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all fourths tuning

{{Short description|Guitar Tuning}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}

{{Infobox Regular tuning

| regular_tuning_name = All fourths

|image_top =Chromatic circle fourths.svg

|caption_top = The consecutive open notes of all-fourths tuning are spaced apart by five semitones on the chromatic circle, which lists the twelve notes of the octave.

|other_names = Perfect-fourths tuning

|interval= Perfect fourth

|semitones = 5

|examples=E-A-D-G-C-F

|advanced = TRUE

|repetition = No

|other_instruments = Bass guitar

|advantages = Closely approximates standard tuning

|disadvantages = Difficult to play conventional music, especially barre chords

|lefty = All-fifths tuning

|guitarist = Stanley Jordan
Alex Hutchings
Tom Quayle

|guitarist_image = Stanley Jordan.jpg

|guitarist_alt=Stanley Jordan plays guitar.

|guitarist_caption=Jazz musician Stanley Jordan stated that all-fourths tuning "simplifies the fingerboard, making it logical".

}}

Among alternative tunings for the guitar, all-fourths tuning is a regular tuning.{{harvtxt|Sethares|2001|p=52}}:

{{cite book|chapter=Regular tunings|title=Alternate tuning guide|first=Bill|last=Sethares|author-link=William Sethares|year=2001|pages=52–67|url=http://sethares.engr.wisc.edu/alternatetunings/regulartunings.pdf|publisher=University of Wisconsin; Department of Electrical Engineering|location=Madison, Wisconsin|access-date=19 May 2012|id=[http://sethares.engr.wisc.edu/alternatetunings/alltunings.pdf 2010 Alternate tuning guide, including a revised chapter on regular tunings]}}

In contrast, the standard tuning has one irregularity—a major third between the third and second strings—while having perfect fourths between the other successive strings.{{harvtxt|Nash|1997}}{{harvtxt|Denyer|1992|pp=158–159}} The standard tuning's irregular major-third is replaced by a perfect fourth in all-fourths tuning, which has the open notes E2-A2-D3-G3-C4-F4.{{harvtxt|Weissman|2006|p=68}}

File:Perfect 4ths guitar tuning.svg

Among regular tunings, this all-fourths tuning best approximates the standard tuning.{{harvtxt|Sethares|2001|p=58}}

File:Perfect fourths P4 tuning chords C major.png

File:Chord Shapes for Perfect Fourths (P4) Tuning - 1.png

File:Chord Shapes for Perfect Fourths (P4) Tuning - 2.png

In all guitar tunings, the higher-octave version of a chord can be found by translating a chord by twelve frets higher along the fretboard.{{harvtxt|Sethares|2001|p=9}} In every regular tuning, for example in all-fourths tuning, chords and intervals can be moved also diagonally. For all-fourths tuning, all twelve major chords (in the first or open positions) are generated by two chords, the open F major chord and the D major chord. The regularity of chord-patterns reduces the number of finger positions that need to be memorized. Jazz musician Stanley Jordan plays guitar in all-fourths tuning; he has stated that all-fourths tuning "simplifies the fingerboard, making it logical".

{{harvtxt|Ferguson|1986|p=76}}:

{{cite book|chapter=Stanley Jordan|first=Jim |last=Ferguson|author-link=Jim Ferguson|pages=68–76|title=New directions in modern guitar|series=Guitar Player basic library|editor1-first=Helen|editor1-last=Casabona|editor2-first=Adrian|editor2-last=Belew|editor2-link=Adrian Belew|publisher=Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation|year=1986|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3idLAAAAYAAJ&q=%22Stanley+Jordan%22,+%22all+fourth%22+OR+%22perfect+fourth%22,+guitar+tuning|isbn=0881884235}}

Among all regular tunings, all-fourths tuning E-A-D-G-C-F is the best approximation of standard tuning, which is more popular. All-fourths tuning is traditionally used for the bass guitar; it is also used for the bajo sexto.{{Cite web|url=https://stringedinstrumentdatabase.aornis.com/|title=The Stringed Instrument Database: Index|website=stringedinstrumentdatabase.aornis.com|accessdate=26 May 2023}}

Allan Holdsworth stated that if he were to learn the guitar again he would tune it in all-fourths.{{Citation|title=Allan Holdsworth on All-Fourths Tuning – Streamable|url=https://streamable.com/njyj8|access-date=2018-02-16}}{{Cite web |title=The Unreachable Star (Guitar World 1989) – Allan Holdsworth Information Center |url=http://fingerprintsweb.net/ahwiki/index.php?title=The_Unreachable_Star_(Guitar_World_1989) |access-date=2022-05-31 |website=fingerprintsweb.net}}

Relation with all-fifths tuning

{{Main|Regular tunings#Left-handed involution}}

All-fourths tuning is closely related to all-fifths tuning.

