Open G tuning#Repetitive variants for special instruments

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Among alternative tunings for the guitar, an open G tuning is an open tuning that features the G-major chord; its open notes are selected from the notes of a G-major chord, such as the G-major triad (G,B,D). For example, a popular open-G tuning is

:D–G–D–G–B–D (low to high).

An open-G tuning allows a G-major chord to be strummed on all six strings with neither fretting of the left hand nor a capo. Like other open tunings, it allows the eleven major chords besides G major each to be strummed by barring at most one finger on exactly one fret.{{cite book |last1=Denyer |first1=Ralph |title=The Guitar Handbook | others = Special contributors Isaac Guillory and Alastair M. Crawford |publisher=Pan Books |edition= Fully revised and updated |location=London and Sydney |isbn=0-330-32750-X |pages=65–160 |chapter=Playing the guitar ('How the guitar is tuned', pp. 68–69, and 'Alternative tunings', pp. 158–159) |year = 1992}}

Usages in music

Open G tuning allows for open strings and single-fret bar chords to be played in key which make techniques such as slide and steel guitar viable. Open G tuning is common in blues and folk music{{harvtxt|Denyer|1992|p=158}} (along with other open tunings).{{harvtxt|Denyer|1992|p=160}}

Open G tuning particularly common in guitar music of Hawaiian origin including guitar styles such as slack-key guitar and steel guitar. In the context of slack-key music, open G is often referred to "Taro Patch" tuning (the term stems from taro, a traditional staple cuisine of Polynesian Hawaii). However, guitar is not a traditional Polynesian instrument; it was introduced to Hawaii by vaqueros hired by King Kamehameha III to assist with the nascent Hawaiian ranching industry in the mid 19th century.

File:RussianSevenStringTuning.jpg

{{anchor|Russian}}Repetitive open-G tunings are used by Russian guitars, Dobro guitars, and banjos. They repeat three open-string notes.

The repetitive open-G tuning

:D–G–B–D–G–B–D

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is used by the Russian guitar, which has seven strings tuned mostly in triads, in contrast to other guitars, which are tuned mostly in fourths.{{harvtxt|Bellow|1970|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=T7k5AQAAIAAJ&q=D+G+B 164]}}: {{cite book|title=The illustrated history of the guitar|first=Alexander|last=Bellow|publisher=Colombo Publications|year=1970|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T7k5AQAAIAAJ&q=D+G+B}}{{cite book|title=The Golden Age of the Russian Guitar: Repertoire, performance practice, and social function of the Russian seven-string guitar music, 1800–1850|first=Oleg V.|last=Timofeyev|author-link=Oleg V. Timofeyev|publisher=Duke University, Department of Music|year=1999|pages=1–584|id=University Microfilms (UMI), Ann Arbor, Michigan, number 9928880}}{{Page range too broad|date=October 2021}}{{cite book|series=The Russian Collection|volume=9|title=19th Century etudes for the Russian 7-string guitar in G Op|editor-first=Matanya|editor-last=Ophee|url=http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/The-Russian-Collection-Vol-9/18377478|publisher=Editions Orphee|id=PR.494028230}}; {{cite book|series=The Russian Collection|volume=10 ("X")|title=Selected Concert Works for the Russian 7-String Guitar in G open tuning|editor-first=Matanya|editor-last=Ophee|publisher=Editions Orphee|id=PR.494028240|url=http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/Selected-Concert-Works/18478341}}

Dobros use a full six-string tuning with a bottom G: G–B–D–G–B–D, low to high. The two lowest strings are, accordingly, tuned three semitones higher for the lowest string (from E up to G) and two semitones higher for the second-lowest string (from A up to B) while the highest string is tuned two semitones lower (from E down to D), relative to standard tuning.

Five-string banjo's standard tuning is also an Open G: g–D–G–B–D, where the lower case "g" denotes the highest-pitched "drone string", physically located next to (above) the lowest-pitched string, the first upper case "D".{{Cite web | title=Open G Tuning: D,G,D,G,B,D {{!}} Open D Tuning | url=http://opendtuning.com/open-g-tuning-dgdgbd/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130924052613/http://opendtuning.com:80/open-g-tuning-dgdgbd/ | access-date=2025-04-27 | archive-date=2013-09-24}}

Alan Sparhawk of Low has been using an Open G tuning his entire musical career, since being inspired by Sonic Youth as a kid.{{cite web |last1=Sparhawk |first1=Alan |title=Low—full performance (live on KEXP) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SASH2LyTSBQ |website=YouTube |date=6 May 2013 |access-date=4 August 2023}}

Overtones of the fundamental note G

File:Randy Jackson.jpg's Randy Jackson played "Who's Behind the Door?" using the same open-G overtones-tuning.]]

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File:Keith Richards Hannover 2006.jpg

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Bad Company guitarist Mick Ralphs has used another open-G tuning, which listed the initial six overtones of the G note,

:G–G–D–G–B–D

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for "Hey Hey" and while writing the demo of "Can't Get Enough".{{cite journal|title=Mick Ralphs: The rock 'N' roll fantasy continues|first=Lisa|last=Sharken|date=15 May 2001|access-date=21 February 2013|url=http://www.vintageguitar.com/2801/mick-ralphs/|journal=Vintage Guitar}}

The overtones tuning G–G–D–G–B–D was used by Joni Mitchell for "Electricity", "For the Roses", and "Hunter (The Good Samaritan)".{{cite web | url=http://jonimitchell.com/music/viewalltranscriptions.cfm?sortby=by%20Tuning | title=List of all Guitar and Piano Transcriptions | publisher=JoniMitchell.com | work=GGDGBD | access-date=February 22, 2013}} Truncating this tuning to G-D-G-B-D for his five-string guitar, Keith Richards plays this overtones-tuning on the Rolling Stones' "Honky Tonk Women", "Brown Sugar" and "Start Me Up".{{cite journal|last=Ellis|first=Andy|title=How to play like ... Keith Richards|journal=Guitar Player|year=2005|access-date=24 March 2013|url=https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-129091443|url-access=subscription}}{{Dead link|date=June 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} American rock band Eagles of Death Metal uses this tuning for the majority of their songs.{{cite journal | url=https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/23157-eagles-of-death-metals-jesse-hughes-special-forces-ringmaster?page=3 | title=Eagles of Death Metal's Jesse Hughes: Special Forces Ringmaster | journal=Premier Guitar | date=22 October 2015 | access-date=March 9, 2020}}

Notes

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References

{{cite web|title=Alternate tuning guide|first=William A.|last=Sethares|author-link=William Sethares|date=n.d.|url=http://sethares.engr.wisc.edu/alternatetunings/alternatetunings.html|publisher=University of Wisconsin; Department of Electrical Engineering|location=Madison, Wisconsin|access-date=19 May 2012}} [http://sethares.engr.wisc.edu/alternatetunings/alltunings.pdf PDF]

Open G tuning#Repetitive variants for special instruments

Usages in music

Overtones of the fundamental note G

See also

Notes

References

Further reading