MatthewVanitas
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2010
- Messages
- 46
- Reaction score
- 0
I've been mucking around with various alternate ukulele tunings over time, and it struck me that it might be really cool to have a comprehensive list of the possible (practical) ukulele tunings. Does anyone think this might be something we could compile together and use to create a permanent article for UU?
A few thoughts: to focus on the distinctive possibilities, I'd suggest that transpositions of a given tuning not be given a separate entry (that is, both GCEG and ADF#A be listed together as "Open C Major and variants), perhaps ditto for re-entrant variants.
Here's a potential starting off list:
Standard: GCEA. Aka: my-dog-has-fleas, C-tuning
Old Time banjo-based tunings
Open C Major: GCEG. Aka: banjo tuning
Open C minor: GCE♭G Aka: minor banjo tuning
Sawmill: GCFG
Double-G GDGA (taken from banjo "Double C" tuning)
I did note one player on YouTube (Jack Haas) who states he uses "oud tuning" (clip here). He doesn't specify (I should write him and ask), but given that a common 5-course Egyptian oud tuning is G - A - D - G - C, it would appear that GCFB would be a likely choice, though might require slightly lighter strings on the highest two.
So far as other tunings I'm dimly aware of but haven't tried, I've heard of "wahine" tunings that are an open 7th chord.
Anyone else think that cataloging various feasible tunings, along with notes as to how they're used, whether re-stringing is required, etc. would make for a useful article?
A few thoughts: to focus on the distinctive possibilities, I'd suggest that transpositions of a given tuning not be given a separate entry (that is, both GCEG and ADF#A be listed together as "Open C Major and variants), perhaps ditto for re-entrant variants.
Here's a potential starting off list:
Standard: GCEA. Aka: my-dog-has-fleas, C-tuning
Old Time banjo-based tunings
Open C Major: GCEG. Aka: banjo tuning
Open C minor: GCE♭G Aka: minor banjo tuning
Sawmill: GCFG
Double-G GDGA (taken from banjo "Double C" tuning)
I did note one player on YouTube (Jack Haas) who states he uses "oud tuning" (clip here). He doesn't specify (I should write him and ask), but given that a common 5-course Egyptian oud tuning is G - A - D - G - C, it would appear that GCFB would be a likely choice, though might require slightly lighter strings on the highest two.
So far as other tunings I'm dimly aware of but haven't tried, I've heard of "wahine" tunings that are an open 7th chord.
Anyone else think that cataloging various feasible tunings, along with notes as to how they're used, whether re-stringing is required, etc. would make for a useful article?
Last edited: