a bit on tunings and an original tune (video!)

in addition to the video linked below, i would like to share a working list of guitar tunings i utilize. i have divided the tunings between standard and scordature for the various types of guitars i play. register contrasts are indicated by a capital for a lower octave (5-course), or with an apostrophe to indicate a note higher than that which appears previously (chikari of raga guitar). all tunings are low to high.

standard: e, a, d, g, b, e (6-string); a, e, a, d, g, b, e (7-string); gG, Cc, ff, aa, d (5-course); c, g, c, g, c [chikari: g, c’; b, c’; f, c’] (raga)

scordature: d, a, d, g, b, e; d, g, d, g, b, d; d, g, d, g, b-flat, d; e, a, d, f-sharp, b, e (6-string); a, d, a, d, g, b, e; a, e, a, d, g, b, d (7-string); gG, B-flat b-flat, ff, aa, d (5-course)

one interesting fact about this list is that, with the exception of the minor second in one of the chikari tunings, no two adjacent strings are tuned to any interval besides perfect fifths, perfect fourths, major thirds, and minor thirds. i would venture to say this is probably a very common set of intervals for adjacent open strings throughout the history of tuning for both plucked- and bowed-string instruments, though a thorough analysis must be saved for a format more extensive than this.

i would love to hear your thoughts about standard and alternate tunings. feel free to get in touch!

the original tune linked below is played in the g-minor scordatura (d, g, d, g, b-flat, d) on a steel-string guitar (tab available in larsrosager.com store).

YouTube video of “Dobro Dreams”:

https://youtu.be/HKawKVOIbX0