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Thread: Tenor Guitar Tuning for more Contemporary Music?

  1. #1

    Default Tenor Guitar Tuning for more Contemporary Music?

    I just lucked into a Fender Tenor Tele as a six-string player. I'd like to diversify into fifths but the learning curve has been a little sharp. Transposing guitar tabs to fifths tuning is especially painful. I'm thinking of tuning down the more standard tenor Irish/Fiddle tuning of GDAE to EBF#C#, which would make it a lot easier to run power chords and others off the familiar E string.

    I've also considered Open E (EBEB) and maybe incorporating some slide. I'm just tired of being one of what feels like a million six string players in my area. I know a few people do octave bass (EADG) but that doesn't really give any distinct sound other than removing the high pitched B and E strings.

    I see tenor guitar players talk a lot about songs in the key of [A/B/C etc] and certain tunings being best for certain music. I play a lot of pop punk, grunge, and alternative music as the main guitar player in a band and want to still be able to carry those familiar tunes in fifths or open tuning. I do want to diversify further into Mandolin and tenor banjo once I've got the tenor more down, but playing as the main [tenor] guitar player and vocalist in a three-piece is the priority, so I'm thinking open E may be the move. Is that tuning overly limiting for playing lead lines etc?

    Any advice is appreciated.

  2. #2

    Default Re: Tenor Guitar Tuning for more Contemporary Music?

    I can't claim the following approach is for everybody, but here's what I do:

    I watch Youtube guitar instructional videos for regular 6-string tuning.

    I click on the gear shape for settings, and crank down the speed.

    I listen and find the part on my GDAE-tuned instrument.

    I play each section through a couple of times, then quickly dash down tabulature so I don't have to reinvent the wheel next time.

    Over time, the techniques and alternate chord voicings build up and become a foundation for learning newer stuff.

    Open tuning can be a great shortcut, as long as what you're doing fits into that imposed "filter" of the tuning. I personally prefer a less limiting paradigm, but that's my particular choice.

    Whatever path you choose, good luck!
    ----

    Playing a funky oval-hole scroll-body mandolin, several mandolins retuned to CGDA, three CGDA-tuned Flatiron mandolas, two Flatiron mandolas tuned as octave mandolins,and a six-course 25.5" scale CGDAEB-tuned Ovation Mandophone.

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