TUNINGS - For 6, 4(8) and 3 Strings

Tunings

Following today's YMI 'Soundwaves' workshop at SENSE Scotland's Touchbase centre, I thought I should list all the tunings I like to use here: There are no real rules, but it's probably best to tune down to a note, rather than up, to begin with, to avoid broken strings. Having said that, if you think about a standard set of guitar strings EADGBe - It should be fairly easy to figure out that tuning a string that is made to be played in E up to a high A is going to cause problems. - I reckon, if you are lucky, it will break beyond a high G - Prove me wrong!

6 Strings

EADGBe - Standard tuning

EADGae - Pentatonic
ACDEGa - Petatonic 2

DAdGad - Dadgad or Modal D (that's what they call it!)

DAdF#BE - Jojo's tuning

EAC#eae - Open A

DAdF#ad - Open D

DGdgBd - Open G

DGCgcd - Led Zep (Rain Song)

CFcGcD - Cittern

GBDgbd - Dobro (my favourite)

EADeea - Balalaika

AGCEae - Charango

CEGA#cD - Overtone
CEG#ceg# - Major 3rds
CGDgBc - Admiral
CFcGA#F - Buzzard
DAdGBE - Drop D
CGDgAd - Face
DAddad - 4 & 20
ABEF#aD - Hot Type
DACGcE - Layover
CFcGAE - Magic Finger (Seriously!?)

There are lots of others!

4 Strings

Or 8 - Most using middle 4 strings from a set

GDAE - Tenor (mandolin / fiddle / bouzouki)

AEaC# - Open A (What I use)

GDgB - Open G

DAdF# - Open D

CGDA - Tenor Banjo

GCEA - Ukulele

DGBd - Mini Spanish (my  second favourite - Also the 'main' strings on a 5 string banjo)

Paired Tunings

DGdd

DAdd - (Appalacian Dulcimer)

EAee

3 Strings

The following are named after the paired strings, and adaptable to any key.

DAd 

AEa

GDg

EAe

GgB - My favourite -  with a low and high G

PLEASE SEND ME SUGGESTIONS / CORRECTIONS - Cheers.