Tenor guitar players - what tuning do you prefer and why?

[mrjop1975]

As the title asks, what tuning do our tenor guitar players prefer - standard CGDA tuning, octave mandolin tuning GDAE, Chicago tuning DGBE or something else altogether? And how did you arrive to using this tuning?

[packmule]

GDAE is my preference. I play irish traditional music and also play mandolin and tenor banjo so the tenor guitar tuned GDAE lets me move easily between them all.

[neilca]

I have tried to like the GDAE tune since I also play mandolin, but to me the longer scale length doesn't sound good when playing simple folk tunes. CGDA has a sweater tone for the longer scale. I have my tenor guitar and octave mandolin tuned to CGDA. YMMV

[Steve DeRosa]

I've been using a Deering Boston tenor banjo tuned to drop-G tenor uke (GCEA low-to-high) extensively and effectively for some time. In case you're not aware, this all-but-forgotten alternate banjo tuning (TMK Chuck Romanoff of Schooner Fare - from whom I learned about it - is the sole active proponent) was adopted in the 1920's by uke players looking to move to tenor banjo and make some money in the speakeasy jazz bands of the day, and abandoned when both the banjo and uke gave way to the archtop guitar in the early-1930's. If you're going to be playing with other musicians it makes an excellent lead instrument - I've used mine for traditional/neo-trad folk, Irish/Celtic, sea chanteys, gospel bluegrass (played fingerstyle when my 5-string had issues), and as a substitute for a samisen at a school chorus concert - and I have no reason to believe that a similarly-tuned tenor guitar will not be equally versatile; you'll need to assemble a custom string set though - tenor guitars are far more lightly constructed than their 6-string counterparts, and since pre-packaged tenor sets won't work for this application, I'd recommend using one of the online string tension calculators to help you put together an appropriate set...

[Golffishny]

I prefer a sound with more mids than highs. Is there a tenor guitar that uses A-D-G-B strings? I guess I could use them on a regular tenor and tune down a step. That would also give me a middle C on my lower string. Has anyone tried that? Thanks.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Golffishny

I prefer a sound with more mids than highs. Is there a tenor guitar that uses A-D-G-B strings?...Has anyone tried that?...

If you're so inclined you might want to try A-D-F#-B tuning (with appropriately-gauged strings), which allows you to use sopranino-uke chord fingerings/nomenclature, or G-C-E-A an octave below tenor uke in drop-G tuining - my only question here is why, as the small tenor guitar body offers less bass response/projection. While a baritone uke (or Chicago-tuned tenor guitar, in some cases) serves a definite function in a uke ensemble, adding depth with its D-G-B-E tuning, you'll be overlapping the "meat" range of a standard guitar with an instrument lacking a distinctive voice of its own, one that will tend to get lost among other instruments with a strong upper-bass/low-midrange register. That said, it might be a worthwhile addition to a uke group as a true bass voice - a fourth or fifth below the baritone uke, and one which extends into the lower range of the guitar - but if you're going to be working with guitar, bass (or baritone guitar), keyboards, etc. and you're looking to be heard with a smaller body, IME your interests would be better-served with a higher-pitched instrument...

[sethb]

I'm a newbie to this board, and wanted to add my "two cents" to this interesting thread.

I played a 4-string plectrum banjo (22 frets) for 50 years, mostly playing the music of the 1920's and using standard CGBD tuning. About ten years ago, I wanted to explore the music of the 1930's and 40's with a guitar, but I didn't want to start all over again with different fingerings.

So I bought a 6-string archtop guitar, removed the two bass strings and re-centered the remaining four DGBE strings on the fretboard, leaving the first and last nut slots open. Then I lowered the D string to C and lowered the E string to D, giving me the same CGBD tuning I was already familiar with.

Since I was used to a 26" scale on the plectrum banjo, the slightly smaller 24.75" scale of my 6-string guitar was very comfortable. So far it's worked out pretty well, and I've been able to solo on a fair number of tunes using melody chords and putting the melody notes on the D string for the most part. I've also started to play some classic rock & roll from the 1950's with the same setup, and that's been fine too. SETH

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by sethb

I'm a newbie to this board, and wanted to add my "two cents" to this interesting thread.

