Anyone with experience in 1-3-1 tuning?
Most seem to tune their CBG to 1-5-1 (for example GDG, EBE, DAD). As I have understood this tuning fits well for blues and slide.
I am not really into blues, slides, rock, pop nor any rhythmic strumming, I would mostly play the melody of folk songs and hymns with some fitting tones added here and there from the rest of the strings. I am wondering if a 1-3-1 tuning (for example CGC) would fit my music style better? What are your thoughts? Or is there any other tuning that would fit my use case better?
Uncle John
I like DGB a lot for playing melody. It makes an open G, finger chorded two fingered C and and D chords and a one fingered Em. Just like 3 strings off a six string in standard tuning, so if you play that way, DGB will be quick and natural, good for melody picking and versatile - even works for slide.
Dec 8, 2022
Engblom
The more I learn, the more my previous choices seem to be wrong. I have a normal 6 strings guitar and I have been "emulating" a CBG by leaving out some strings. While I was sure I was going to use CGC tuning, and having 3 strings, I now lean towards adding a fourth string and tuning it to CEGC. The way I play this tuning seems to make most sense.
Now I have an additional question: why does 1-5-8-3 seems to be more popular than 1-3-5-8? Is there something I miss out when I think that 1-3-5-8 would be good?
Dec 14, 2022
BrianQ.
That’s the higher side of a low C tuning, exactly the same as the 4 string major tuning? The reason why we tune them in open chords is pretty elementary? Ease of play? One or two finger chords are easier to play than conventional three or four fingered chords? The more you play in open tunings, the more you will understand, build your guitar & give it some time?
Dec 14, 2022