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Help with a weird tuning question....

I just spent an hour with "customer service" trying to transfer my old cell # to a new phone--NIGHTMARE! I needed to be with people who actually know what's going on....

Anyway, I built a 4 string tenor-style quitar, but I didn't like the high-strings and the open C tuning (cgCG) that you fall to from the default tenor tuning (CGDA, I think), so I shifted the strings to wider gauge and started to play around with an open G tuning, but then wondered if it would be possible to mimic a tenor tuning (5ths all the way across), but starting with a G root (disclosure: I have *no* music theory background, so I don't know if I'm even using the right words). I did this, and discovered that I could use all the old tenor chord shapes with the guitar tuned GDAE (I think).

My questions are these: 1) is this stupid? Does this make any sense to anyone? 2) how do I transpose from the standard tenor tuning to my modified tuning? In other words, in a standard tenor tuning a given shape produces an "E"chord; what does it produce in my modified tuning?

Did any of this make any sense to anyone? After my time on the line w/"Sylvia" regarding my new Tracfone, I have to wonder if I'm making sense to anyone....

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Permalink Reply by Duke T. on May 2, 2010 at 12:47am

GDAE is standard tuning for a mandolin - so you've got yourself a big ol' octave mando right now. Mandolin chord charts should put you right on track. And yeah, Tracfone's Bangalore Tech support leaves a lot to be desired - I have gotten competent help there, but also had my share of "special needs" patients, too. The gals, for the most part, seem to be a bit better than the guys, but you seem to have found the exception.

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Permalink Reply by Keni Lee Burgess on May 2, 2010 at 1:24am

Very interesting. I play my 4 string in spanish or open g tuning. Using standard guitar strings Dgbe, I tune Dgbd. From the G major scale (g a b c d e f# g) these are the 1,3,5 tones making a g major chord. So, I am tuned 5135. The tenor is tuned in fifths. CGDA. G is the 5th tone in a C major scale, D is the 5th tone in the G major scale and A is the 5th tone in the D major scale. By extension GDAE works too. Of course you can drop the A and E and tune GDgd (1515) and be in an open g tuning with no 3rd. This is a portion of open C tuning on a standard 6 string CGCgce (151513). Basically, you need to decide on string relationships. Then guages can be selected for the tuning. I hope this helps. Enjoy.

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Permalink Reply by Diane in Chicago on May 2, 2010 at 1:34am

For a four string, I really prefer GDAE - very simple shapes and lots of chords needing only 2 fingers.

This is a really great chart for an octave mando tuned GDAE. It is organized based on the key you are playing in, so the arrangement on the page is very handy.

www.folkofthewood.com/PDF/octavechordchart.pdf

And you can use this to get the chords if you decide to go CGDA:

http://chordfind.com/4-string/

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Permalink Reply by Bob Young on May 2, 2010 at 5:35am

This brings up a question I have been wondering about ever since I started fooling around with cbg. Why couldn't you tune a 4 string dgbe, or in other words the same tuning as strings 1-4 on a standard tuned 6 string. It would seem this would make it easier to play chords and especially melody if you were already somewhat proficient on a 6 string. I am no expert on music theory but I do know how to build a chord. I don't have a 4 string yet but I have a three string and I tune it to dgb and it sounds fine.Thanks in advance, and I do greatly enjoy your playing Keni Lee.

Keni Lee Burgess said:

Very interesting. I play my 4 string in spanish or open g tuning. Using standard guitar strings Dgbe, I tune Dgbd. From the G major scale (g a b c d e f# g) these are the 1,3,5 tones making a g major chord. So, I am tuned 5135. The tenor is tuned in fifths. CGDA. G is the 5th tone in a C major scale, D is the 5th tone in the G major scale and A is the 5th tone in the D major scale. By extension GDAE works too. Of course you can drop the A and E and tune GDgd (1515) and be in an open g tuning with no 3rd. This is a portion of open C tuning on a standard 6 string CGCgce (151513). Basically, you need to decide on string relationships. Then guages can be selected for the tuning. I hope this helps. Enjoy.

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Permalink Reply by Keni Lee Burgess on May 2, 2010 at 5:56am

Bob Young said:

This brings up a question I have been wondering about ever since I started fooling around with cbg. Why couldn't you tune a 4 string dgbe, or in other words the same tuning as strings 1-4 on a standard tuned 6 string. It would seem this would make it easier to play chords and especially melody if you were already somewhat proficient on a 6 string. I am no expert on music theory but I do know how to build a chord. I don't have a 4 string yet but I have a three string and I tune it to dgb and it sounds fine.Thanks in advance, and I do greatly enjoy your playing Keni Lee.

Keni Lee Burgess said:
Yes, you definitely can tune Dgbe and play just like the 4 highest strings of a standard guitar. It all deepens on the style you want to play. I mainly play bottleneck slide blues. Tuning in open g on a 4 string (Dgbd) gives me a miniature version of the 6 string (DGDgbd) I have two lower string to play an alternating bass and two treble strings to play slide and two note doublestops (chord fragments). In addition, chords (3 note triads) lay out perfectly across the fingerboard. Basically, it comes down to setting up the instrument (form) to accomplish it's function. Deep investigation will unlock the mysteries of the fingerboard created by your own chosen string arrangement (tuning). Enjoy.

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Permalink Reply by Bob Young on May 2, 2010 at 6:05am

Thanks so much Keni Lee!

Keni Lee Burgess said:

Bob Young said:
This brings up a question I have been wondering about ever since I started fooling around with cbg. Why couldn't you tune a 4 string dgbe, or in other words the same tuning as strings 1-4 on a standard tuned 6 string. It would seem this would make it easier to play chords and especially melody if you were already somewhat proficient on a 6 string. I am no expert on music theory but I do know how to build a chord. I don't have a 4 string yet but I have a three string and I tune it to dgb and it sounds fine.Thanks in advance, and I do greatly enjoy your playing Keni Lee.

Keni Lee Burgess said:
Yes, you definitely can tune Dgbe and play just like the 4 highest strings of a standard guitar. It all deepens on the style you want to play. I mainly play bottleneck slide blues. Tuning in open g on a 4 string (Dgbd) gives me a miniature version of the 6 string (DGDgbd) I have two lower string to play an alternating bass and two treble strings to play slide and two note doublestops (chord fragments). In addition, chords (3 note triads) lay out perfectly across the fingerboard. Basically, it comes down to setting up the instrument (form) to accomplish it's function. Deep investigation will unlock the mysteries of the fingerboard created by your own chosen string arrangement (tuning). Enjoy.

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Permalink Reply by BT Cohosh on May 3, 2010 at 2:37am

Thanks for the info, folks. I've been playing around like crazy, driving my wife and kids nuts with all of the weird sounds. It'd be nice to actually start making some "real" music....