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Thread: Tenor tuning survey

  1. #51
    Registered User
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    Default Re: Tenor tuning survey

    Tenor guitar by Adam Buchwald - G D A E
    National Triolian, 1930 or so , same tuning
    I play swing, Gypsy, Irish, Quebecoise and folkie stuff - some choro, the occasional tango.
    Will Patton

  2. #52

    Default Re: Tenor tuning survey

    I'm absolutely new to the tenor guitar - I was given an old Regal a few days ago. I like old time tunes and ballads. I have to say that it sort of seemed pretty natural to tune CGcg (the top two strings dropped a tone from CGDA). I've only been playing a couple of hours but I've worked out I can play D fiddle tunes if I capo at fret 2 (I tried Angelina Baker, Soldiers Joy, Arkansas Traveller, Blackest Crow). And A minor tunes with the capo at fret 2 (I tried Cluck Old Hen, Shady Grove, Cuckcoo). And A major tunes from a capo at fret 2 (I tried Cripple Creek, Buffalo Gals). G major tunes with the capo at fret 5 (I tried Shove the Pig's Foot). And A mixolidian tunes with a capo up at fret 7 (I tried Old Joe Clark, June Apple). Of course tunes and songs in C, Dm, F and various points in between are also available from that 1-5-1-5 tuning, and most of the time I can pick out the melody against root and/or 5th drones. This tuning does seem to make the instrument easy to play and the tunes just roll along in a sort of Transatlantic old time/Celtic way. I'm certainly going to take my tenor guitar along to the next old time session - it's a lovely sound and great fun!!!

  3. #53
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    Default Re: Tenor tuning survey

    I have a very wide historic range of music that I like to play (mostly folk, county, old-time, mid-century standards, bluegrass and gospel) ranging from Stephen Foster to Irving Berlin to Gillian Welch. My primary tenor instrument is a Blueridge BR40-T tuned CGDA. I mostly jam with bluegrass gospel & classic country players at a local shop & a couple churches. The Martin guitar purists aren't quite sure what to make of my four string guitar but the fiddle & mandolin players soon recognized what I was doing and have been very gracious. Some of my favorite old country songs to play were written by Grand Ol Opry members the Delmore Brothers and the Louvin Brothers who both featured the tenor guitar in their acts.

    I also have a Morgan Monroe mandolin and a 1931 Gibson tenor banjo currently tuned GDAE but don't play either one very often. I mostly strum first position chords and I need to learn to finger pick to play either well. I keep pushing & stretching my left hand to be able to play chord melodies and cover all the strings on the bluegrass mandolin chords but I'm not there yet.

    Lately I've been playing ukulele a lot - I have several including 1930's Martin & Gibson sopranos, a 1948 Martin T-17 tiple, and a 1940's Gretsch campfire uke. I mention the ukes because their chord structures have made me think about trying Chicago tuning on my tenor. I also like the great diversity of chord charts & tabs available for uke which has greatly increased the range of styles of songs that I play. I'm also using the uke to learn to pick & move my left hand quicker. The smaller scale and lower tension of the nylon strings is helping to make that process easier. Once the muscle memory, picking rolls & music theory are in my head, I plan to head back to the steel stringed instruments.
    1963 Martin 0-18T, 1967 Gibson ETG-150, 1930s Epiphone Beverly Tenor Guitar, 2013 Blueridge BR-40T tenor guitar, 1960s Goya Tenor Guitar, 1980 Alvarez A900 mandolin, 2020 Kentucky KM-656, Flatiron Mandola, Weber Sage #2 OM

  4. #54
    Registered User bruce.b's Avatar
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    Sep 2010
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    Lebanon, Ct
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    Default Re: Tenor tuning survey

    Herb Taylor archtop tenor guitar, 21.25" scale length.
    GDAE
    Irish trad and old time mostly. Playing a couple of Monroe tunes lately too.

  5. #55
    David Deacon
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    Jun 2009
    Location
    Syracuse NY
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    Default Re: Tenor tuning survey

    Both--tuned GDAE for Irish. The tenor guitar is a Blueridge BR60t; banjo is a B&D Silver Bell.

  6. #56
    Registered User John Kelly's Avatar
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    Oct 2009
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    Ardnadam, Argyll, Scotland
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    Default Re: Tenor tuning survey

    Tenor guitar and tenor banjo- both tuned GDAE. Music is mainly Scottish/Irish and forays into country and folk music as the mood takes me.

  7. #57

    Default Re: Tenor tuning survey

    Viello...18" 5-string viola played upright like a cello with
    a 15.5" scale length, walnut back/sides, spruce top,
    tuned CGDAE

    Pono Mahogony Baritone Uke tuned GDAE like an octave
    mandolin

    Scottish, other celtic and folk.

    Beginner, need to learn the fingerboard more solidly and site read more quickly. Having a fretted instrument removes the question of whether I hit the right note in tune...it also translates learning a new tune to the viello better than picking it out on a piano because you get both the tune and the fingering. The uke is brand new and I love the mellow sound of nylon strings with a mahogany body.

  8. #58

    Default Re: Tenor tuning survey

    Tenor Guitar. GDGD. Tried GDAE for a bit but decided I wasn't going to learn yet another tuning, as I am mainly a 6-string guitarist in standard, open D, open G. I use the tenor in this tuning to noodle on the couch with I-IV-V melodic stuff in G and just figured out my own chords.

  9. #59
    Registered User kwerry's Avatar
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    Aug 2013
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    Vancouver, Canada
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    Default Re: Tenor tuning survey

    Two Tenors. GDAE & CGDA, Celtic & Folk.. all poorly :-)

    Beat up Tenor Banjo in pieces in the garage.. probably GDAE when it plays again.

    Kerry

  10. #60

    Default Re: Tenor tuning survey

    - Tenor Guitar
    - Currently CGDA
    - Learning as I go Partial to jazz or blues as that's my background. Looking for guidance on new styles.

    New to tenor guitar, but played 6-string for years. Recently bought a mandolin again and got back into 5ths tunings. Might have to talk the wife into another purchase for GDAE.

  11. #61
    Registered User Jim Adwell's Avatar
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    Mar 2013
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    Ocala, FL
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    Default Re: Tenor tuning survey

    Tenor guitar tuned CGDA. I played 6-string guitar for many years but I also played tenor banjo and I like 5ths tuning much better (I played violin and viola when I was young and I don't have to think much about where to put my fingers, whereas reading notation for guitar was always a bit of a strain for me).

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