Tenor guitar GDAE tuning, CGDA tuning and what strings to use.
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How do you tune a tenor guitar and what strings should you use? Here I look at two different tenor guitar tunings and two different scale length tenor guitars. We cover tenor guitar GDAE tuning and CGDA tuning.
First is a traditional scale, and traditional tuning - a 22" Session King tenor guitar tuned CGDA. Next up is a long scale tenor guitar - a 24.75" plectrum guitar, tuned in "Irish" tuning GDAE.
The first part of the video is pretty much "by the book" - conventional tuning and conventional gauges. The second part is where I use much heavier strings than theory would suggest.
So - CGDA tuning and string:
C 0.035 or 0.036" phosphor bronze
G 0.024" phosphor bronze
D 0.016 plain steel
A 0.010 plain steel.
This is for a 22" scale guitar. If your guitar is 21", go up a gauge heavier. If the guitar is around 23" scale, drop down to 9s.
GDAE tuning and long scale -
I highly recommend, if following the second part of the video, that you start off using a conventional set of strings for GDAE - ie:
G 0.040" phosphor bronze
D 0.030" phosphor bronze
A 0.016" plain steel or even a 0.015"
E 0.011" plain steel
See how your guitar reacts - if the action doesn't jump up, you could work towards the heavier sets I use for my guitars. Keep in mind, your guitar may not be robust enough to use the heavy strings I use, so be careful.
You can read more about my work here:
www.nkforsterguitars.com/inst...
Пікірлер: 31
After lots of searching - and string calculators - this is hands down the best and simplest discussion of tunings and gauges on this instrument . Excellent
@Nkforster
Жыл бұрын
Thanks.
just discovered this instrument. fascinating. great for violin players.
Excellent vid Nige, thank you!
Thank you Mr, Forester, this is just the info I was looking for.
@Nkforster
3 жыл бұрын
Forster. And you're very welcome.
@k.r.pangburn976
3 жыл бұрын
@@NkforsterDamn and it was right there in front of me... My apologies.
Both gitboxes sound terrific: full lows and sparkly highs!
3:53 That there is a Plectrum Guitar tuned in Fifths. It broadens the range.
Nigel Forster I took the DGBE Chicago Tuning, replaced the 2 lowest strings with Octave higher D & G Strings from a 12 String set, & ended up with a new tuning that's essentially a combination of Chicago & Nashville tuning which I call Chicagoville tuning aka Vihuela Tuning. That new tuning makes your Tenor Guitar sound like a Steel String Vihuela. It acted as a good cause too because I had a gig with a Spanish Group that's without a Vihuela player, & was asked to simulate that sound.
excellent video. thank you very much
@Nkforster
2 жыл бұрын
You are welcome!
4:12 24.75 in scale, that's the same Scale Length Gibson used. Of course the longer Scale Length allows you to use a lower tuning.
My tenor guitar is 22.9” ... I tune it GDAE and have had good luck with John Pearse tenor guitar strings (Set #450 80/20 bronze wound).
@WoutervanTiel
3 жыл бұрын
@String Theory Music As a bass player I would E A D G
I use GDAE Tuning for Jazz playing cause it's a much mellower sound.
What a delightfully spartan room you have
These strings could be used on a eletric tenor guitar?
What gauges would you recommend for an electric tenor guitar with a 22.5 inch scale length tuned GDAE?
Nigel Forster Violinists would have alot of fun in the Octave Down Violin Tuning.
@Nkforster
3 жыл бұрын
Yes. But an octave below. GDAE.
@RockStarOscarStern634
2 жыл бұрын
@@Nkforster It's easier to play than the Violin cause it has frets & you get to use a Pick. John Pearse 450 Tenor Guitar Strings are great for GDAE Tuning which gives it a really mellow sound.
What octaves for each string ? Sorry I’m new and having trouble getting my tenor to sound right
@Nkforster
2 жыл бұрын
Please rephrase your question. As it is, it makes no sense.
Ta' for that bonny lad!
I have a tenor guitar. I keep mine tuned to GDAE.
@bigbromiki1
4 жыл бұрын
also called Chicago tuning
@clawhammer704
3 жыл бұрын
I always thought Chicago tuning was DGBE. Ava has hers tuned in a violin / mandolin tuning.
@davezanko9051
3 жыл бұрын
@@clawhammer704 Octave mandolin/tenor viola tuning (yes, tenor violas exist, but are rarely used) is called "Irish tuning" as it's frequently used in Irish folk music as it allows the tenor banjo/guitar to duplicate the violin/mandolin an octave down. The CGDA tuning, a fourth up, is actually an alto tuning, same as a standard viola.
@MitchMb14
3 жыл бұрын
@@clawhammer704 You're right! Mine came in Chicago tuning and that lasted for 5 minutes because I kept reaching for the missing low E and A strings. I didn't buy the tenor guitar to have a reduced form of my 6 string guitar!