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Permalink Reply by Michael Walker on June 4, 2015 at 4:12pm

Also can I just change tunings with these strings or do i have to change the strings out? 

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on June 4, 2015 at 4:44pm

Those are D'Addario "10's."

Here's the D'Addario color code for the ball ends, and string diameters in inches:

e - silver. .010
B - purple. .013
G - green. .017
D - Black. .026
A - Red. .036
E - Brass. .046

Typically, you can tune any string up or down one whole step, sometimes a step and a half, and on rare occasions two whole steps before breaking.. So for that DADF# tuning, you can see that they tuned the G string up to A, and the e string up to F#. If you are a regular 6-string player, to get it back into territory you're familiar with, just tune the G string back down to G, and the e string back to e. The beauty of this is that you can then play roughly 50-60% of chord forms you already know; however, you do lose the deeper bass notes from not having those lower two strings.

The possibilities for tuning don't stop there. That DADF# tuning lends itself to movable chord shapes similar to those you already know from a 6-stringer. Keni Lee Burgess is a big proponent of ADF# tuning; check him out here at CBN. With those 4 top strings from a standard set, you can also do DGBd tuning, by tuning the e down to d. This gives you a banjo tuning variant, as well as GBD on the first 3 strings, which can be quite useful. You can even try tuning down to CGAe, which is a ukulele tunng variant. Retuning out of standard into alternate tunings will mean that you will have to learn different chord shapes and ways of playing, but it's an exciting way to repurpose the fretboard, and in some ways is easier to play.

However, if you want to get deeper tones by, say, using the bottom 4 strings from a standard set (EADG), then you will have to change out strings. But then you can mess with alternate tunings on those strings! The possibilities are almost endless.

The kewl thing, at least for me, about alternate tunings on 3- and 4-stringers, is that it has greatly expanded my abilities when I transition back to 6 strings. I now look at a 6-stringer as a combination of 2-, 3- and 4-string guitars with different tunings, all in one, available all the time.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Walker on June 4, 2015 at 5:24pm

HEY Thanks!!!

Ok, so I am ok just tuning these strings, i seen people say they use the middle set of the guitar strings to use, they drop the low e and high e...is that better maybe in versatility then? Do they have the chord shapes on this site for DADF#? in a chart? Also i see most of the songs i'm finding are for 3 string..I'm just trying to find the tabs or songs so i can start playing...I have one chart with GDGB chord shapes for 4 string.."Delta Box Blues" chords were G,D7,C,B&,E7,A7

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Permalink Reply by TN Twang on June 5, 2015 at 2:20am

Those of us who have frets drawn on with sharpies have to play using a slide. For us it's important to come up with a tuning that sounds a chord when we just place the slide (or a "barre" finger) across the strings,

If you've got actual frets on your fretboard, there's not much reason not to tune 4 strings as DGBE and play it as a fretted tenor guitar--UNLESS you have a bluesy urge to mix slide technique with your fretting.

If you want to play slide over your frets, then welcome to the world of "open E," "open D," "open G," etc. See Ron's suggestions above, and hang onto those "Delta Box Blues" chords.

If you're tuned DADF#, your GDGB Delta chords G, D7, C, B7, E7, and A7 will become D, A7, G, F#7, B7, and E7, respectively.

If you want to re-tune your instrument to GDGB to get a "gutsier" sound, get a 6-string set and use the middle 4 strings. Right now your DADF# is using the smallest 4 strings in a 6-string set.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Walker on June 5, 2015 at 3:35am

Yes I have actual Frets...so i'm better off with DGBE and then use a middle set of Strings? 

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on June 5, 2015 at 8:11am

Nonono...if you want DGBE, you already have that with the string you have. However, if you use the middle 4 of a standard set, you will have ADGB. This can easily be tuned to GDGB by tuning the A down to G...and there's the basis for your Delta Chords for Open G.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Walker on June 5, 2015 at 2:06pm

ok, so what has more flexibility? i just put on a Standard set of middle strings, a lot more bass, thats for sure, the other set sounded like banjo...

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on June 6, 2015 at 4:10am

Yep, you'll get lower and grittier with the middle 4, and more banjoey with the top 4. Both sets of tunng have flexibility, for different tunes. You have to find how each tuning works. Find what the git likes, too; some gits resonate better in certain tunings. Open yourself to the different tunings. Get out of your 6-string rut. Leave the fear behind, and embrace the new and (for you) untried and untested. Experiment. You can't hurt the git, or yourself. All you can do is learn, more and differently. It's a good thing.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Walker on June 6, 2015 at 5:55am

This Git, it better with the higher Strings i can tell...right off the bat...Thanks for the help, yeh I'm mediocre also, but learning, get better all the time..but it'll make you play better on a 6 string i think later on...

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Permalink Reply by TN Twang on June 5, 2015 at 2:28am

Another thing: That high F# is pretty high up. That's good for a penetrating sound but be sure you always use light strings if you're going to tune that high (.010 or less). I've heard blues players who tuned your same 4 strings to CGCE--which is the same pattern as what you've got, but sounds a whole step lower.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Walker on June 5, 2015 at 2:31am

Well I just want to play, open G I guess..so should i get a new middle set on it? or just tune these to open g tuning like in Shane's Video's ? so i can learn...nothing much i can find on anything in DADF# at least for now..

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Permalink Reply by TN Twang on June 5, 2015 at 2:47am

Now you know why all of us have 7 or 8 guitars sitting around with different tunings.

I'd learn a few chords first on the DADF# tuning. (See my note about what becomes what and you can adapt your Delta Box chord chart.) However, I have to admit that the lower-pitched G tuning has some sweet sounds.

If you want to re-tune down to G you really should get a different set of strings and use the middle 4 like you said. See Ron's notes. Don't change a string more than one letter of the alphabet.  D string can go down to C or up to E, but don't try to drop it down to A because it'll get too slack and start to buzz against the fretboard.

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