This page all about different guitar tunings .(so what is this Uke doing here ?)
For those that know already? ...skip this page .
The normal tuning for your guitar is E - A - D - G - B - E
Now there are many different ways to show the tuning as it is in musical books but I think it goes to far -here- to tell you the background ..might also bore some people .
The real tuning for guitar is E - A - d - g- b - e1.
But I will skip this .
I will use "u" for tuning up and "d" for tuning down and give you the "amount" in tones (or frets).
You can compare the amount tones with the frets on your guitar .
For instance this tuning called open G (as it sounds like a G chord when all the open strings are strummed )
The tuning is : D - G - D - G - B - D
This will show : D(d2) -G(d2)- D - G - B - D(d2)
"What the heck...how much is 2 tones down ??"
Ok here are some things that might help you
In this example we use the open G tuning mentioned above .
1:search for a string that is not "re-tuned" like the 4th and 3th string and listen if the "re-tuned" strings > 6 /5 and 1 sound good comparing to them
In other words > the 6th string is tuned down 2 steps try to compare it with the 4th and when both are in harmony they are in tune.
Same goes with the 5th string tuning down and comparing with the 3rd
And the 1st going down and comparing with the 4th string
2: if you know what a "harmonic " is you can use these harmonics on the 12th fret of the "re-tuned" strings to compare them with the not "re-tuned" strings .
f.i. the harmonic on the 12th fret of the 6th string should sound the same as the normal D string.
The same for the 5th string > 12th fret of the 5th string harmonic sounds the same as the 3th string .
But ! the harmonic on the 12th fret on the not "re-tuned" 4th string (D) sounds the same as the 1st "re-tuned " string.
3:If you are going for real hard detunes you should get to know the names of the notes on the guitar ( names )
f.i. C - G - C - G - B - D it would say : C(d4) - G(d2) - C(d2) - G - B - D(d2)
String 5 harmonic 12 sounds the same as the 3rd string
String 1 will sound as the 4th string 12th harmonic ( before "retuning the 4th!)
But what about the others ? the new "C" strings ?
Well here comes your knowledge for "where are my notes on the strings"
For the people who know this all skip the next one .
For those that know already? ...skip this page .
The normal tuning for your guitar is E - A - D - G - B - E
Now there are many different ways to show the tuning as it is in musical books but I think it goes to far -here- to tell you the background ..might also bore some people .
The real tuning for guitar is E - A - d - g- b - e1.
But I will skip this .
I will use "u" for tuning up and "d" for tuning down and give you the "amount" in tones (or frets).
You can compare the amount tones with the frets on your guitar .
For instance this tuning called open G (as it sounds like a G chord when all the open strings are strummed )
The tuning is : D - G - D - G - B - D
This will show : D(d2) -G(d2)- D - G - B - D(d2)
"What the heck...how much is 2 tones down ??"
Ok here are some things that might help you
In this example we use the open G tuning mentioned above .
1:search for a string that is not "re-tuned" like the 4th and 3th string and listen if the "re-tuned" strings > 6 /5 and 1 sound good comparing to them
In other words > the 6th string is tuned down 2 steps try to compare it with the 4th and when both are in harmony they are in tune.
Same goes with the 5th string tuning down and comparing with the 3rd
And the 1st going down and comparing with the 4th string
2: if you know what a "harmonic " is you can use these harmonics on the 12th fret of the "re-tuned" strings to compare them with the not "re-tuned" strings .
f.i. the harmonic on the 12th fret of the 6th string should sound the same as the normal D string.
The same for the 5th string > 12th fret of the 5th string harmonic sounds the same as the 3th string .
But ! the harmonic on the 12th fret on the not "re-tuned" 4th string (D) sounds the same as the 1st "re-tuned " string.
3:If you are going for real hard detunes you should get to know the names of the notes on the guitar ( names )
f.i. C - G - C - G - B - D it would say : C(d4) - G(d2) - C(d2) - G - B - D(d2)
String 5 harmonic 12 sounds the same as the 3rd string
String 1 will sound as the 4th string 12th harmonic ( before "retuning the 4th!)
But what about the others ? the new "C" strings ?
Well here comes your knowledge for "where are my notes on the strings"
For the people who know this all skip the next one .
