Guitar tuning

[Igos du Iskana]

I was wondering why oh why guitars have their first two strings tuned a half step down compared to their last 4 strings. This doesn't make any sense to me, it only complicates stuff in my opinion.. why do they want you to skip a fret everytime you go from the G string to the B string:confused:
could someone please enlighten me??

[GaryOpenhill]

I was wondering why oh why guitars have their first two strings tuned a half step down compared to their last 4 strings. This doesn't make any sense to me, it only complicates stuff in my opinion.. why do they want you to skip a fret everytime you go from the G string to the B string
could someone please enlighten me??


Hi Igos,
well i think the main reason is to make it easier to use the open strings. I guess thats why almost every classical guitar piece i know of is written in E a minor (or something similar) where you can use the open strings like E,e and b a lot. Usually when working out the fingersettings in a classical piece, you choose to change hand position, if needed, where you can play a note using a open string, to make the playing smoother.
Also, the guitar tuning makes using a "barree" chord (slapping the first finger over all or most of the frets like a capo and the others to form the rest of the chord) very useful, and those chords are extremly common in all kinds of styles.
These arguments are not valid for a tapper of course!

(im not saying that we can't tap a barre chord....)

Do you see the light, now?

[Igos du Iskana]

Yeah i kinda do! thanks :cool:

[rjgoos]

I would think that chords (for strumming) might be more difficult in a straight 4ths tuning.

In an explanation of his straight 3rds tuning, Ralph Patt (http://ralphpatt.com/Tune.html) talks about the advantages of his tuning, but says that you can forget about playing strummable chords.


Jay


From Ralph's site--

Disadvantage of the major third tuning.

It's not easy to play simple folk chords. They are quite difficult to play with this tuning. If all you want to do with the guitar is sing folk tunes, don't try this.

Much of the classical guitar literature becomes difficult or impossible to play because of frequent use of open D and A strings. However, I found Bach and early lute music easier to play with this tuning.

[traktor]

Originally posted by Igos du Iskana
I was wondering why oh why guitars have their first two strings tuned a half step down compared to their last 4 strings. ..<snip>.. This tuning of the 'B-string' was invented by Spaniards 700 years ago, who had guitars with 'catgut' strings and not much sustain, so that they could play E-modal songs with a rich and full sound by strumming. (And by thumping and knocking on the top of the guitar, because they didn't have drum machines.)

We don't have those guitar-sustain problems these days, and we play in many keys. For this reason, abandoning the open strings, and abandoning the wierdo tuning permits greater clarity and speed of learning. Because in straight fourths (or straight anything) you need only learn ONE set of shapes for the scales and you need only learn ONE set of shapes for the chords, instead of the three variations demanded by tuning the 'B-string' to a third as on classical guitar.

And we have drum machines.

That's my theory.

[BigDaddyPoo]

I always tune my guitars in strait 4ths because it's easier to tap on. Especially for someone who's played mostly bass for the majority of his life. My wife however likes for me to play strummy 70s songs (Pink Floyd, Greatful Dead, Fleetwood Mac) and I always start out playing this cord that's supposed to be an open E, but since I've tuned my guitar 'wrong', it comes out as horid sounding crap (I call it an H chord). So I tune it 'correctly' only to play similar crap the next time I sit down to tap on it.

Viscious cycle and whatnot.:)

[Igos du Iskana]

Well since strumming is impossible without a left hand, i'll just stick to tapping... and in that case a standard guitar tuning doesn't make sense at all. Maybe i'll tune my megatar's guitar side back to straight 4ths again sometime...

[GaryOpenhill]

Originally posted by Igos du Iskana
Well since strumming is impossible without a left hand, i'll just stick to tapping... and in that case a standard guitar tuning doesn't make sense at all. Maybe i'll tune my megatar's guitar side back to straight 4ths again sometime...

How is it tuned now?

[Igos du Iskana]

Bass side is 'regular' straight 4ths (BEADGC) melody side is a bit different, almost the same as a regular guitar, but tuned down a two steps to compensate fot the extra long scale (at fret 2 it's EADGBE). While tuning up, the high E string kept breaking because it was too tight, so i tuned everything down a couple of steps. (took me 3 strings and a split fingernail to figure that one out:rolleyes: )
The good thing about this 'guitar tuning', is that you can use guitar tabs to learn a few chords, and people that are used to a guitar can play a bit themselves.

[GaryOpenhill]

Originally posted by Igos du Iskana
Bass side is 'regular' straight 4ths (BEADGC) melody side is a bit different, almost the same as a regular guitar, but tuned down a two steps to compensate fot the extra long scale (at fret 2 it's EADGBE). While tuning up, the high E string kept breaking because it was too tight, so i tuned everything down a couple of steps. (took me 3 strings and a split fingernail to figure that one out:rolleyes: )
The good thing about this 'guitar tuning', is that you can use guitar tabs to learn a few chords, and people that are used to a guitar can play a bit themselves.

So you have the bass side like a 6 string bass, and the melody side like a guitar, but one whole step down. This must be the very best way to tune it for a former bass and guitarist, unless you insist on tuning straight intervals (like i do).

As you say, there are some other reasons to keep the guitar tuning, because one can play all the chords one has learnt from the guitar and use tabs. F.inst a major maj 7 chord is extremly easy to tap on the highest four strings, but kinda akward on a straight fourths. (but it can be done) And you can tap the three or four strings with one finger some times. The three highest string makes a minor chord and the four highest makes a major chord with a 6th added.

Btw, it's a fast deal to tune up and down between straight fourths and guitar-tuning, specially with a electronic tuner, so there's no reason not to play both!

Btw, i have testet several of Garry Goodmans strings, and several of them, like the super 007 tunes up to E4 on a megatar easily, and it doesn't break. I've tried many 009 strings from different brands that broke straight off where this 007 had no problems. It also feels and sounds more like a 009 for some reason, but it stands being bent down to the third string when tuned to E4. He mentioned in an mail that he now is making a 008 too, and also, after the samples i got to test, the strings has even an increased breaking point now. (i dont remember exactly with how many procent, but it is a big deal). I'm dreaming about a 33.5 inch tapper tuned up to F4, since it can be done.

Do you remember Micheal Hedges? He basicly had a different tuning for every song, almost! - > http://www.stropes.com/index.php?glbm=19&fa=7 CHeck out his B F# C# F# F# F# tuning! Now thats weird, but he could make something beaituful with it.