DR's new fifths-based tuning...

[distressed_romeo]

OK...I took the plunge, and tuned my acoustic CGDAEF#, using gauges 52, 42, 30, 18p, 11, and 10 (A440 rather than a half-step down like most of my guitars).

Holy fucking shit...

This sounds amazing! The whole guitar sounds really huge and resonant compared to standard tuning! I've just been playing with some 4NPS scales, and 3NPS pentatonics, and these are a breeze, as the fingerings are fairly symmetrical and logical across the neck. Obviously, the wholestep between the top two strings requires you to think a little, but it's a fair trade-off, as there are some really cool, chimy chord voicings available on the top three strings.

I'll keep posting back with more findings as they happen, and attatch some tabs of scale/chord diagrams.

This is something I'll definitely be sticking with...can't wait to try it on an electric!

 

[ElRay]

OK...I took the plunge, and tuned my acoustic CGDAEF#

Basically 4-fifths and a second, right? In other words, your first string a semitone lower than Fripp's NST, correct?

Hey, aren't you supposed to be working on your disertation?

I'm waiting for some code changes to upload (pushing out DST fixes), so I have an excuse.

Ray

 

[distressed_romeo]

Basically 4-fifths and a second, right? In other words, your first string a semitone lower than Fripp's NST, correct?

Yup...that's it!

Hey, aren't you supposed to be working on your disertation?

Ummm...yeah.

 

[Stan P]

Any clips yet? I am lookin to try someth similar

 

[JPMDan]

very interesting D_R, can't wait to hear more from you.

 

[distressed_romeo]

Cheers guys. I'm going to work with it a bit and get more comfortable with it before I start recording any clips with it...

I'm betting it'll be great for chord-melody stuff...

 

[Ancestor]

Right on. I want to hear some clips, please.

 

[distressed_romeo]

Now, the most important question...

What pretentious-sounding name do we give this? Fripp's already claimed 'New Standard', Gambale has 'Nouveau', and we can't really call it 'fifths', as it's not totally symmetrical...

How about 'neo-standard' tuning?

UPDATE!!!

Been playing with this tuning a lot more, and it's seriously growing on me. Scales are an absolutely breeze to visualise in four-note-per-string fingerings (although physically this takes a bit of work), as you only need to know four patterns; the diatonic positions, the harmonic minor positions, the melodic minor, and the pentatonics (which are close enough to the diatonic positions to be a non-issue).
This tuning is made for pentatonic stuff incidentally. If you're into 313s or 3NPS pentatonics, you really ought to give it a go.
Chord wise, I've found the high F# makes it really easy to add extensions (9ths and 11ths etc.) to chords played on the bottom five strings. Think I'll stick with this rather than trying a high B, as it makes the tuning ten times more versatile than parallel fifths would be (for me anyway).
Did a lot of 'heavy wood' type playing, as it rocks for that too (same sort of advantages as Open C, DADGAD or CGDGAD).

The coolest thing though is how much better the guitar resonates in this tuning...the whole thing feels so much bigger, and sounds almost harp-like (you can get some really beautiful harmonics incidentally).

I'm seriously tempted to use this as my standard tuning for my steel-string acoustic (and probably my Les Paul once I get home for the holidays). I've got my twelve string for strummy stuff, and the classical for standard tuning anyway. Any other open tunings I want for acoustic-style playing, I can just use on my Dean semi-acoustic.

Seriously, this is a revelation. It's like rediscovering the guitar again. You've all GOT to try this!

 

[Metal Ken]

i was looking at the thread about tuning a 7 to G, and i got thinking...

You could do a 6'er in G, using straight fifths...


F# .008" PL == 13.08#
B, .011" PL == 11.01#
E, .018" NW == 11.37#
A,, .030" NW == 14.05#
D,, .048" NW == 15.03#
G,,, .075" NW == 16.43#

If i had a 6er w/ frets, i'd try it.

 

[distressed_romeo]

i was looking at the thread about tuning a 7 to G, and i got thinking...

You could do a 6'er in G, using straight fifths...


F# .008" PL == 13.08#
B, .011" PL == 11.01#
E, .018" NW == 11.37#
A,, .030" NW == 14.05#
D,, .048" NW == 15.03#
G,,, .075" NW == 16.43#

If i had a 6er w/ frets, i'd try it.

I've thought about a similar approach before, but I don't really want to have to go that low on a normal-scale guitar.

 

[ElRay]

Any clips yet? I am lookin to try someth similar

very interesting D_R, can't wait to hear more from you.

Right on. I want to hear some clips, please.

For the impatient, I know this isn't DRNNST (Distressed Romeo's New, New Standard Tuning), but at the top of the page: http://www.tkinstruments.com/5ths_tuned_guitar_and_bass.htm, there's a link to an MP3 file of an all-fifth's guitar.

Ray

Yup...that's it!

Now that you've been playing it for a while, do you still think the 2nd is a better choice than the minor-3rd? It's only a half step, so I'm curious what's better about the 2nd over the minor-3rd for you.

What pretentious-sounding name do we give this? Fripp's already claimed 'New Standard', Gambale has 'Nouveau', and we can't really call it 'fifths', as it's not totally symmetrical...

Some-semi-random ideas:

• DRNNST (Distressed Romeo's New, New Standard Tuning)
• Drop-1-NST (Dropped 1st String New Standard Tuning)
• DRM5 (Distressed Romeo's Mostly 5ths)
• HTHAIGTOPANIMT (How The Hell Am I Going To Play A Non-Inverted Major Triad)

Ray

 

[Stan P]

HTHAIGTOANIMT - i guess it stands for all thiths

 

[distressed_romeo]

Now that you've been playing it for a while, do you still think the 2nd is a better choice than the minor-3rd? It's only a half step, so I'm curious what's better about the 2nd over the minor-3rd for you.

The main thing is, I find it makes sus chords (which I like!) fall under the fingers very nicely, and having the possibility of an open F# note leads to some interesting possibilities for open-string chord voicings.
I may try tuning it up to G later, just for comparisons sake.

Some-semi-random ideas:

• DRNNST (Distressed Romeo's New, New Standard Tuning)
• Drop-1-NST (Dropped 1st String New Standard Tuning)
• DRM5 (Distressed Romeo's Mostly 5ths)
• HTHAIGTOANIMT (How The Hell Am I Going To Play A Non-Inverted Major Triad)

Ray

 

[All_¥our_Bass]

HTHAIGTOANIMT

LOL that is hilarious