"Scarlet tuning" for seven string

[swedishfish]

I'm not actually looking to play this song on a seven string but I'm looking for something similar feeling. I played Scarlet a while ago on my six string and thought it was really cool to mess around with but I've got a trem so I don't want to keep having to change tunings. I don't know much about open tunings but as far as I can tell this wouldn't be a standard open tuning which is why I need help. Any advice is appreciated as well as other cool seven string tunings.

 

[TheWarAgainstTime]

You could add a low G and have G C G C E G D or add a high G for C G C E G D G

 

[CarrotStickles]

Or kick it down to C C G C E G D for a good time.

 

[swedishfish]

I didn't really explain well, if the scarlet tuning is a variation of open c, I'd like to try something similar with open a or open b.

 

[Winspear]

To expand on what those guys said, I play a similar open tuning but add a low F. No it's not part of the C chord but seems to fit really well in riffs and gives a neat powerchord shape which is reversed..

Anyway, sounds like you just want to try some low open tunings?
Try this A minor:
AEAEACE
I also much enjoy open Sus2 chords. That's a suspended second, i.e the third (major/minor) is removed for a second. This allows you to barre minor or major as you wish but have an open 2nd which is a nice sound. Just change the C to a B in that case.

 

[swedishfish]

To expand on what those guys said, I play a similar open tuning but add a low F. No it's not part of the C chord but seems to fit really well in riffs and gives a neat powerchord shape which is reversed..

Anyway, sounds like you just want to try some low open tunings?
Try this A minor:
AEAEACE
I also much enjoy open Sus2 chords. That's a suspended second, i.e the third (major/minor) is removed for a second. This allows you to barre minor or major as you wish but have an open 2nd which is a nice sound. Just change the C to a B in that case.

That's exactly the kind of thing I was looking for, I'm about to give this a shot.

 

[Winspear]

Experiment, there is a lot to be found
I would recommend sticking to just the root, the fifth, and a second/third to keep it simple. Another thing I've found is that placing the third too low in the octaves gets muddy when tuning lower.
E.g open E minor like: EBEGBE works well. As does CGCEGC (C major), but taking that down around A, say A minor: AEACEA can start to become a bit low to have the close interval of the A and C.
That's why I put it toward the top in my suggested tuning in the other post

 

[coffinwisdom]

I really dig the tuning I'm currently using which is CGCGCF. Devin Townsend's Open C Major with the highest string up a half step. I believe this makes it Open Cmaj add9. I've found a high F to be a lot more useful than an E.

I like it cuz it keeps the string relationships simple 5th-4th-5th-4th-4th. Can get some awesome sounding chords using really basic bar fingerings. I also like having the 3 high strings be in 4ths to keep it simple. If I had a 7 I'd add a low G. I've also tuned this whole tuning down a step to Bb and it's ....in awesome. That with a low F would be super heavy.

 

[Winspear]

^It's an 11th/4th not a 9th/2nd. Also you don't have the major or minor there, it's been replaced. Aka suspended. C sus4 A 9th/2nd would be Csus2 , CGCGCD (my tuning of choice).
Try it on a 7 with a low F rather than a low G. Low G makes sense yeah , F doesn't fit the chord but it seems to fit riffs in general really well! And the 3 string powerchord shape you get (5-5-3) is very nice haha. Basically 5ths tuning across the 3 bottom strings.

 

[coffinwisdom]

^It's an 11th/4th not a 9th/2nd. Also you don't have the major or minor there, it's been replaced. Aka suspended. C sus4 A 9th/2nd would be Csus2 , CGCGCD (my tuning of choice).
Try it on a 7 with a low F rather than a low G. Low G makes sense yeah , F doesn't fit the chord but it seems to fit riffs in general really well! And the 3 string powerchord shape you get (5-5-3) is very nice haha. Basically 5ths tuning across the 3 bottom strings.

Thanks. I should probably learn wtf I'm talking about

Got any clips of that tuning? That sounds cool. I could only find the 9 string stuff

 

[Winspear]

Sorry not yet but I recently got a 7 string and hope to have a 2 min vid up of that tuning in about 2 weeks. Need to finish the mix, buy a lens and get some allen wrench for my trussrod hehe

It's a cool tuning. I like that you can barre sus2 chords which is a sound that I love. Being able to add the major or minor at will is nice. Barring 5-3 for example on the top is a unison which gives a nice 12 string type sound. Playing lead licks across such a small interval has interesting results.

 

[spectrrrrrre]

My seven is tuned to Gb9: Gb Db Gb Bb Db F Ab

Access to lots of easy/cool sounding arpeggio patterns, really fun to play.