[Shredder Wannabe]

One day, I was playing "Parabol/Parabola" by Tool, which itself uses an odd tuning (BEDGBE), and as I was tuning it back to standard, I played the E and A string together...except both were tuned to E. I loved the effect this gave, it was almost like chorus. So today, I tuned my guitar to EEDDBB, low to high. Now it sounds like a whole new instrument . So, do you have any other unorthodox tunings? If so, list them.

[MakoMako]

EGBEBE

That tuning is used in the Dave Matthews song, "Busted Stuff." I always thought it was a really interesting tuning. It is nice to try playing other stuff with the tuning, it has some really interesting sounds to it. That's really all I've got right now, since the only other stuff I've used is DADGBE and DADFAD.

[in_repair]

I've used drop D, open A, but that's really not all that strange.

[Graeme! Yes, Graeme!]

I've used DADADD in a couple of mys songs. It turns the guitar into one big drone, giving a wonderfully expansive feel.

I've just started getting into open G tuning, too. I never really bothered with open tunings before, as the effort to tune and retune didn't appeal to me. But now I've bothered I'm loving the subtleties of the different tunings.

[kooldood1]

i havent used anything really obscure, open c, open d, open g, open e. I did create a tuning for a song i wrote but i dont remember what it is.

[Will_Wood]

DGCGCD

This post has been edited by Will_Wood: 12 July 2006 - 01:28 AM

[pimp_vince]

CACGCE
DADGAD
DGCGCD

just check out a bunch of zeppelin tabs... you'll find these.

[matt_theripper]

DADEAE... used in "Name" by the Goo Goo Dolls.

I use it alot in various folky type songs I try and write.

[dadfad]

I can play in a number of different open and altered tunings. Some of the more common ones...

DADFAD (Open Dm, structurally the same as Open Em EBEGBE)
DADF#AD (Open D, structually the same as Open E EBEG#BE)
DGDGBD (Open G, structurally the same as open A EAEAC#E)
DGDGBbD (Open Gm)
CGCGCE (Open C)
DADGAD

and a few less common ones I guess...

DGDGBE (G6 tuning) (Good for some old blues, especially Bo Carter Chatman)
EF#BF#BE (called Scotch-B by the old Kentucky picker who showed me, great for fiddle-tunes and reels)
DbAbDbDbAbDb (called Cut-throat by the old bluesguy who showed me)
DbAbDbDbAbAb (called Cut-throat Spanish by the same guy)
GGDGBbD (called Sawtooth-G by the old guy who showed me, not real different from common Open-G)


EEEEBE (which I've only ever used to play "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes") (related to Voodoo's post above)

...and probably a couple of others I rarely use anymore and have forgotten above. Generally it seems to me having six or eight to work out of will get you pretty much any kind of sound you're going for so I rarely experiment any more. I don't count one tuning tuned up or down as another separate special tuning. Like Open-D and Open-E for example, or open-Bb on a 12-string, etc... same thing relatively, just lower or higher pitched. Dropped-D I almost consider standard, but in country-blues it has a lot of applications and I use it quite a bit.

Open and altered tunings really have a place in guitar and opens up whole new directions in playing.

[weemanfitz]

I'm just beginning to delve into the whole alternate tuning thing. I have used, however, DADDDD. Dashboard Confessional uses that one a bit. Excuse me, all the strings are flat as well. I love the way the Goo Goo Dolls tune as well. Just when I tune it to play "Name", I usually break my second string tuning up to that A. Any tips for remedying the problem?

This post has been edited by weemanfitz: 12 July 2006 - 09:20 AM

[dadfad]

I'm just beginning to delve into the whole alternate tuning thing. I have used, however, DADDDD. Dashboard Confessional uses that one a bit. Excuse me, all the strings are flat as well. I love the way the Goo Goo Dolls tune as well. Just when I tune it to play "Name", I usually break my second string tuning up to that A. Any tips for remedying the problem?

Why would you tune a B up to an A? Just tune it down.

(Dadfad is confused... ) Tunings are usually given low to high (thickest to thinnest) like EADGBE, DADFAD, etc. Do you mean DADDDD or DDDDAD?

[dadfad]

I'm just beginning to delve into the whole alternate tuning thing. I have used, however, DADDDD. Dashboard Confessional uses that one a bit. Excuse me, all the strings are flat as well. I love the way the Goo Goo Dolls tune as well. Just when I tune it to play "Name", I usually break my second string tuning up to that A. Any tips for remedying the problem?

Why would you tune a B up to an A? Just tune it down.

(Dadfad is confused... ) Tunings are usually given low to high (thickest to thinnest) like EADGBE, DADFAD, etc. Do you mean DADDDD or DDDDAD?

I assumed he had written it the other way round otherwise it wouldn't need retuning.

(I kind of did too.)

[weemanfitz]

It's tuned low to high, DADDDD. Kinda wierd, but it works.

[matt_theripper]

In regards to the "Name" tuning (DADEAE) just tune that B down to A instead of up.

[nealmac]

It's tuned low to high, DADDDD. Kinda wierd, but it works.

Then how do you break a string tuning to the A? That string is already an A.

I'm now guessing, that when he says "low", he means high. He doesn't mean low as in a low note. He means low as in closer to the floor.

[nealmac]

Yes you would, but I still think that's what he meant, and he was trying to tune up.

[dadfad]

But why? Surely he dropped the two E's to D's? Why would you then tune up to an A from B?

Yes, I know you have no idea why

Yeah, I can't imagine someone trying to tune up almost an octave higher than standard.

[matt_theripper]

He was talking about the tuning for the song "Name" by the Goo Goo Dolls... DADEAE... breaking his "B" string by tuning it up to "A" instead of down. At least, I'm pretty sure that's what he meant.

[nealmac]

But why? Surely he dropped the two E's to D's? Why would you then tune up to an A from B?

Yes, I know you have no idea why

But then you'd still tune down to the A. Tuning up from a B would just be, well, stupid.

I think you've already answered your question.

This post has been edited by nealmac: 13 July 2006 - 07:25 AM

[matt_theripper]

He was talking about the tuning for the song "Name" by the Goo Goo Dolls... DADEAE... breaking his "B" string by tuning it up to "A" instead of down. At least, I'm pretty sure that's what he meant.

We know what he meant, we're just wondering why you would tune up to it.

Ahhh... I have no clue... I never tune up if I can help it.