Post by 4real on Oct 28, 2013 1:06:44 GMT -5
Thought I'd start a thread on some of the different sounds I'm messing with and trying to get my head around by altered tunings...I suspect I'll always be more familiar with standard tunings and when you alter things you realize why it is such a versitile tuing, yet, there are lots of other really cools ounds out there so...
Lately I've been exploring CGDGBE ... this is standard on the top four stings but lowered G buy two steps down and C by 4 steps.
This gives a beautiful depth to particularly solo guitar and more range between the lowest and highest strings than you could normally reach.
A basic C chord (a key this tuning favours) is simply 0-0-2-0-1-0 and F chord the same shape on the fifth fret as a barre chord. As you ahve the open G on the 5th string, you can play a G all open X-0-0-0-x or X-0-0-0-0-3 or X-0-0-0-3-3 or any number of ways...
I can see now one should fmailiarise oneself with the I-IV-V chords of a tuning such as this, but also the VI chord Amin and others as well..so Am7 X-2-2-0-1-0 or Am X-2-2-2-1-0...Em 4-4-2-0-0-0
Chords above the two dropped ones are of course as normal, such as Dm, etc as these strings are all in standard tuning...
For Barre chords, you have that C shape 0-0-2-0-1-0 or as a barre F 5-5-7-5-6-1 but you can easily add the high C on top say with the little finger as in 5-5-7-5-6-3 and other variations and of course a major chord on any fret...
A barre minor you can just lower the 3rd on the 4th string...so, Em 4-4-5-4-5-4 and of course any fret along the low string for others. Again, your pinky is left free to add the fifth on top or to embellish.
Other chords such as C... 0-0-5-5-5-(0) are everywhere with all kinds of variations of including open strings... 0-0-10-9-8-0 or for more 'G's and a wide spread 0-0-10-0-8-0...
Or Am7 9-9-10-0-10-0 has been useful and again, a wide spread...
For more 'colourful chords'...things like the sus2 or add9 (in the lower register)chord can be found on the 3 low strings... 5-5-5-5-6-5 ...leaving both the pinky and ring finger to hammer on. Interestingly, the low 3 strings played together makes 'The Police Chord' as found in songs such as 'message in a bottle'...
Although, given the open strings, it favours C a fair bit. The root notes C-G-D are the roots of the I-IV-V in G ie G-C and D so good for that key too.
Much of the retuning is to provide more range and access to different chord formations, but there also a very different 'sound' to these detuned notes that make a great contrast between the bass and and higher stings, not just in the greater distance between the notes available within reach, but those 'slack strings' do have a very different tone and give access to a range of 'slap and pop' like bass sounds more convincingly. Best not to hit these dropped strings too much or they will sound a bit 'sharp'...
There is a really cool 'Octave' between the low G and the G string which can be useful and there are numerous '12 string like sounds such as this C chord...0-0-5-0-5-0 with doubled Gs and Es or the C chord 0-0-10-0-8-0 which has octave G's on the 2nd and thirds strings...
ANyway, just touching on a few of these 'features' and been a bit easier to 'get' than some of the tunings I've played with as most of the guitar is still standard, but with an extended bass range and therefore 'reach'. One can use a capo to get other keys with the oen string effects of course and as the guitar isu ultimately so 'low' they dont sound quite so 'thin' as they might when capoed to higher frets. A capo on the 4th fret for instance gives you the low E string of a standard tuned guitar for instance...
Anyway...will add to this thread from time to time with new observations of this and other tunings and please submit your own discoveries or suggestions as you see fit,
pete
Lately I've been exploring CGDGBE ... this is standard on the top four stings but lowered G buy two steps down and C by 4 steps.
This gives a beautiful depth to particularly solo guitar and more range between the lowest and highest strings than you could normally reach.
A basic C chord (a key this tuning favours) is simply 0-0-2-0-1-0 and F chord the same shape on the fifth fret as a barre chord. As you ahve the open G on the 5th string, you can play a G all open X-0-0-0-x or X-0-0-0-0-3 or X-0-0-0-3-3 or any number of ways...
I can see now one should fmailiarise oneself with the I-IV-V chords of a tuning such as this, but also the VI chord Amin and others as well..so Am7 X-2-2-0-1-0 or Am X-2-2-2-1-0...Em 4-4-2-0-0-0
Chords above the two dropped ones are of course as normal, such as Dm, etc as these strings are all in standard tuning...
For Barre chords, you have that C shape 0-0-2-0-1-0 or as a barre F 5-5-7-5-6-1 but you can easily add the high C on top say with the little finger as in 5-5-7-5-6-3 and other variations and of course a major chord on any fret...
A barre minor you can just lower the 3rd on the 4th string...so, Em 4-4-5-4-5-4 and of course any fret along the low string for others. Again, your pinky is left free to add the fifth on top or to embellish.
Other chords such as C... 0-0-5-5-5-(0) are everywhere with all kinds of variations of including open strings... 0-0-10-9-8-0 or for more 'G's and a wide spread 0-0-10-0-8-0...
Or Am7 9-9-10-0-10-0 has been useful and again, a wide spread...
For more 'colourful chords'...things like the sus2 or add9 (in the lower register)chord can be found on the 3 low strings... 5-5-5-5-6-5 ...leaving both the pinky and ring finger to hammer on. Interestingly, the low 3 strings played together makes 'The Police Chord' as found in songs such as 'message in a bottle'...
Although, given the open strings, it favours C a fair bit. The root notes C-G-D are the roots of the I-IV-V in G ie G-C and D so good for that key too.
Much of the retuning is to provide more range and access to different chord formations, but there also a very different 'sound' to these detuned notes that make a great contrast between the bass and and higher stings, not just in the greater distance between the notes available within reach, but those 'slack strings' do have a very different tone and give access to a range of 'slap and pop' like bass sounds more convincingly. Best not to hit these dropped strings too much or they will sound a bit 'sharp'...
There is a really cool 'Octave' between the low G and the G string which can be useful and there are numerous '12 string like sounds such as this C chord...0-0-5-0-5-0 with doubled Gs and Es or the C chord 0-0-10-0-8-0 which has octave G's on the 2nd and thirds strings...
ANyway, just touching on a few of these 'features' and been a bit easier to 'get' than some of the tunings I've played with as most of the guitar is still standard, but with an extended bass range and therefore 'reach'. One can use a capo to get other keys with the oen string effects of course and as the guitar isu ultimately so 'low' they dont sound quite so 'thin' as they might when capoed to higher frets. A capo on the 4th fret for instance gives you the low E string of a standard tuned guitar for instance...
Anyway...will add to this thread from time to time with new observations of this and other tunings and please submit your own discoveries or suggestions as you see fit,
pete
