Alternate Tuning Guide

[(lyle_from_minneapolis)]

Motherlode!

http://www.guitargearheads.com/content/tools/alttunings/alltunings.pdf

This is a very comprehensive guide to alternate guitar tunings. Find out all those bizarro tunings ala Crosby Stills and Nash, etc. It's a 96-page pdf file. I've only quickly skimmed it at this point, but it appears to be pretty darn good, at a glance. Can't beat the price (free). Thought y'all might be interested.

[(jimk)]

Thanks for posting this, Mark. Here's one I don't think they covered: CGCGBD. I call it banjo tuning. I use it for Stephen Foster's "Hard Times, Come Again No More."

JimK

[(harvey49)]

Great spot Mark, have downloaded it and will have a thorough read later. Some of the mysteries of other tunings may be revealed to me.

[(lyle_from_minneapolis)]

"Guinnevere" is a truly weird, fun tuning. I still haven't really looked through this guide properly--out of paper!

[(lyle_from_minneapolis)]

Okay, now that I've checked it out...there's not enough.

It gives a great first overview of alternate tunings, but there are so many many more that aren't covered. (Including "The Rain Song"--!! just learned that thanks to John Biscuti.) The guy is very into Michael Hedges and Will Ackerman...maybe moreso than in alternate tunings. If you found this interesting I would suggest a search of alternate guitar tunings on the net, maybe with David Crosby or Joni Mitchell or Jimmy Page in the searchwords, and you will find a whole lot more to play with.

[(sloop_john_b)]

I find that those Ackerman and Hedges tunings are not really practical, unless your Ackerman or Hedges!

For us laymen, Joni Mitchell tunings are great, so is something simple like open G or open D, and of course, DADGAD.

[(lyle_from_minneapolis)]

I agree.

Here's a pretty well-written intro to alternate (not open or standard) tunings. Anyone just getting into different tunings might have a blast with this, but I mostly just wanted to pop the Crosby tuning out there.

[(obzen_md)]

http://m.soundcloud.com/obzen_md/readin ... n-the-eyes


Some of fav. Tunings are variations of open c (CGCGBD n CGCGCC), p4 and
Am9 tunings. All of which aims to simplify navigating the fretboard and making difficult
Chord voicing a breeze without compromising on complex chord progressions.



* using the number system speeds up he learning curve if you plan on using multiple
tunings.