At a guitar workshop I ran a little while ago we were talking about finding new and inspiring ways to play, and what the participants would potentially like to discuss in future sessions.
One participant casually suggests ‘Perhaps we could do something on alternate tunings?’ A hush descends, like a flat-earther being discovered at a Brian Cox convention, (The physicist I mean obviously, not the Shakespearean actor). ‘I’m not sure about that,’ I hear someone mutter, ‘I have enough trouble with normal chords, without learning new ones...’
Well I’m here to tell you about a tuning that doesn’t turn every chord shape you know on its head, it’s called ‘Nashville Tuning’. The secret is that it’s actually not an alternate tuning at all, so hopefully this little idea is going to satisfy both camps. The ones who want to hear something new and the lazy ones who won’t learn some new chord shapes, (ha ha... just kidding).
At some point in the dim and distant past, in an attempt to make records sound bigger and more interesting, the song producers and session players of Nashville started experimenting with different gauges of string on their guitars, whilst keeping the traditional EADGBe guitar tuning. Same tuning = same chord shapes, but what I hear you ask is, 'What is this mythical new mix of string gauge and how do I do it?'
Some of you, like me, are possibly lucky enough to own, or at least to have played, a twelve string guitar. You probably know, aside from sometimes being complete rotters to keep in tune, that they have their own special, lush sound, and that’s primarily created by the fact that a twelve string guitar has four pairs of strings that are identically tuned but an octave apart (EADG) and two pairs of perfectly identical strings (B and high e). Put another way, that’s basically a normal set of guitar strings, plus a set which consists of four higher octave strings in the bass, and a normal B and high e.
You can buy a Nashville set if you want, but the cost of a Nashville set, added to the cost of a normal set of strings, is typically higher than if you buy yourself a set for a twelve string guitar. So, if you fancy giving this a go, buy yourself a twelve string pack, even if you don’t actually own a twelve string guitar, separate out the normal strings, and put what you’ve got left on an ordinary guitar…
Whilst I let that sink in for a moment, I’m pleased to say that I am in the perfect position to show you exactly what happens, and what the two sets sound like. I’m lucky enough to have both the six and twelve string versions of exactly the same guitar. Effectively twins. I call them ‘Annie’ and ‘Clarabel’, shout out to anyone who recognises that reference without googling it ;-) So I’ve stripped Annie (my twelve string) of her ‘normal’ six string gauge, and I’ve left Clarabel alone. Here’s the difference…
And quite a difference there is! So what is this actually good for? It’s a pretty ‘toppy’ sound, not the balance in terms of bass and treble that you’d normally expect from a guitar. The fact that all the notes are far closer together in terms of pitch makes for a very focused sound. You might consider it to be a bit lacking for a solo performance, but in a group context, especially for a finger picker, it’s going to really help you stand out in the mix.
Put it together with a guitar strung in a more standard way played by a friend, and you’ve got that twelve string vibe, but you’re not constrained by that sound coming from just one guitar. Two different types of guitar might further enhance the sound, maybe an electric… imagine the possibilities. I’ve got to say though that I’m sure on an acoustic guitar, string tension is not going to be a problem, but on an electric guitar, if you play really light strings, like 9’s, and your guitar is specifically set up for them, you might need to make some adjustments, depending on the string set you choose, ok?
Anyway, you don’t have to take my word for it that this is “a thing”. If it’s good enough for Keith Richards, David Gilmour, Mark Knopfler, Johnny Marr, Ry Cooder, James Taylor or The Eagles…
Cheers, and let me know how you get on!
Record Time
You’ll never listen to ‘Wild Horses’ by The Rolling Stones the same way again… Nashville tuning in action!
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