Alternate Guitar Tuning

All guitar players in the world are aware of the standard tuning pattern that is the 'E A D G B e'. But there are many more patterns in which a guitar can be tuned. All such patterns are collectively known as 'alternate guitar tuning'. The trend of tuning guitars to various patterns is certainly on the rise. However, it is recommended that one should try his hands on these patterns only after mastering the guitar with standard tuning. Alternate tunings are not a new phenomenon, they are being used for years by several well-known jazz, rock and roll, classical, and technical guitarists. It is just now that these tuning styles are coming to light. Many modern guitarists are inspired by these tunings.

Alternate tuning is a pattern that is totally different from the standard style. In this pattern, all or some of the strings are tuned to a different sound. This enables the player to produce different sounds easily which he couldn't have ever done with standard tuning. It is these tuning styles that make guitarists come up with new technical riffs and notations. If a guitar is tuned to some specific patterns, even a person who doesn't have any knowledge of playing chords will be able to play the guitar easily. Even if the guitar is played openly without placing fingers on the fretboard, it would be a major chord. A chord can also be played by just placing a finger on a single string. To make this clearer, you may consider a simple example of the 'drop D' tuning.

Standard Tuning
e--------------------------------------
B--------------------------------------
G--------------------------------------
D--------------------------------------
A--------------------------------------
E--------------------------------------

Drop D Tuning

e--------------------------------------
B--------------------------------------
G--------------------------------------
D--------------------------------------
A--------------------------------------
D--------------------------------------

Here you can see that the last string which is 'E' has been tuned to the 'D' note, which is one note lower than the standard 'E'. Similarly, any string can be tuned to any note. This is how different chords and sounds are generated.

Alternate Tuning Chart

Tuning Type	6th	5th	4th	3rd	2nd	1st
Admiral	C	G	D	G	B	C
All Fourths	E	A	D	G	C	F
Augmented Fourths	C	F#	C	F#	C	F#
Buzzard	C	F	C	G	A#	F
Baritone	B	E	A	D	F#	B
Balalaika E	E	A	D	E	E	A
Cooder	Db	Ab	Db	F	Ab	Db
Collins	F	C	F	Ab	C	F
Cittern (1)	C	F	C	G	C	D
Cittern (2)	C	G	C	G	C	G
D Modal	D	A	D	D	A	D
D Minor	D	A	D	F	A	D
Dobro	G	B	D	G	B	D
Drop D	D	A	D	G	B	e
Drop A	A	E	A	D	G	C
Double Drop D	D	A	D	G	B	D
Fourths	E	A	D	G	C	F
Face	C	G	D	G	A	D
G Minor	D	G	D	G	Bb	D
G6	D	G	D	G	B	e
Half Bent	F	Bb	Eb	Ab	C	F
Hendrix	Eb	Ab	Db	Gb	Bb	eb
Iris	B	D	D	D	D	D
Kaki King	C	G	D	G	A	D
Hot Type	A	B	E	F#	A	D
Kottke	C#	F#	B	E	G#	C#
Leadbelly	B	E	A	D	F#	B
Layover	D	A	C	G	C	e
Lute	E	A	D	F#	B	e
Lefty	E	B	G	D	A	e
Mandolin Guitar	C	G	D	A	E	B
Magic Farmer	C	F	C	G	A	e
Major Third	C	E	G#	C	E	G#
Major Sixth	C	A	F#	D#	C	A
Mayfield	F#	A#	C#	F#	A#	F#
Minor Third	C	D#	F#	A	C#	D#
Minor Sixth	C	G#	E	C	G#	e
Modal G	D	G	D	G	C	D
Modal D	D	A	D	G	A	D
Open D Minor	D	A	D	F	A	D
Open E	E	B	E	G#	B	e
Pentatonic	A	C	D	E	G	A
Overtone	C	E	G	A#	C	D
Pelican	D	A	D	E	A	D
Slow Motion	D	G	D	F	C	D
Spirit	C#	A	C#	G#	A	e
Processional	D	G	D	F	A	A#
Tarboulton	C	A#	C	F	A#	F
Triqueen	D	G	D	F#	A	B
Toulouse	E	C	D	F	A	D
Standard	E	A	D	G	B	e

These are some of the alternative guitar tuning patterns that are used by professionals. If you observe some tuning styles clearly, they are named after the artists who use or used those particular styles, like 'Kaki King', Leo Kottke, 'Huddie William Ledbetter' (Leadbelly), and 'Jimi Hendrix'. Some are even named after the musical instruments whose sound matches the sound of the alternate tunings, like the 'mandolin guitar'.

Third Hand Capo

A 'capo' is an equipment that is used on stringed musical instruments to raise the pitch of strings. It is generally used on acoustic guitars in order to play chords openly. The chords which require bar chording on a guitar without a capo can be played openly with using a capo. If you don't want to tune your guitar in different patterns, you may consider using a 'third hand capo'. This is a special type of capo which allows you to produce sounds of particular alternate tuning styles without the need of actually changing the tuning of strings. It is a special capo that is divided into six sections which can be individually lifted from or lowered on the fretboard. You can make adjustments according to the sounds that you need from strings. You may also use two or more third hand capos for producing specific sounds.

Note: This article is just the base of what alternative guitar tunings are all about.

If you are not using the capo for this purpose, just ensure that you don't break any strings while tuning to a higher pitch. Alternate guitar tuning is certainly a fun way to make new sounds and chords. However, it is practically impossible to completely master all the above mentioned patterns, their scales, chords, and techniques.