Why EADGBE??
Can anyone tell me why \"standard\" tuning is EADGB? Is there some specific music theory involved that makes this the most optimal tuning, or
has it just become the most popular through common consent? :?
has it just become the most popular through common consent? :?
Comments
AlbertA, Could you explain the logic behind standard tuning in more detail? I know very little about music theory but it is something I'm working on (not rapidly though, working on lots of things!).
One thing I've never quite understood is the stagger on the the G string.
I guess I'm doing an excellent job showing my ignorance!
One more thing regarding my favorite string ( Not!! ). The good old G.
Here's the deal, Is it just me or what? I pretty much judge the quality of a guitar based on whether or not the G string will stay in tune after you've bent it (vibrato included). My experience with the guitars that I've owned over the years,on the lower end, cheaper guitars,the G string would not stay in tune. Even the ones with locking trems. On the mid-level and high end (more expensive) guitars the G string will stay in tune even after taking a beating.
Any info would be appreciated.
Lee
As far as why it starts with E, not sure. I'd guess it's a convention, but there might be rationale for it. One guess I had is that more keys than any other have one of E A D G B as a primary chord tone, so resonance is optimal - but that's a wild guess and I didn't test it. Perhaps most music was written in A or E, in the period of the development of today's classical guitar?
The reason for G sounding weird is most likely due to the fact that the string next-thinnest is in a 3rd, which produces many more \"clashing\" overtones than a 4th does. Usually a good setup compensates for this issue.
- Ilia
It does, but only the interval aspect of it. In other words, the reason open position chords are relatively easy is because the tuning intervals are 4th-4th-4th-3rd-4th. It's also the reason why non-open position are likewise relatively easy to play.
However, if you tune everything up or down, you'll have the exact same patterns and same relative ease of playing open positions (assuming you readjust your neck and use appropriate-gauge strings).
Starting with E=E A D G B
Starting with D=D G C F A
Starting with C=C F Bb Eb G
Starting with B=B E A D F#
Starting with A=A D G C E
Starting with G=G C F Bb D
Starting with F=F Bb Eb Ab C
Notice that the only ones that yield no shaps or flats on open strings are E, A, D. That's probably part of the reason why the particular tuning was chosen - you have the A (central of the three), to whom E is a dominant and D is a subdominant.
Again, I'm just guessing.
- Ilia
http://lilytears.com/arts/music/guitar/methods/
Also some good theory stuff on the site as well if you're interested...
Even though the above link does not get into all the open tunings for blues slide, there are several links out there covering the subject as well. Personally I use standard tunings but when I used to play slide I'd use all kinds of open tunings to try to emulate my favorite blues slide player Johnny Winters...
Hope the above link is of some help.
See Ya,
Tal
However, it's important to understand inversion from a compositional/improvisational standpoint. wholenote.com has a chord dictionary that can tell you not only fret/string position, but also scale degrees and notes of each chord. What I would recommend is learning the inversions as follows:
1. Start with any of the chord shapes (pick one and work on one at a time, don't go for all five from the start). For minor chords, as well as all manners of 7th chords, you may want to OMIT some of the notes in the chord shapes.
2. You DON'T have to play all the notes of a chord; however, you must know which ones you do play to get the particular chord sound. For example, for a major chord, you definitely want the 3rd and the 5th. If you need a 7th chord, at the minimum you should have a 3rd or 5th and the 7th.
3. Now, you will benefit from a list of notes in a chord. Here's an example: Emaj chord has E, G#, and B. So, if you played the C-shape Emaj chord (starting with root on 5th string, 7th fret), the notes are (from lowest to highest) E, G#, B, E, G#.
4. This means that the next inversion of the chord, each of those notes will move up to the next chord tone: G# B E G# B. Move each note on its respective string UP the fretboard so that you have all those notes. http://www.44lbs.net/ilia/inversion_Emaj.txt
5. NOW, as G3456 mentioned, you want to come up with the chord a 4th below and a 4th above each of the inversions. G-shape and E-shape chords (starting with root on 6th string, inverting the same way as steps 2-3). D-shape chords can be used for a 4th above, or you can take a partial E-shape starting with root on fourth string.
The key goal with practicing the inversions together with circle of 5ths is to ensure that the total movement for all notes from chord to chord is as little as necessary. See the Yngwie cadence example in the link above - notice how the E chord goes into the Amin very smoothly - the total movement is only 3 semitones.
Inversions are also useful for smoothing out voiceleading. See the Joe Stump climb at the end of the link above.
A good, albeit complicated, book on the subject of chord voicing and voice-leading for guitar is Chord Chemistry by Ted Greene.
Sorry for the OT, I just love explaining this stuff!
- Ilia