Who here uses an open tuning?

[JEngelking]

So I just tuned my six to open C major. I had heard that Misha had a variation on the tuning (Open C add9, what I had originally meant to tune to to learn the following songs) showed to him by Nolly and was inspired to write Epic Fail (one of my personal Bulb favorites), and when Misha showed Mark the tuning, Scarlet was written. Also Devin Townsend, 'nuff said. After hearing that the tuning was so inspiring to write in I wanted to try it, and at first I didn't get it and just sorta stumbled around not understanding how to play anything... good sounding. Then immediately after finding out Scarlet was in the add9 variaton. So feeling demotivated I set the guitar aside and went back to my usual seven string.

Then yesterday I picked my six back up and gave it another try. Wrote something I'm really liking the sounds of, and got motivated to give the open tuning another try. Played all last night and this morning, I think the tuning will help me get some ideas for new songs.

So I'm just curious, anyone else use here open tunings? What do you find to be the advantages to using such tunings?

Cheers

 

[GuitaristOfHell]

I use Open E, C,D,G

The advantage is all taste. I just like the sounds I can create with them.

 

[JEngelking]

Nice! So far I like the fact that it's easier for me to play some larger/wider (more fret spanning) chords

 

[GuitaristOfHell]

Nice! So far I like the fact that it's easier for me to play some larger/wider (more fret spanning) chords

I like how I can do rockabillyish stuff with it.

 

[JEngelking]

Not much of a rockabilly player myself, but I just attempted to do something rockabilly sounding with it and I definitely see where you're coming from with that

 

[The Reverend]

Nobody here uses it because it's cheating. *wink wink*

 

[JEngelking]

Okay, you caught me. I was just gonna use it for evil instead of good and just lay my finger across all the strings to change chords...

 

[Winspear]

Scarlet is in C add 9? Sick!

I play in C# sus2 on a 7. Could be mistaken for add 9 but there is only 1 5 and 9/2. I originally got it from looking at David Maxim Micics 6 string tuning which is G# sus2, transposed it up and then added a low 7 string.

I ended up with C# G# C# G# C# D# , but a low F# on the bottom (unrelated to the chord, just felt it worked nice with 5ths tuning across the 3 bottom strings).

 

[JEngelking]

Scarlet is in C add 9? Sick!

I play in C# add 9. I originally got it from looking at David Maxim Micics 6 string tuning which is G# add 9, transposed it up and then added a low 7 string.

I ended up with C# G# C# G# C# D# , but a low F# on the bottom (unrelated to the chord, just felt it worked nice with 5ths tuning across the 3 bottom strings).

Yep it is!

And that's awesome, David's the man. Had Bilo and Bilo 2.0 playing for a couple months now

 

[Winspear]

C# add 9 or sus2?I adjusted my post haha. If its my tuning i'll have to transpose the track and learn it

 

[Metal_Webb]

I love me Open B/C Devin Townsend style on my strat copy. For some reason the instrument sounds far better tuned to those 2 tunings than I've heard it when it was tuned to standard.

I also messed around with the Tesseract tuning with a low F/Eb for while on my 8 string. F/Bb/F/Bb/Eb/F/Bb/Eb makes for some pretty large sounding chords.

 

[JEngelking]

C# add 9 or sus2?I adjusted my post haha. If its my tuning i'll have to transpose the track and learn it

Open Cadd9 haha, so not C#.

 

[Winspear]

Ah I checked it's CGCEGD which is indeed Cadd9 - mine doesn't have the major in there so it's sus2, CGCGCD. I prefer not having any major or minor influence in there.

 

[JEngelking]

I love me Open B/C Devin Townsend style on my strat copy. For some reason the instrument sounds far better tuned to those 2 tunings that I've heard it when it was tuned to standard.

I also messed around with the Tesseract tuning with a low F/Eb for while on my 8 string. F/Bb/F/Bb/Eb/F/Bb/Eb makes for some pretty large sounding chords.

Devin Townsend ftw. I just ordered a new guitar actually which is a semi-hollow Tele style, and I was planning to try out this new Open C tuning on it already, so what you said just adds to my anticipation to try it. I'll have to try the Open B too, though I made need larger strings haha.

And I've always wanted to try the Tesseract tuning on my 7 but first I need to get a 7 that doesn't have a pain in the ass floating bridge FR on it

 

[JEngelking]

Interesting, I'll have to tune down my highest string like you say, see what comes of that...

 

[peagull]

I'm clearly boring in that I only use Open C, no extra extensions for me!

 

[CannibalKiller]

Open B Minor, B F# B F# B D
Probably the perfect tuning for drop tuned riffing and big, lush chord progressions

 

[Fat-Elf]

Mine is in Csus4/9 according to Tuxguitar. CGDFA#D to be exact.

 

[JosephAOI]

John from Monuments exclusively uses open tunings. Not sure what the actual name of it is but he uses

G#-F-A#-D#-F-A#-D#
A#-F-A#-D#-F-A#-D#
F-A#-F-A#-D#-F-A#-D#

Here's his profile here and you an get in touch with him via formspring pretty easily.

Sevenstring.org - View Profile: John_Strychnine

 

[ncfiala]

My tuning is BEADGBE, so I guess I tune to open G6/9.