All-fourths tuning is based on the perfect fourth (five semitones), and all-fifths tuning is based on the perfect fifth (seven semitones). The perfect-fifth and perfect-fourth intervals are inversions of one another, and the chords of all-fourth and all-fifths are paired as inverted chords. Consequently, chord charts for all-fifths tunings may be used for left-handed all-fourths tuning.{{harvtxt|Sethares|2001|p=53}}

See also

Notes

References

  • {{Cite book

| title = The guitar handbook

| first = Ralph

| last = Denyer

| others = Special contributors Isaac Guillory and Alastair M. Crawford

| pages =65–160

| chapter=Playing the guitar

| isbn = 0-330-32750-X

| location = London and Sydney

| publisher = Pan Books

| edition= Fully revised and updated

| year = 1992

}}

  • {{cite magazine|last=Nash|first=Paul|title=Guitar in fourths: Guitar tuning with all strings in perfect fourth intervals apart|magazine=Guitar Player|publisher=NewBay Media LLC|via=HighBeam Research|access-date=14 October 2012|date=1 July 1997|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-19488608.html|archive-date=29 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329093231/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-19488608.html|url-status=dead}}
  • {{cite web|title=Alternate tuning guide|first=William A.|last=Sethares|author-link=William Sethares|year=2011|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|id=[http://sethares.engr.wisc.edu/alternatetunings/alltunings.pdf 2010 PDF version by Bill Sethares]}}
  • {{cite book|title=Guitar tunings: A comprehensive guide|first=Dick|last=Weissman|author-link=Dick Weissman|chapter=Other tunings: Fourths tuning|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-rRf8x53|publisher=Routledge|year=2006|lccn=0415974410|isbn=9780415974417|pages=68–70}}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
  • {{cite book |first=Masaya|last=Yamaguchi|author-link=Masaya Yamaguchi|title=All Fourths: A Method For EADGCF Tuning On Guitar|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s1pZEAAAQBAJ|publisher=Masaya Music |location=New York|year=2018|isbn=978-0-9998784-0-8 |pages=1–152}}

Further reading

  • {{cite book |first=Bob|last=Bianco |title=Guitar in fourths: A manual for playing|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RYdTPgAACAAJ|publisher=Calliope Music |location=New York City|year=1987 |isbn=0-9605912-2-2 |oclc=16526869|pages=1–64|orig-date=1969}} republication of [https://books.google.com/books?id=jbaWtgAACAAJ A manual for playing the guitar in fourths (Catalona Enterprises, pp. 1–64)]
  • {{cite book |first=Ant|last=Law|title=3rd Millennium Guitar: An Introduction to Perfect 4th Tuning|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VjeFJ3Jg9xoC|publisher=Mel Bay Publications |location=Pacific, MO|year=2011|isbn=978-1610659680 |pages=1–75}}

External links

  • {{cite book|first=Keith|last=Bromley

|title=Sixty guitar chords for all-fourths tuning: An introductory tutorial about chords on a guitar tuned to all fourths

|url=http://www.keith.bromley.name/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/P4_Guitar.pdf

|date=May 2013|access-date=9 November 2013}}

  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20101218025901/http://zhille.blogspot.com/2009/06/perfect-fourths-p4-tuning-basics-and.html Zhille's guitar blog: Perfect fourths (P4) tuning–Basics and examples]
  • [http://fourthsguitartuning.blogspot.com Lessons and articles on fourths tuning using Eb-Ab-Db-Gb-B-E] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150419162649/http://fourthsguitartuning.blogspot.com/ |date=19 April 2015 }}
  • [http://www.unlocktheguitar.net/blog/-introduction-to-all-fourths-tuning-free-pdf-reference-guide Introduction to All Fourths Tuning + Free PDF Reference Guide]
  • [https://www.reddit.com/r/allfourthstuning/ r/allfourthstuning sub-reddit for all fourths tuning]

{{Guitar tunings|Regular|state=expanded}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:All Fourths}}

Category:Regular guitar-tunings

Category:Jazz guitar