Alternate tunings not based on chords

[OrgnkrOOts]

Do alternate tunings based around scales or modes make sense? Such as tuning your guitar to a tuning that’s based around a mode or scale? Just looking for something new. Thanks

[JonPR]

DADGAD is the one that springs to mind - often called "modal D", because it suits playing in all the various modes of D (except lydian and locrian). And it forms a Dsus4 chord, which is a kind of modal jazz chord.

[Mr. Jelly]

My son who's the best musician I've ever known says a tuning is a tuning. He likes to tune the guitar in different ways and play it for enjoyment. I get where he's coming from in that there really aren't any hard fast rules for tuning a guitar, only what others have done. Most people look at the guitar as a standard string instrument with some standard tunings and chords etc. But that's what it evolved to to emulate others. You can tune most any string instrument any way you want and play with it. They are toys you know.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by OrgnkrOOts

Do alternate tunings based around scales or modes make sense? Such as tuning your guitar to a tuning that’s based around a mode or scale? Just looking for something new. Thanks

Hi OrgnkrOOts

Many alternate tunings are more scale-centric than chord centric…which lend themselves to less full chord strumming and more melodic development.

On the other end of the scale, tunings which are open chords (or near open chords) like DADF#AD (open D major tuning), DGDGBD (open G), DADFAD (open D minor tuning), CGCGBCE (open C tuning), DADFAD (open D minor tuning) lend themselves to a lot of both hard driving strumming and melodic playing.

I saw a chord chart (very popular if you google it) for hundreds of Chords in DADGAD, but there are a lot easier tunings if you just want to strum all 6 strings for chords in a tuning different than Standard Tuning (EADGBE).

[JonPR]

One point worth making, perhaps, is that you could say EADGBE is a scale-based tuning, in that those 5 notes are part of the scales of C, G and D major, and all their modes.

It would be possible to tune so that the 6 strings produce notes that could only be part of one scale, although all modes of that scale would still be available.
E.g. if you simply tune the G up to G#, then the open strings only fit the modes of the A major scale (or A harmonic/melodic minor). Or leave the G and tune the D up to D#, and they fit E harmonic or melodic minor only.

It's hard to see what the point of that (or any similar exercise) would be.
Of course, all alternative tunings limit the number of easy keys or modes you can play in anyway (making some easier and others harder), but it makes more sense to tune so that a few chords are easy - if not from the open strings alone (as in open tunings), then only requiring 1 or 2 fretted notes to produce a number of chords, which is the attraction of DADGAD.

If you're interested in alternative tunings generally - what others are available and have been used - I recommend Joni Mitchell and Nick Drake. They really delved deep into many weird and wonderful tunings.

Joni's own site seems to be unavailable at the moment for some reason, but there's tasters here:
https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/th...-open-tunings/
http://www.gibson.com/News-Lifestyle...1030-2012.aspx

here's Nick Drake's tunings:
http://www.chrish.ndo.co.uk/tunings.htm

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by JonPR

One point worth making, perhaps, is that you could say EADGBE is a scale-based tuning, in that those 5 notes are part of the scales of C, G and D major, and all their modes.

Hi Jon

Standard tuning lends itself to easily formed chords, and can be very strum-friendly for chording from the beginner level.

Many alternate tunings are not chord/strum friendly…at any level of proficiency.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi Jon

Standard tuning lends itself to easily formed chords, and can be very strum-friendly for chording from the beginner level.

Many alternate tunings are not chord/strum friendly…at any level of proficiency.

Well, they are chord/strum friendly within a narrower range of keys and chords. And often require less proficiency than EADGBE (within that narrow range).

EADGBE is the evolved compromise for making a fair-sized number of keys and chords reasonably easy. Nothing is terribly easy, but not much is terribly difficult either. Many roads are open.

Alternate tunings close some roads in order to make one or two easier and faster.

[TBman]

Originally Posted by OrgnkrOOts

Do alternate tunings based around scales or modes make sense? Such as tuning your guitar to a tuning that’s based around a mode or scale? Just looking for something new. Thanks

You can try using a cut capo also for exploration.