-----------0---5-
G-------0---4-----
D---0---5---------
A---5-------------
E-----------------
To make sure you've done it right, strum some familiar major chords like E, and check if they sound in tune.
Different Tunings
1 Drop D
The most basic tuning besides standard is drop D. Drop D is when your low E is "dropped" down a tone to D. Many new bands choose to use it 'cause it makes some things easier, but that shouldn't be you highest priority going into a new tuning.
To get into drop tuning from standard, play the D and low E strings together, and tune the E to the D. Simple, huh?
Now play around with it. Drop D is good for playing power (fifth) chords faster. If you play the bottom two strings open now, you get D and A, a D5. If you bar the on the second fret, you get an E5. Tenth fret, C5, ect. If you play the bottom three strings open, you get Root, Fifth, Root (up an octave).
Something I like to do is, drop the pick, and pluck the 6th and 4th strings (they are both Ds now) by themselves and bar them.
Some songs that demonstrate drop D well:
Slither, Velvet Revolver
Deny, Default
Heart Shaped Box, Nirvana (In a certain version)
*can't be bothered to think of any more*
2 Tuned Down a Half Step / Semi Tone
Some songs, for what ever reason, are tuned down a half step so that the strings are Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Bb, Eb. To tune your axe down a half step, play the fourth string on the first fret, and tune the low E to it. Now proceed to relative tune to the low E.
Some songs played a have step down:
Tiny Teddy - The Headstones
Breed - Nirvana (Unplugged version)
Frogs - Alice in Chains
3 Drop C
Drop C is just drop D with all the strings down a step. To get into drop C; first tune your axe down a step by putting it in Drop D (see above) and relative tuning to the low D (6th string). Now tune your 6th string to your fourth, so they are both C's. The string will be, from lowest to highest, C G C F A D.
Songs in Drop C:
A hell of a lot of SOAD
4 G Tuning
G tuning is commonly used in slide guitar. If your guitar is in G tuning, and play the opens, will get a G chord. This G won't be like the common open G (320003) but will only contain the notes in the G major triad, G, B, and D. The strings in G, from lowest to highest are: D G D G B D.
To get into G tuning, start by going into Drop D (tune your 6th string to your 4th). Now, make your high E a D as well, by tuning it to your 4th string. Finally, tune your 5th string to your 2nd, so they are both Gs. Strum the opens. You should get a G chord.
5 A Tuning
A tuning is also used in slide guitar. If your guitar is in A tuning, and play the open six, will get an A chord. This A, unlike the G tuning, will be like a common open A (x03330), except the bottom E is played. In A tuning, the strings will all be either A, C#, or E, the A major triad. The strings in A, from highest to lowest: E A E A C# E.
To get into A tuning, tune your 4th string to your 6th, so they are both E's. Next tune your 3rd string to your 5th, so they are both As. Finally, tune your 2nd string to your 5th string's 4th fret, so they are both C#'s. Strum the opens. You should get an A chord.
6 E Tuning
E tuning is also used in slide guitar. If your guitar is in E tuning, and play the open six, will get an E chord. This E, unlike the G tuning, will be like a common open E (022100). In E tuning, the strings will all be either E, G#, or B, the E major triad. The strings in E, from highest to lowest: E B E G# B E.
To get into E tuning, tune your 5th string to your second string, so they are both B's. Now tune your 4th string to your 6th, so they are both E's. Finally, tune your 3rd sting to your 1st string's 4th fret, so they are both G#'s. Strum the opens. You should get an E chord.
Whew. Those are some of the different tunings that you can achieve. Not all of them. So experiment. Find new tunings. Make up your own. Whatever.
Finally, a quick review:
Tuning String 6 String 5 String 4 String 3 String 2 String 1
Standard E A D G B E
Drop D D A D G B E
Down a Half Step Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb
Drop C C G C F A D
G Tuning D G D G B D
A Tuning E A E A C# E
E Tuning E B E G# B E
Standard Tuning
While tuners are good to have and can be useful, sometime you aren't gonna have that magic little box with you to tune your instrument. So I bring you:
1 Relative Tuning
Relative tuning is when you use your fattest string (which normally goes the least out of tune) to tune the others. This can useful when all you have is a tuning fork or an other player to give you an E. And even if your E is hopelessly out of tune, having your instrument tuned to itself is better than nothing. To relative tune:
E-------------
B-------------
G-------------
D-------------
A---------0---
E---------5---
^
|
Tune these together by
fooling around with the A
string until it it harmonizes
with the E. Try to listen for the
pulsating beat you hear when
they are out of tune, and get
that to slow down until each
"wow" is about a second apart.
