I think I read about half the internet but still not sure about this:
1. If I build a 3 string guitar with tuning G b d (low to high) would I be able to play it with slide (or barred)?
2. Will it be open G?
3. If I tune that to E, would it be E g b ? or E g# b?
The reason I would like to use these tuning is that the strings are closer together in pitch than any other combination (like BDG). I use steel wire instead of real strings and the low wire is either to loose or the high wire is too tight (snap) with those combinations.
Power tunings like Gdg would be impossible.
Replies
tuned to GBd (1-3-5 tuning) is a G-Major chord and you can use a slide with it but .........
the chords of the G Major scale are G Am Bm C D Em (F#dim) G and the minor chords are 1-3b-5 so with the 1-3-5 tuning and a slide or barring the strings you can only play major chords, not minor
that's why a lot of builders use 1-5-8 tuning, dropping that pesky 3/3b note and playing power chords instead of full chords G5 A5 B5 C5 D5 E5 (skip) G5
If you use frets, however, tune it to 1-3b-5 G-Bb-d and you can bar the frets for a minor chord, AND fret the middle string 1 fret higher for the major chord and you are set.
Yep, you'd still be in open G and the slide or barre chords will be the same as in GDG tuning.
E would be EG#B
Great!
Thanks for your reply!!
By "steel wire" do you mean something like picture hanger wire? If so, watch out for stretching; you probably won't be able to keep your git in tune. That stuff is not manufactured to withstand the tension you need to play music.
Hi Tom, thanks for the advise. I found out you are right, but it keeps tune longer than I expected.
For my onestrings I use steel wire from bicycle tires which do not stretch much but are more dificult to handle. They are too thick for my 3 string, too much tension on the guitar.