One for the guitarists - alternate tunings

In my attempt to sound all knowledgeable and intelligent about music, I decided to start this thread about alternate tunings. So...umm...yeah

If you know any other cool tunings, post 'em here. Let's help each other


Drop D - DADGBE - a good one for drones, because the three lowest strings form the D no3rd (power chord).

Double Drop D - DADGBD

Open G - DGDGBD (sometimes XGDGBD) - Exactly what it says on the tin. Hit all the strings open, and you get a G chord. Barre the strings at different positions to give you other chords. Used a lot for slide, and famously used by Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones. Also, if you do an open Am7 shape, that gives you the chord with a suspended 4th and what I think is an added 6th (theory experts, a little help here?). Very nice bluesy move there

DADGAD - Apparently derived from a sitar tuning. Not sure what to say about this one. Experiment a little with it, see what you think

CGDGBE - Never used this one, but Richard Thompson used it once, so it's ok with me.

 

Not being much of a guitar player, that made ALMOST no sense to me whatsoever. *blush* But I bet a lot of people around here will find it plenty useful, thanks for posting Power, and remember my dying forum!

Since I have to sound like a wisdom filled moderator here, I'll post some advice for keeping woodwind instruments in tune, since my main gig is sax.

For woodwind instruments: (And this may apply to brass, I'm not exactly sure)

When playing higher notes on a wind, (like a high B which is a bitch on sax) be sure to keep your jaw NICE AND RELAXED. For the first two years I played, I could play the fingerings, but I had HORRIBLE intonation since I was so hyped about having good posture I keep my jaw so tense I couldn't play for more than 15 minutes without my chops dying on me. If you keep your jaw nice and relaxed, but not TOO relaxed, you'll be amazed at how full and deep your sound can be, even on the highest of notes. When I first figured that out... It was like... night and day difference in my sound And I saved my chops too, now I can play forever and ever! So, if you're having a problem with sharp notes like B's and D's and F's, let your jaw drop ever so slightly, and maybe bring your teeth up on mouthpiece just a touch... You'll be surprised!

And as for actually keeping the mouthpiece on the cork, Tune to a Bb concert pitch with a tuner, then mark that spot on a cork (for reed instruments) with a pencil. That way you wont have to keep searching for that spot every time you put your instrument back together. So once you've been able to tune that note, realize that all other notes wont magically be in tune because of that. Just be conscience of your sound and you'll be home free. And if you're in a big group, like a school band or something, adjust your sound to the lowest instrument, more than likely a tuba. (If the band has one, if not some other low brass instrument like a baritone or possibly trombone.) If he's sharp, play sharp. If he's flat, play flat. The human ear naturally zones into the lowest pitch in a chord, so if he's flat and you're in tune, you'll get blamed for not tuning to the tuba... So just beware

Anyone else got any advice? Maybe for brass instruments? (Paddy, that's your cue!)

 

i ken do brass...i'm a trombonist

if you're playin a Bb/F machine, then make sure the extra tubing after the trigger is in tune with the rest of the slide! otherwise you'll just end up trying to be clever and sounding out of tune...
I use alternative mouthpieces for different occasions too, like, i have a bigger one for classical concerts, with a larger bore cup, that helps to get all the low register notes, depends what part you're playing though, if you play first you may need one that assists in getting notes like high Fs and Gs.
Then i have a mouthpiece for jazz, which is made by Marcinkewitz, or some spelling like that, it's quite small and it's an all round one so you have equal power the whole way up and down the bone.

When brass instruments get dirty and a load of black sludge comes out the end, it's time to give them a bath, like really give them a bath, fill it with hot water, but without any soap, then drag the brush/cloth through the tubes until it's all clear again, otherwise you'll just find it harder and harder to play.
The funniest thing i ever saw was my friend Hippo giving his tuba a bath....

Jaz

 

I tune to an E, turn the amp up to 11 and just spank it like a filthy momma.

 

JAZ! Nice to see ya man I was waiting for you to find the forum! I never knew you played trombone!

Speaking of mouthpieces, for sax anyway (and I think for clarinets) its' good to have at least two mouthpieces you can interchange. I have a 5 and a 5c, but I've been looking to either get a wedge for my 5 or get a number 8 or 9, with a wedge. Being in a marching band it's good to have a mouthpiece that can get louder than a 5, but a 5 is the standard number for most mouthpieces when you buy a sax or clarinet....

 

hey sarah! yeah i found it, i think i'll stay here, it's cool!

haha showmet! Spinal Tap - "well, my amp goes up to 11....."
hehehe
Jaz
xxx

 

Well you the lucky bastard got a new one

The selmer mouthpiece I had for my alto; I hated it. Dunno why, just me I guess. If I were you Paddy I'd stick with yamaha mouthpieces. Unless your wonderful alto came with a GOOD Selmer mouthpiece... (Something I've yet to see)

 

I use a root/fifth tuning (EBEBBE) and two special slides I made, one touches only the root strings and the other only the fifth strings. If you want I'll post a pic of the slides, not a real one, but a drawing cause I have no camera or computer.

 

I like tunings such as

EEEEG#E
EEEEEE
(floppy string)AC#GCE

 

i don't go near alternate tunings very often, i don't really see the point but i do sometimes use a tuning with the two E's dropped to D's. it's kinda cool because all the standard tuning chord shapes still work, only with a different sound.

 

CGCFAD Drop C, its a lot like drop D but lower. You can also do drop B and A but i dont use either of those.

 

Drop C. CGCFAD. Same as drop D, only all the strings are dropped one note, and the E string is dropped 2. Steve Vai uses this one. It is fun, but damn is it a bitch to tune.

 

I tune my guitar B E A D Gb B. Downtune 5 half steps. It just sounds so low, so fat, so powerful!

 

good god, drop b! are you using like bass strings on there to keep the tension? I have a 24-3/4 and a 25 scale and neither of those guitars would take that kind of tuning well. just out of curiosity what guage strings do you use and what amp do you use to push it?

Sometimes I'll tune to drop d and then put a capo on the second fret excepting the high e and b strings. It ends up being e b e a b e but plays on all the upper frets like a drop d tuning