Favourite Alternative Tunings?

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I find I am going with drop D more and more. I like DADGAD, too.

What are your fave alt tunings?
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-Henry A. Wallace

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I'm fond of DADDAD

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no favorites but sorry dude, I dont consider drop d alternate per se, just modifed. There' not favorite for me because each is it's own tool with it's own purpose and keys they work best in. I gp through periods on focussing on one or two tunings for a bit but that doesn't last, at any given time I have 5 more guitars tuned differently, I think right now I might be around 7 or 8 different tunings on over 12 guitars. (none in standard, though sometimes I tune standard down one whole step)

DADDAD is great for acoustic as you know Gary as is DADGAD. With both I like to sometimes to tune the low A down to a G. This little acoustic thing I did around 2005 was when I first tried this :tu:

https://soundcloud.com/hink/accoustic
The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.

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I only really use two - on my 7 string I use AEADGBE (so basically a drop A), and on my resonator I use DADF#AD (open D). I've tried others, but have stuck with these.

On the 7 string I already switched the B to a 0.065 to be able to drop it to an A and might have to do that with others (or raise the action) if I tuned any other strings down. Truth is, I really like the 4 sting shape of the power chords I can get from fretting the D string to the second fret, and I don't think I would find another combination that would work so well. There's also the BF#BD# chord shape that can be barred on the lower 4 strings (although that's a triad rather than a power chord).

Open D is great for slide guitar (I know open G is a favorite too, but I got used to D), and that's what I play probably half the time on my resonator.

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I love all this kind of stuff- more open strings is goooooood...

Discounting the one off bonkers stuff I've done with the Variax for special effects (top 3 and bottom 3 strings all to the same note, Nashville type tunings etc..) because it's cheating as you're not actually endangering life and limb :hihi: , I do quite a lot.

The usual suspects already mentioned, plus I rather do like the 'Rain Song' (DGCGCD) and 'Friends' (CACGCE) which I've used on songs. One that I came up with which is a bit more off the beaten track is EBDF#BD - very folkie if you use the right chords. Used it on this (I think with a capo too - or mebbe not..)

http://www.bennyleeds7.myfreeola.uk/02- ... closed.mp3

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dddddd

"ostrich tuned" lou reed used it a lot, good for drones and rhythmic playing over melodic.

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vurt wrote: Sat Aug 24, 2019 6:28 pm dddddd

"ostrich tuned" lou reed used it a lot, good for drones and rhythmic playing over melodic.
It sounds awesome on ‘All Tomorrow’s Parties’ with the piano playing over it

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I standard tune and drop the whole thing down to C.

C F A# D# G C

Not exotic. I never really bothered experimenting with different tuning structures beyond drop D. I picked up an acoustic a few times but much prefer electric guitars. They're completely different worlds.

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Unaspected wrote: Sat Aug 24, 2019 7:19 pm I picked up an acoustic a few times but much prefer electric guitars. They're completely different worlds.
I think there are some open tunings that sound awesome on acoustic though - I love to pick in open D and just figure out some variations on the open chord. Conventional open chords aren't easy in open D, but that just makes it easier to get something really different out of it.

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Yeah. This thread I making me think that I should probably experiment a little. Beyond A4 @ 432Hz. Hehe. Though I am seriously considering trying that for my next recording.

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Forgotten wrote: Sat Aug 24, 2019 7:28 pm Conventional open chords aren't easy in open D, but that just makes it easier to get something really different out of it.
That's the whole fun of 'em, never know what you're going to get, especially if you also use a capo and play some weirdy odd chord gubbins at the 9th fret and above. :hihi:

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Unaspected wrote: Sat Aug 24, 2019 7:32 pm A4 @ 432Hz.
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:hihi:

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:hihi:

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Forgotten wrote: Sat Aug 24, 2019 8:02 pm
Unaspected wrote: Sat Aug 24, 2019 7:32 pm A4 @ 432Hz.
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:hihi:
:lol:

If she had foil mittens too - that would be adorable.

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Forgotten wrote: Sat Aug 24, 2019 7:28 pm
Unaspected wrote: Sat Aug 24, 2019 7:19 pm I picked up an acoustic a few times but much prefer electric guitars. They're completely different worlds.
I think there are some open tunings that sound awesome on acoustic though - I love to pick in open D and just figure out some variations on the open chord. Conventional open chords aren't easy in open D, but that just makes it easier to get something really different out of it.

conventional chord strumming on acoustics is for sitting around campfires and singing kum ba yah :hihi:
The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.

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