I played a 4-string plectrum banjo (22 frets) for 50 years, mostly playing the music of the 1920's and using standard CGBD tuning. About ten years ago, I wanted to explore the music of the 1930's and 40's with a guitar, but I didn't want to start all over again with different fingerings.

So I bought a 6-string archtop guitar, removed the two bass strings and re-centered the remaining four DGBE strings on the fretboard, leaving the first and last nut slots open. Then I lowered the D string to C and lowered the E string to D, giving me the same CGBD tuning I was already familiar with.

Since I was used to a 26" scale on the plectrum banjo, the slightly smaller 24.75" scale of my 6-string guitar was very comfortable. So far it's worked out pretty well, and I've been able to solo on a fair number of tunes using melody chords and putting the melody notes on the D string for the most part. I've also started to play some classic rock & roll from the 1950's with the same setup, and that's been fine too. SETH

Welcome to the AGF!

FWIW during the early-1930's transition era several manufacturers made true plectrum (26-27" scale, CGBD tuning) archtop guitars, and although they historically sell for less than their 6-string counterparts they're understandably rare. I don't know if you've ever considered it, but archtop tenor guitars were produced into the 1960's - in fact, a few makers (most notably Eastwood and Craven) are producing them again - and although the shorter scale may or may not be a problem (if you're accustomed to playing up the neck it might not be an issue - unless you make extensive use of the uppermost three frets) the thinner four-string neck might provide a more familiar feel. FWIW many contemporary players set them up in GDAE "Irish banjo" tuning (a fourth below standard tenor guitar/banjo), and if you think you'd be comfortable with the requisite heavier strings it might be worth scoring an inexpensive one and having your tech set it up in plectrum CGBD as an experiment...

[sethb]

Thanks, Steve, for the plectrum guitar information!

I have seen a few plectrum guitars floating around; I think Martin may have made a few back in the day. But I'm actually more comfortable with the smaller 24.75" scale of a 6-string -- now I can finger a few more chords that would have been impossible stretches on the 26" scale. I also don't mind having the additional small space on each side of the fretboard where the 1st and 6th strings would have been, and the wider neck doesn't bother me. So I'm very content with my quasi-tenor guitar, which lets me double on guitar/banjo for gigs where it's appropriate.

Coincidentally, I've also seen the reverse situation: guitar players doubling on banjo by tuning a four-string banjo to DGBE, which I believe is called "Chicago tuning." There are some six-string banjos too, which probably use standard guitar tuning, and there have been some excellent six-string banjoists like Danny Barker. SETH

[PapaDafoe]

My favourite tunings are open G or open A
GDGB or AEAC#

I have a whole page of tenor guitar tunings here,
https://papadafoe.com/tenor-guitar-tunings

[rlgph]

Originally Posted by Golffishny

I prefer a sound with more mids than highs. Is there a tenor guitar that uses A-D-G-B strings? I guess I could use them on a regular tenor and tune down a step. That would also give me a middle C on my lower string. Has anyone tried that? Thanks.

I'm using this tuning on my baritone ukulele currently. I like it because the chord fingering is more guitar like than DGBE, and it provides low notes for alternating bass with the picking thumb.

BTW, if you use the middle four strings of a light guitar set on your tenor, you shouldn't have to tune down.

[TobyB]

I play a variety of mando's in GDAE, and for melody I like my way around 5ths. But for playing chords, I like GDAD on my archtop guitar-bodied mandola, and similarly for tenor guitar I use CGDG ... this fits into a session or ceilidh band mix ... and if it works for Steve Knightley and Show of Hands, it's good for me too.

[mauricemcm]

Here is one I have posted about before tuned A3, E2, A2. C#3, E3.
I also have an Irish tenor banjo in standard GDAE

https://youtu.be/5H0kbJnFem0

[NigelP]

With appropriate strings would an Ozark 3372C work well with DGBE tuning?

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by NigelP

With appropriate strings would an Ozark 3372C work well with DGBE tuning?

This might help:

https://www.stentor-music.com/brands...ustic-cutaway/