repetitive tuning
File:Shift C-major chord three strings in major thirds tuning on six-string guitar.png
File:First and second inversions of C-major chord on six-string guitar with major-thirds tuning.png
Repetitive tunings are a type of alternative tunings for the guitar. A repetitive tuning begins with a list of notes that is duplicated, either at unison or at higher octaves.
Among regular tunings, there are four repetitive-tunings (besides trivially repetitive tunings such as C-C-C-C-C-C); this article discusses three minor-thirds tuning, major-thirds tuning, and augmented-fourths tuning (but not major seconds tuning, which is not repetitive on six strings). Among open tunings, there are repetitive versions of open C tuning and open G tuning, which have been associated with the English and Russian guitars, respectively.
Repetition eases the learning of fretboard and chords and eases improvisation. For example, in major-thirds tuning, chords are raised an octave by shifting fingers by three strings on the same frets.
Repetitive tunings are listed after their number of open pitches. For example, the repetitive open-C tuning C-E-G-C-E-G has three open-pitches, each of which is associated with repeated notes {(C,C), (E,E), (G,G)}.
One
File:Tritone in the chromatic circle.pngs repeats its two notes three times.]]
The trivial tuning repeats the same note every string. It is also called a unison regular tuning.
Other trivial-tunings repeat their single notes on a higher octave (or on higher octaves), for example,
:C-C-c-c-c'-c'.
Two
The following tunings repeat their notes on a higher octave after two strings:
- Augmented-fourths tuning, for example, B-F-b-f-b'-f'.
Any note fingered on one string can be fingered on two other strings. Thus chords can be fingered in many ways in augmented-fourths tuning. It is also a regular tuning in which the interval between its strings is a tritone (augmented fourth).{{harvtxt|Sethares|2001|loc=[http://sethares.engr.wisc.edu/alternatetunings/regulartunings.pdf "The augmented fourth tuning", p. 60]}}
- A cittern tuning, such as C-G-c-g-c'-g'.{{harvtxt|Sethares|2001i|loc=[http://sethares.engr.wisc.edu/alternatetunings/alltunings.pdf "Instrumental tunings: Cittern tuning two, p. 42]}}
- Alternating fourths and fifths tuning, such as A1-D2-A2-D3-A3-D4. (ADADAD)
This kind of tuning can also be called modal D or open D5 as it contains a D chord without a third. It is also used on other instruments, e.g. fiddle, mandolin and the Irish bouzouki.{{clear}}
Three
File:Augmented chord in the chromatic circle.png repeats its three notes twice.]]
Image:RussianSevenStringTuning.jpg
The following tunings repeat their notes after three strings:
- Major-thirds tuning, such as E-G{{music|#}}-c-e-g{{music|#}}-c' and
: D{{music|#}}-G-B-D{{music|#}}-G-B-D{{music|#}},{{harvtxt|Sethares|2001|loc=[http://sethares.engr.wisc.edu/alternatetunings/regulartunings.pdf "The major third tuning", pp. 56–57]}}
Chord inversion is especially simple in major-thirds tuning. Chords are inverted simply by raising one or two notes three strings. The raised notes are played with the same finger as the original notes. The major-thirds tuning is also a regular tuning having a major third interval between strings.{{harvtxt|Griewank|2010|p=10}}
- Open G tuning, which is used as D', G', B, D, g, b, d' for the (7-string) Russian guitar.{{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}}{{cite book|title=Songs to seven strings: Russian guitar poetry and Soviet "mass song"|series=Soviet history, politics, society, and thought|first=Gerald Stanton|last=Smith|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bKRiAAAAMAAJ|publisher=Indiana University Press|year=1984|isbn=978-0-253-35391-7|pages=1–271}}{{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}}
- Open C tuning.{{harvtxt|Sethares|2001o|loc=[http://sethares.engr.wisc.edu/alternatetunings/regulartunings.pdf The open C tuning, p. 18]}}:
{{cite book|chapter=Open tunings|title=Alternate tuning guide|first=Bill|last=Sethares|author-link=William Sethares|year=2001o|pages=16–33|url=http://sethares.engr.wisc.edu/alternatetunings/regulartunings.pdf|publisher=University of Wisconsin; Department of Electrical Engineering|location=Madison, Wisconsin|access-date=9 September 2012}}
For the English guitar's open C tuning,{{cite book|title=Handbook of Guitar and Lute Composers|author=Hannu Annala |author2=Heiki Mätlik |translator=Katarina Backman|publisher=Mel Bay|year=2007|isbn=978-0-7866-5844-2|page=30|chapter=Composers for other plucked instruments: Rudolf Straube (1717-1785)}} there are ten strings—of which the highest eight are paired in four courses (duplicated strings), C E GG cc ee gg.
{{clear}}
Four
File:Diminished seventh chord in the chromatic circle.pngs repeat its four notes after four strings (twice on an eight-string guitar).]]
In each minor-thirds tuning, every interval between successive strings is a minor third. It repeats its open-notes after four strings. Doubled notes have different sounds because of differing "string widths, tensions and
tunings, and [they] reinforce each other,
like the doubled strings of a twelve string guitar
add chorusing and depth," according to William Sethares.
In the minor-thirds tuning beginning with C,
: C-D{{music|#}}-F{{music|#}}-a-c-d{{music|#}}
the open strings contain the notes (c, d{{music|#}}, f{{music|#}}) of the diminished C chord. The minor-thirds tuning is also a regular tuning, which has a minor third interval between consecutive strings.{{harvtxt|Sethares|2001|loc=[http://sethares.engr.wisc.edu/alternatetunings/regulartunings.pdf "The minor third tuning", p. 54]}}
{{clear}}
See also
{{Portal|Music}}
- Scordatura, alternative tunings of stringed instruments
- Stringed instrument tunings
{{Clear}}
Notes
{{Reflist|2}}
References
- {{citation|last=Griewank|first=Andreas|author-link=Andreas Griewank|title=Tuning guitars and reading music in major thirds|date=1 January 2010|url=http://vs24.kobv.de/opus4-matheon/frontdoor/index/index/docId/675|series=Matheon preprints|volume=695|publisher=DFG research center "MATHEON, Mathematics for key technologies" Berlin|location=Berlin|id=MSC-Classification 97M80 Arts. Music. Language. Architecture. [http://vs24.kobv.de/opus4-matheon/files/675/7047_mathtune.ps Postscript file] and [http://vs24.kobv.de/opus4-matheon/files/675/7046_mathtune.pdf Pdf file]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108070453/http://vs24.kobv.de/opus4-matheon/frontdoor/index/index/docId/675|archive-date=8 November 2012}}
- {{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]}}
{{Guitar tunings|Repetitive}}