Guitar Tunings

[DocPate]

What tunings do you use on a regular basis.

 

Larry's thread on Capos made me think about the tunings I've used over time.

 

Second part of this question is - IF YOU USE DIFFERENT TUNINGS ON A REGULAR BASIS, DO YOU HAVE A DEDICATED GUITAR FOR THAT TUNING?

 

In my playing days, I used of course Standard Tuning, Drop D, Open G, Open D (Capo to Open E). I usually kept a guitar tuned in Open G for Bluegrss, and one tuned in Open D for Blues slide.

[Werewolf by Night]

I really like Open-D (D A D F# A D), which can very quickly and easily be changed to Open-Dm (D A D F AD) or DADGAD (D A D G A D ) with a half-step twist of the 3rd-string tuner.

 

I also really like Open-G (D G D G B D), its relative tuning Open-A (E A E A C# E), and Curtis Mayfield's "Black keys of the piano" tuning (F# A# C# F# A# F#), or a relative equivalent up or down (such as E G# B E G# E).

 

I used to spend a LOT of time in many different Alternate and Open tunings, playing fretted fingerstyle; 's been many years, I can't remember many of 'em, or the original pieces that I wrote and played in 'em... !

 

I used to keep another Les Paul- with P-90 "soap-bars" and three 'benders- specifically set-up and tuned for Open-D with custom mixed-gauge DR Pure Blues strings. I found that Open-D was the most versatile for me, but Open-G or especially Open-A really sounded particularly great on that guitar.

[Larryz]

I use standard tuning on all of my guitars as I like to use scales and improvise. The altered tunings throw me off even if it's just a drop D on the 6th string LOL! I can't even use a capo on my square neck dobro and so I use altered tunings: G B D G B D and E B D G B D. For a minor tune, I use G Bb D G Bb D and for rockabilly and blues tunes, I use a 7th tuning G B D F B D low to high...I may have to try these tunings on one of my guitars and even throw a capo on it some day LOL!

[Scott Fraser]

I used to do some drop D stuff, half step detuned standard, & a couple Norwegian folk tunes in a weird tuning I can't remember anymore involving a partial capo on the high E & B strings, with the low E down to G. But anymore I feel that life is short enough that there's plenty to keep me busy from here on out in standard tuning.

[Delta]

Standard tuning for my electrics, drop C and D for my acoustics.

[desertbluesman]

I only use the standard tuning, after trying several open tunings on my acoustic guitars back in the late 60's early 70's, I decided I had no actual use for them in my style of playing so I quit messing with them after a few tries.

[Dannyalcatraz]

@50% of my guitars are in E Standard. I plan on using something like Open D, Open G or Open C for a guitar I want to set up for slide. I have one guitar tuned DADGAD, but I haven't explored that all that much.

 

But my main alternative tuning is Robert Fripp's New Standard Tuning: CGDAEG. NST and E probably account for 98% of my playing.

[whitefang]

I use the "drop D" tuning( on the sixth string) occasionallyfor some fok or folk blues tunes, but generally just stay on a standard tuning I have my 12 string on full drop D, and the little cheap guitar I tried working out "slide" with on an OPEN D tuning.

 

For me, just PLAYING the guitar is adventurous ENOUGH without messing around with a lot of different tunings.

Whitefang

[Fred_C]

I used to play several acoustic in Open D and open G. Doc Watson's arrangements of Sittin' On Top of the World, Worried Blues, Blind Blake's Police Dog Blues and others.

 

Since I don't seem sufficiently motivated to play that music anymore (mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa), I haven't played in any open tunings for many years. I'm totally focused on Chord Melody Jazz guitar.

[d halfnote]

Only 1 for me is keeping a gtr tuned 1 step down to achieve alternate voicings for chords.

[jimmac]

Just standard tuning for me. Jim

[hurricane hugo]

In addition to standard tuning, I use the following somewhat regularly:

 

True drop-D/Sevastopol tuning, where both E strings are tuned down a whole step.

 

A G6 tuning: from lo to hi, D, G, D, G, B, E. Stole this one from the Soundgarden song, "Superunknown."

 

One of my own creations: D, A, D, G, A, E

 

A tuning I picked up from a book about Celtic fingerpicking: C, G, D, G. B, E

 

I've also spent serious time in the past with the following tunings:

 

DADGAD

 

whole guitar tuned down 1-1/2 steps

 

and one of my own creation that went like this: C, G, C, F, B-flat, F. I really liked this one, as you could cover 3 whole octaves over just a 7-fret span.

 

I'd like to try the NST that Danny A talks about...and there was this one time doing a demo session for a friend where I grabbed some pawnshop special he had lying around, tuned it to D, F, B-flat, F, B-flat, D and used it for some Martian slide parts.