Here we go :
There are only these notes on any (western!) instrument and try to put it in your head !!!
A - B C - D - E F - G - and again A - B C etc it goes on and on .
Suppose we take the 5th - A- string .
The sound is A when you do not pick any note on that string what we call an open string
Ok so the A is the open string the "-" is the first note on that string as it is on the 1st fret.
(we will deal with that later)
A = open string - = 1st fret and checking our alphabet B = on the 2nd fret C = on the 3rd fret again a - = on the 4th fret and D= 5th fret
Might show like this :
A - B C - D - E F - G - A = notes
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 = frets
Please look at this carefully as the "alphabet " works for all 6 strings
If your 6th string is called E then on the 12th fret there is also an E but 8 tones ( called an octave ...octa = 8 ) higher
B string ? on the 12th fret there is a B 1 octave higher .
Are you still awake ?
If the 6th string is called E then on the 5th fret of that string is the note A ...and ! the 5th string is also called A sooooo maybe they sound the same ?YESS
There are only these notes on any (western!) instrument and try to put it in your head !!!
A - B C - D - E F - G - and again A - B C etc it goes on and on .
Suppose we take the 5th - A- string .
The sound is A when you do not pick any note on that string what we call an open string
Ok so the A is the open string the "-" is the first note on that string as it is on the 1st fret.
(we will deal with that later)
A = open string - = 1st fret and checking our alphabet B = on the 2nd fret C = on the 3rd fret again a - = on the 4th fret and D= 5th fret
Might show like this :
A - B C - D - E F - G - A = notes
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 = frets
Please look at this carefully as the "alphabet " works for all 6 strings
If your 6th string is called E then on the 12th fret there is also an E but 8 tones ( called an octave ...octa = 8 ) higher
B string ? on the 12th fret there is a B 1 octave higher .
Are you still awake ?
If the 6th string is called E then on the 5th fret of that string is the note A ...and ! the 5th string is also called A sooooo maybe they sound the same ?YESS
Harmonics .
Harmonics also called "flageolets " are a kind of tones that are created by just touching the strings with a left hand finger (just feeling it !)straight above the fret and using a pick or your right hand finger close to the bridge .
After picking the string release the left hand finger of the string
It takes some practice and we will only discus the "natural harmonics " here .
You can use your harmonics to tune your guitar in a normal way like this :
Tune the 5th fret of the 5th string using a tuning fork with a harmonic on this fret.
They both should sound the same .
Now 5/5 = my notation of 5th fret on the 5th string
5/5 = 7/4 harm > so the 5th fret of the 5th string both harmonics will sound the same
Here goes
5/5 = 7/4 harm
7/5 harm = 0/1 normal ( 1st string open and played normal )
5/6 = 7/5 harm
12/5 harm = 2/3 normal
7/5 harm/ 5/2 normal
Also 7/6 harm = 0/2 normal
Ok ..all or better most important harmonics are on the 5th /7th and 12th fret but there are also on 4th ( same as 9th ).
Try to work on getting these harmonics sound well !
And again there are sooooo many harmonics on your guitar .
Harmonics also called "flageolets " are a kind of tones that are created by just touching the strings with a left hand finger (just feeling it !)straight above the fret and using a pick or your right hand finger close to the bridge .
After picking the string release the left hand finger of the string
It takes some practice and we will only discus the "natural harmonics " here .
You can use your harmonics to tune your guitar in a normal way like this :
Tune the 5th fret of the 5th string using a tuning fork with a harmonic on this fret.
They both should sound the same .
Now 5/5 = my notation of 5th fret on the 5th string
5/5 = 7/4 harm > so the 5th fret of the 5th string both harmonics will sound the same
Here goes
5/5 = 7/4 harm
7/5 harm = 0/1 normal ( 1st string open and played normal )
5/6 = 7/5 harm
12/5 harm = 2/3 normal
7/5 harm/ 5/2 normal
Also 7/6 harm = 0/2 normal
Ok ..all or better most important harmonics are on the 5th /7th and 12th fret but there are also on 4th ( same as 9th ).
Try to work on getting these harmonics sound well !
And again there are sooooo many harmonics on your guitar .