Gain helps.
Then do that for each of these pairs,
each time, tuning the higher string
to the lower:
E---------------0-
B-----------0---5-
G-------0---4-----
D---0---5---------
A---5-------------
E-----------------
To make sure you've done it right, strum some familiar major chords like E, and check if they sound in tune.
Different Tunings
1 Drop D
The most basic tuning besides standard is drop D. Drop D is when your low E is "dropped" down a tone to D. Many new bands choose to use it 'cause it makes some things easier, but that shouldn't be you highest priority going into a new tuning.
To get into drop tuning from standard, play the D and low E strings together, and tune the E to the D. Simple, huh?
Now play around with it. Drop D is good for playing power (fifth) chords faster. If you play the bottom two strings open now, you get D and A, a D5. If you bar the on the second fret, you get an E5. Tenth fret, C5, ect. If you play the bottom three strings open, you get Root, Fifth, Root (up an octave).
Something I like to do is, drop the pick, and pluck the 6th and 4th strings (they are both Ds now) by themselves and bar them.
Some songs that demonstrate drop D well:
Slither, Velvet Revolver
Deny, Default
Heart Shaped Box, Nirvana (In a certain version)
*can't be bothered to think of any more*
2 Tuned Down a Half Step / Semi Tone
Some songs, for what ever reason, are tuned down a half step so that the strings are Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Bb, Eb. To tune your axe down a half step, play the fourth string on the first fret, and tune the low E to it. Now proceed to relative tune to the low E.
Some songs played a have step down:
Tiny Teddy - The Headstones
Breed - Nirvana (Unplugged version)
Frogs - Alice in Chains
3 Drop C
Drop C is just drop D with all the strings down a step. To get into drop C; first tune your axe down a step by putting it in Drop D (see above) and relative tuning to the low D (6th string). Now tune your 6th string to your fourth, so they are both C's. The string will be, from lowest to highest, C G C F A D.
Songs in Drop C:
A hell of a lot of SOAD
4 G Tuning
G tuning is commonly used in slide guitar. If your guitar is in G tuning, and play the opens, will get a G chord. This G won't be like the common open G (320003) but will only contain the notes in the G major triad, G, B, and D. The strings in G, from lowest to highest are: D G D G B D.
To get into G tuning, start by going into Drop D (tune your 6th string to your 4th). Now, make your high E a D as well, by tuning it to your 4th string. Finally, tune your 5th string to your 2nd, so they are both Gs. Strum the opens. You should get a G chord.
5 A Tuning
A tuning is also used in slide guitar. If your guitar is in A tuning, and play the open six, will get an A chord. This A, unlike the G tuning, will be like a common open A (x03330), except the bottom E is played. In A tuning, the strings will all be either A, C#, or E, the A major triad. The strings in A, from highest to lowest: E A E A C# E.
To get into A tuning, tune your 4th string to your 6th, so they are both E's. Next tune your 3rd string to your 5th, so they are both As. Finally, tune your 2nd string to your 5th string's 4th fret, so they are both C#'s. Strum the opens. You should get an A chord.
6 E Tuning
E tuning is also used in slide guitar. If your guitar is in E tuning, and play the open six, will get an E chord. This E, unlike the G tuning, will be like a common open E (022100). In E tuning, the strings will all be either E, G#, or B, the E major triad. The strings in E, from highest to lowest: E B E G# B E.
To get into E tuning, tune your 5th string to your second string, so they are both B's. Now tune your 4th string to your 6th, so they are both E's. Finally, tune your 3rd sting to your 1st string's 4th fret, so they are both G#'s. Strum the opens. You should get an E chord.
Whew. Those are some of the different tunings that you can achieve. Not all of them. So experiment. Find new tunings. Make up your own. Whatever.
Finally, a quick review:
Tuning String 6 String 5 String 4 String 3 String 2 String 1
Standard E A D G B E
Drop D D A D G B E
Down a Half Step Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb
Drop C C G C F A D
G Tuning D G D G B D
A Tuning E A E A C# E
E Tuning E B E G# B E