Suggest 7 or 8 string versions of familiar altered tunings...

[distressed_romeo]

Self-explanatory title...here are a few ideas to get us started.

Drop D: ADADGBE or DADGBEA (both of which came up recently)
DADGAD: ADADGAD, DADGADG, or DADGADA
Open C: GCGCGCE (SYL tuning) or CGCGCEG
Open G: GDGDGBD or DGDGBDG
New Standard: FCGDAEG or CGDAEGA (I think Trey Gunn uses something like this on the treble side of his Warr guitar)
C Modal: GCGDGAD, FCGDGAD, CGDGADA or CGDGADG

 

[7 Strings of Hate]

you are the tuning master!

 

[distressed_romeo]

you are the tuning master!

Thank you!

 

[ElRay]

New Standard: FCGDAEG or CGDAEGA

I've been think about this one, but only in the context of adding a lower fifth. So either: FCGDAEG or GDAEBGbA. Dropping it another half-step: F#C#G#D#A#FG# seemed to give-up too much for an extra bit on the low end.

FCGDAEG or GDAEBGbA are nice, because they have a lot of different notes, which makes things nice if you're into "Lifeson Chords". I asked the guy who set-up the Gootar site how to set a custom tuning, and he just added it.

So, if you want chord charts for a GDAEBGbA extended-NST (or even an all Major 3rds tuning) you can check-out the site.

Ray

 

[distressed_romeo]

GDAEBGbA

That one sounds very cool.

How are things going with the 3rds tuning by the way?

 

[ElRay]

How are things going with the 3rds tuning by the way?

Life has been interfering with my plans. I broke two bridge pins removing the strings on my acoustic, decided I'd finally replace the nut (the 2nd string slot was mis-filed), and figured if I'm going that route, I might as well replace the bridge pins, nut and saddle with Tusq components.

Then I've been too busy with work, my Reserve unit, the family and the house, to really take advantage of any changes I'd make, so things have just sat.

It's sad, the only real chill time I have right now is the few mins a few times a day when I'm waiting for some upload, download, batch, etc. to finish -- So I veg-out over here.

The truly sad fact is that it looks like it will get worse before it gets better and I doubt I'll finish the medical logistics correspondence phase I'm taking in time for the last resident phase of the year, so I may be stuck with a "fill in the gap" Annual Training instead of the school.

{Mods, can we get an "Overwhelmed" mood option?}

Ray

 

[cvinos]

yeh 8 string in major thirds: FAC#FAC#FA

7 in whole tone: CDEF#G#A#C

 

[distressed_romeo]

yeh 8 string in major thirds: FAC#FAC#FA

7 in whole tone: CDEF#G#A#C

I've never heard of anyone tuning in whole-tones. You could get some amazing cluster voicings, but soloing would be pretty much out of the question...

 

[distressed_romeo]

Life has been interfering with my plans. I broke two bridge pins removing the strings on my acoustic, decided I'd finally replace the nut (the 2nd string slot was mis-filed), and figured if I'm going that route, I might as well replace the bridge pins, nut and saddle with Tusq components.

Then I've been too busy with work, my Reserve unit, the family and the house, to really take advantage of any changes I'd make, so things have just sat.

It's sad, the only real chill time I have right now is the few mins a few times a day when I'm waiting for some upload, download, batch, etc. to finish -- So I veg-out over here.

The truly sad fact is that it looks like it will get worse before it gets better and I doubt I'll finish the medical logistics correspondence phase I'm taking in time for the last resident phase of the year, so I may be stuck with a "fill in the gap" Annual Training instead of the school.

{Mods, can we get an "Overwhelmed" mood option?}

Ray

That sucks man. I feel your pain, believe me...

 

[Skeletor]

I imagine a whole-tone tuning would suck. If you can show me some reasonable chord voicings, I might be convinced. But just think about the range you'd be throwing away.

I do however like the Maj3 tuning (although I want it on a 9-string). You can get a chromatic scale without changing positions, and all your strings would be tuned to just three notes. Moving patterns across the board would be very simple.

 

[distressed_romeo]

I imagine a whole-tone tuning would suck. If you can show me some reasonable chord voicings, I might be convinced. But just think about the range you'd be throwing away.

I do however like the Maj3 tuning (although I want it on a 9-string). You can get a chromatic scale without changing positions, and all your strings would be tuned to just three notes. Moving patterns across the board would be very simple.

Just off the top of my head, I can think of these piano-type cluster voicings in the 2nds tuning...


Dmaj add9

C----8---
Bb---7---
A----7---
G----7---
F--------
Eb-------
Db------

Dmin add9

C----8---
Bb---6---
A----7---
G----7---
F--------
Eb-------
Db------

D Aug

C----13---
Bb---11---
A----9---
G----7---
F--------
Eb-------
Db------

You could come up with some interesting chord melodies this way.

One concern I have with tunings like this (and the maj 3rds one) is that the overtones rub against each other in a wierd way (think how out of tune thirds are on a guitar fretboard at the best of times) which makes chords sound pretty clunky. That's the main reason I haven't really pursued the 3rds idea, even though in theory it would be a great tuning.

 

[Xplora]

I will be experimenting with AEAEACE (SYL styled tuning with a minor chord on the end) which is extremely close to the traditional standard tuning (middle strings tuned up a tone, B string up a semitone)... I loved that SYL tuning for rhythms on my Explorer. Coupled with an Ab tuned thirds tuning on another instrument, could be good times for all!

 

[distressed_romeo]

This thread has got me seriously looking forward to acquiring the tremel-no I've been promising myself at the end of my exams...

Xplora: Your tuning idea sounds cool...let us know how you get on with it.

 

[distressed_romeo]

What about Alexander Vynogard's 8 string version of standard/drop A tuning?

BEADGCEA
AEADGCEA

I was just thinking last night, if I ever went the 8 string route, this would probably be the way I'd tune it, as it would make the transition much more straightforward...

 

[Sponge]

7 string: GCGCGCE is a favorite
8 string: EAEACEAE

 

[distressed_romeo]

DGDGCDG

 

[distressed_romeo]

GDGDGBE(G)

G6 tuning with an added low G, and an additional high G on the 8 string version!

 

[Garry Goodman]

E A D G B E A
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3255831155468616201

 

[bostjan]

Whole-tone tunings are great!

There is a nice fifths tuning, too BEBEEBE with a unison between the third and fourth strings. To get best intonation, though, you have to restring and reset-up your guitar.

I like the fifths/fourths tunings, too- GCFBbFCG generates some pretty interesting chord voicings without messing up your scale patterns too horribly, and I find it easier to make stretches on the higher strings.

 

[distressed_romeo]

E A D G B E A
The Octave4plus high A string - Google Video

That sounds like it'll be great. Let us know when you've got a musical demo done with that tuning.