I got an e-mail from Benjamin, a rep from Guitar Tuners Data Base (GTDB), the other day with this useful alternate guitar tuning application. He wanted to tell me about this simple program that any guitarist can use. It’s simple design is to help guitarist develop a better understand about what is open tuning for guitars and how it works. More importantly, this app will help you find new directions that allows you to explore and expand your playing opportunities while giving you that sound that you’ve been looking for.
When I started playing guitar, there was no Youtube that you could search to see exactly how other guitarists play tunes or riffs. You just had to use your God given talent (and a little bit of dumb luck) to expand what you already knew and bring it to another level. It took me years to finally understand what and how open tunings work and use them to my advantage. Below is simple App that I will use to illustrate what I mean.
In each block you will see a large letter inside it. Each of these boxes represents individual strings on the guitar. You can tell which string the box corresponds to by looking to the upper left hand side of the box. Here you will see the number of string that it represents. ie: 6th (Bottom), 5th, 4th …
Now, start off by clicking the box that is furthest to the left. The note that you hear is what that particular string should be tuned to. The note will be repeated over and over again until you re-click the box again, after you have successfully tuned your string to. Makes sense so far?
Now go ahead and strum downwards on all the strings. When you strum it, it will sound like a chord. Now here is where it gets fun! Now try baring, placing one finger across all strings on any fret, and strum. Once again you will hear a complete chord. The next part is where it gets a little more adventurist for the uninitiated.
Put your finger on any string on any fret and strum until you hear something that resembles a chord. At this point try putting on another finger on the fretboard to create a fuller chord. This is your basic building block on how the open tuning system works. At first attempt, it might be frustrating to you. On my first try, I excelled rather quickly. It instantly exposed me to a new approach/method on how to play the guitar.
I wish you well on your new musical adventure! Remember, the worst thing you could do is learn something?
Keep on Jammin’ everybody!
I think I am kind of A.D.D. about the guitar, I branched off into open tunings and slide before I even really attained much competence in standard tuning. One thing about tuning back and forth a lot is I think it increases the frequency of broken strings.
I used to have a 2nd guitar that was a $20 yard sale item. I left it in open D all the time and mostly left my main guitar in standard tuning. Now I only have one guitar and I sometimes do the mental exercise of transposing songs that I knew in standard tuning to the tuning that I am in rather than re-tune. The results are sometimes a pleasant surprise.
I think that more people, more than likely, have A.D.D. as well!!! I’m one of them, ask my wife!
Isn’t it great to be able to transpose in your head? When I was a kid I did it all the time. I couldn’t sleep at all! My G. P. (General Practitioner/Dr.) prescribed sleeping pills that worked for a while but in the long run effected me more then we thought. Anyways, I just figured out songs in my head ALL NIGHT LONG. It drove me nutz.
Doing the transposing in your head is great during the day, just don’t try it before going to bed Martin!
Thanx for the comment.