Tenor tuning for lead guitar player?

[subby]

I'm diversifying from six string guitar to a tenor guitar, with the potential it'll become my main instrument. I started as a uke player and moved to GDAE for a bit on a tenor, but moved to a six string a few years back before really growing beyond beginner at tenor guitar.

Present day, I'm a good guitar player (not great, but better than the average bear). I got an electric tenor guitar and am overwhelmed by potential tunings. If I want to still lead my three piece band (mostly 90's / 00's grunge, alternative, pop punk) with a tenor guitar, what would you recommend? I'm thinking open E or GDAD but am wide open to ideas. Thanks!

[Steve DeRosa]

GDAE would give you approximately the same overall range as a standard guitar, with wider chord voicings;
CGDA puts you squarely in lead guitar territory, again with widely-spaced chord voicings;
GCEA drop-G tenor uke tuning also makes a good lead guitar tuning (I use it on tenor banjo), with tighter chord voicings for rhythm work;
DGBE baritone uke tuning takes out some of the low-end mud of a six-string, with similarly tight voicings to GCEA;
Open tunings lend themselves more to modal leads, as does GDAD (a common Celtic tuning)...

That should muddy the waters a bit...

[subby]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

GDAE would give you approximately the same overall range as a standard guitar, with wider chord voicings;
CGDA puts you squarely in lead guitar territory, again with widely-spaced chord voicings;
GCEA drop-G tenor uke tuning also makes a good lead guitar tuning (I use it on tenor banjo), with tighter chord voicings for rhythm work;
DGBE baritone uke tuning takes out some of the low-end mud of a six-string, with similarly tight voicings to GCEA;
Open tunings lend themselves more to modal leads, as does GDAD (a common Celtic tuning)...

That should muddy the waters a bit...

Thanks! I think my goal is to have an interesting, more unique sound (I'm on a scene with a LOT of six string players) while still being able to comfortably play the power chord-heavy 90's hits I play out, but also being able to have the diversity to run lead fill lines in my duo as well. Between GDAD, Open E, and GDAE I think?

[stevo58]

Tuning in fifths - CGDA or GDAE - has the advantage of consistent chord and scale shapes over the entire fretboard. CGDA is tenor banjo (and mandola) standard tuning, so there are plenty of study aids. GDAE is mandolin tuning, so again, plenty of study aids. Fifths tuning is a dream for single-string work, but chords can be more difficult, which is why most jazz banjoists who play chord melody play plectrums, tuned CGBD. Elmer Snowden, the great jazz tenor player, tuned GDAE. I would like to tune GDAE to reduce the inherent piercingness of the A string, but “better is good, standard is better.”

Just some random information.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by subby

I'm diversifying from six string guitar to a tenor guitar, with the potential it'll become my main instrument. I started as a uke player and moved to GDAE for a bit on a tenor, but moved to a six string a few years back before really growing beyond beginner at tenor guitar.

Present day, I'm a good guitar player (not great, but better than the average bear). I got an electric tenor guitar and am overwhelmed by potential tunings. If I want to still lead my three piece band (mostly 90's / 00's grunge, alternative, pop punk) with a tenor guitar, what would you recommend? I'm thinking open E or GDAD but am wide open to ideas. Thanks!

You might start by watching a bunch of Neko Case Youtube videos. Neko has become quite comfortable fronting a band with tenor.

[subby]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

You might start by watching a bunch of Neko Case Youtube videos. Neko has become quite comfortable fronting a band with tenor.

She's very impressive and her tenor collection is to die for, but she is in DGBE tuning and being able to play a six string already, it doesn't appeal to me. I think GDAE for lead work and maybe downtime to GDAD for rhythm/chordal work is what I'm seeing a lot of on mandolin/tenor forums. The demo for the Tenor Tele on Youtube where the guy is running CGCG for a bit is really cool too.

[TobyB]

I play in 5ths a lot on mando's of all sizes.
Tenors I have tried in GDAE or GDAD, and they work fine but mando's often do the same but better. Including Atilla the Stockbroker style punk electric mandola stuff.

Based on Steve Knightley's Show of Hands arrangements, using the tenor in CGDA gives it a voice apart from guitars or mandolin/fiddle registers. Acoustic or electric... I like CGDA for more melodic playing, but CGDG for chordal rhythm stuff.

[PapaDafoe]

My current favourites are 1 5 1 3 tunings, G D G B for example.

For a bit more range, the modal tunings are a lot of fun. 1515 or 5151. (GDGD / ADAD).