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In-depth ‘taster menu’ of 6-string guitar tunings, from all around the globe…

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SPOTLIGHT (FEB 2021)

A few fascinating tunings I feel deserve some more attention:

[Lefty Flip | Mauna Loa | Papuan 4-Key | Slack Thwack A | Zen Drone]

—peruse the full menu below, vaguely sorted into categories—

STANDARD

Transpositions of EADGBE’s familiar ‘5-5-5-4-5’ pattern – as used by various guitar traditions of the past and present:

—Standard (T1)

—Eb Standard (T2)

—D Standard (T3)

—Db Standard (T4)

—C Standard (T5)

—B Baritone (T6)

—F Standard (T72)

—G Terz (T78)

DROP

Exploring the low-end realms – tunings primarily focused on slackening the 6str / 1str:

—Drop D (T7)

—Double Drop D (T8)

—Drop C (T9)

—Full Drop C (T10)

—Slack Thwack A (T11)

OPEN TRIADS

Essential three-note maj, min, and sus4 open tunings – covering the classic open, slide, folk, & blues configurations:

—Open D (T12)

—Open Dm (T13)

—Open Dsus (T14)

—Open G (T15)

—Open Gm (T16)

—Open Gsus (T17)

—Open C (T18)

—Open Cm (T19)

—Open Csus (T20)

—Open E (T21)

—Open Em (T22)

—Open F (T24)

—Open Fm (T25)

—Open A (T23)

INTERVAL

Intervallic (a.k.a. ‘regular’) tunings – all adjacent strings are separated by the same number of semitones:

—All Minor 3rds (T26)

—All Major 3rds (T27)

—All Fourths (T28)

—All Tritones (T29)

—All Fifths (T30)

—All Minor 6ths (T31)

GLOBAL

Tunings gathered from around the world – India, Iran, Mali, Turkey, Congo, Ecuador, Hawaii, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, & further afield:

—Ali Farka Touré (T100)

—Arabic Oud (T97)

—Atta’s C (T37)

—Bağlama (T95)

—Carnatic Drone (T66)

—Charango (T85)

—Haja’s Bb (T90)

—Jack’s Chikari (T83)

—Malagasy Kabosy (T92)

—Mauna Loa (T35)

—Mi-composé (T39)

—Orkney (T36)

—Papuan Four-Key (T79)

—Rakotomavo (T91)

—Turkish Oud (T96)

—Wahine (T34)

—Zen Drone (T42)

ARTIST / SONG

Tunings associated with specific guitarists, pieces, or performances – somewhat loosely delimited:

—Airtap! (T93)

—Albert Collins (T52)

—Albert King (T73)

—Black Crow (T81)

—Blown a Wish (T75)

—Bruce Palmer (T53)

—Cello / Haircut (T49)

—Coyote (T65)

—Dracula (T87)

—Equilibrium (T94)

—Ethereal (T59)

—Fripp’s New Standard (T46)

—Funky Avocado (T70)

—Gambale (T47)

—Ghost Reveries (T61)

—Godzilla (T88)

—Gothic (T60)

—Hejira (T64)

—I Only Said (T76)

—Iris (T74)

—José González (T48)

—Karnivool (T55)

—Magic Farmer (T71)

—Nick’s Road (T82)

—Only Shallow (T40)

—Ostrich (T56)

—Pink Moon (T67)

—Place to Be (T68)

—Schizophrenia (T86)

—Teardrop (T99)

—Wind of Change (T51)

—Yvette’s Dadd9 (T89)

MISC.

Various sources, concepts, & ideas – historical, experimental, instrument-based, non-melodic, oddball, etc:

—Alphabet (T84)

—Banjo (T32)

—Cabbage (T57)

—Dobro (T33)

—Drop DG (T77)

—Flip Thirds (Min) (T50)

—Flip Thirds (Maj) (T62)

—Fuji (T98)

—Icarus (T45)

—Iraqi (T58)

—Lefty Flip (T43)

—Lute / Vihuela (T44)

—Math Rock F (T63)

—Nashville (T38)

—Overtone Stack (T41)

—Papa-Papa (T54)

—Ten Years (T80)

—Yad-Gad (T69)

COMING SOON

More tunings from around the globe – Indian raga, Arabic maqam, Balinese gamelan, etc…

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