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GUITAR TECHNIQUE TIP OF THE MONTH Your Personal Guitar Lesson |
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| BE SURE TO VISIT DOUG'S "SECRET VAULT" It contains many of Doug's Previous Guitar Technique Tips of the Month |
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How to Stabilize Scordatura Tunings
By Douglas Niedt
Copyright Douglas Niedt, All Rights Reserved. This article may be reprinted, but please be
considerate and give credit to Douglas Niedt.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
What is Scordatura?
"On this next piece I use scordatura tuning" sounds a lot more impressive than "On this next
piece I use dropped-D tuning." But scordatura (pronounced score-dah-too-rah) is just a fancy
word for altered and open tunings. It comes from the Italian word scordare which actually
means to mistune.
The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians tells us scordatura is:
"A term applied largely to lutes, guitars, viols and the violin family to designate a tuning other
than the normal, established one. Scordatura was first introduced early in the 16th century and
enjoyed a particular vogue between 1600 and 1750. It offered novel colours, timbres and
sonorities, alternative harmonic possibilities and, in some cases, extension of an instrument's
range."
For us guitarists it also makes possible the execution of wide intervals, intricate string
crossings, interesting chord voicings unavailable with standard tuning, and greater resonance
on certain chords in certain keys often with the addition of open string drones.
The Problem
Our strings are made of nylon or nylon-like compounds. Unfortunately, nylon has "memory."
When we tune a string down in pitch, it wants to return upward to its "remembered" tension or
pitch. Conversely, when we tune a string up in pitch, it wants to return downward to its
"remembered" tension or pitch.
It's bad enough trying to keep the guitar in tune in standard tuning. When you change the
tuning of the strings, how in the world do you get the guitar to stay in tune?
How to Fix It
This month's technique tip gives you the simple and easy answer: Tune past the destination
note.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
As an example, let's say you want to tune the sixth string down to "D" and keep it there. Here is
what you do. On most nylon-string guitars it takes about three half-turns of the tuning machine
knob (or key) to tune the sixth string down to "D" (a half-turn is a 180 degree rotation of the
knob). To "trick" the string's "memory," turn the tuning knob six half-turns down instead of
three. That takes the string way past its destination of "D." Let it sit for about five seconds.
Then turn the knob back up three half-turns which brings it approximately back to "D." That's
all there is to it. Those three extra turns, going down past your destination note and then back
up, help "set" or stabilize the string at its new pitch. It will still creep up a little bit, but very little.
In his excellent book, Tuning the Guitar by Ear (published by Mel Bay Publications), Gerald
Klickstein recommends tuning down nine turns and up six. Experiment and see what works for
you.
Then, to tune the sixth string back up to "E" after playing in dropped-D tuning, turn the tuning
knob up six half-turns. Again, this takes you way past your destination pitch of "E." Let it sit
about five seconds. Then turn the tuning knob back down three half-turns which brings it back
approximately to "E." Once again, those three extra turns that take you up past your
destination note help restore the string's "memory" so it stabilizes back on "E" with very little
string drift afterward.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
Some people pull or tug on the string after tuning it down or up. Personally I don't recommend
it. It may help stabilize the string, but doing so repeatedly, wears out the string faster. Some
people say that tugging on a string at the soundhole area can stretch the string unevenly,
resulting in a ruined string that won't play in tune. I have also observed guitarists tug on a
string and then accidentally let go of it, producing an unintended and very embarrassing
"Bartok pizzicato."
In a concert situation, after tuning the string past its destination and waiting for it to "set," I kill
time for five to ten seconds by briefly rechecking the tuning on the other strings. Then I return
to the scordatura string and take it to its final destination.
Tuning the string past its destination is effective with any string or group of strings although
the number of turns required may vary from string to string and even guitar to guitar.
Experiment to figure out what your guitar requires. And finally, although I haven't had it happen
to me, tuning a really old or defective string up three half-turns past its destination could
possibly break it. So be sure to keep relatively fresh strings on your guitar—after all, she (he,
it) responds best when well taken care of…
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
By Douglas Niedt
Copyright Douglas Niedt, All Rights Reserved. This article may be reprinted, but please be
considerate and give credit to Douglas Niedt.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
What is Scordatura?
"On this next piece I use scordatura tuning" sounds a lot more impressive than "On this next
piece I use dropped-D tuning." But scordatura (pronounced score-dah-too-rah) is just a fancy
word for altered and open tunings. It comes from the Italian word scordare which actually
means to mistune.
The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians tells us scordatura is:
"A term applied largely to lutes, guitars, viols and the violin family to designate a tuning other
than the normal, established one. Scordatura was first introduced early in the 16th century and
enjoyed a particular vogue between 1600 and 1750. It offered novel colours, timbres and
sonorities, alternative harmonic possibilities and, in some cases, extension of an instrument's
range."
For us guitarists it also makes possible the execution of wide intervals, intricate string
crossings, interesting chord voicings unavailable with standard tuning, and greater resonance
on certain chords in certain keys often with the addition of open string drones.
The Problem
Our strings are made of nylon or nylon-like compounds. Unfortunately, nylon has "memory."
When we tune a string down in pitch, it wants to return upward to its "remembered" tension or
pitch. Conversely, when we tune a string up in pitch, it wants to return downward to its
"remembered" tension or pitch.
It's bad enough trying to keep the guitar in tune in standard tuning. When you change the
tuning of the strings, how in the world do you get the guitar to stay in tune?
How to Fix It
This month's technique tip gives you the simple and easy answer: Tune past the destination
note.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
As an example, let's say you want to tune the sixth string down to "D" and keep it there. Here is
what you do. On most nylon-string guitars it takes about three half-turns of the tuning machine
knob (or key) to tune the sixth string down to "D" (a half-turn is a 180 degree rotation of the
knob). To "trick" the string's "memory," turn the tuning knob six half-turns down instead of
three. That takes the string way past its destination of "D." Let it sit for about five seconds.
Then turn the knob back up three half-turns which brings it approximately back to "D." That's
all there is to it. Those three extra turns, going down past your destination note and then back
up, help "set" or stabilize the string at its new pitch. It will still creep up a little bit, but very little.
In his excellent book, Tuning the Guitar by Ear (published by Mel Bay Publications), Gerald
Klickstein recommends tuning down nine turns and up six. Experiment and see what works for
you.
Then, to tune the sixth string back up to "E" after playing in dropped-D tuning, turn the tuning
knob up six half-turns. Again, this takes you way past your destination pitch of "E." Let it sit
about five seconds. Then turn the tuning knob back down three half-turns which brings it back
approximately to "E." Once again, those three extra turns that take you up past your
destination note help restore the string's "memory" so it stabilizes back on "E" with very little
string drift afterward.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
Some people pull or tug on the string after tuning it down or up. Personally I don't recommend
it. It may help stabilize the string, but doing so repeatedly, wears out the string faster. Some
people say that tugging on a string at the soundhole area can stretch the string unevenly,
resulting in a ruined string that won't play in tune. I have also observed guitarists tug on a
string and then accidentally let go of it, producing an unintended and very embarrassing
"Bartok pizzicato."
In a concert situation, after tuning the string past its destination and waiting for it to "set," I kill
time for five to ten seconds by briefly rechecking the tuning on the other strings. Then I return
to the scordatura string and take it to its final destination.
Tuning the string past its destination is effective with any string or group of strings although
the number of turns required may vary from string to string and even guitar to guitar.
Experiment to figure out what your guitar requires. And finally, although I haven't had it happen
to me, tuning a really old or defective string up three half-turns past its destination could
possibly break it. So be sure to keep relatively fresh strings on your guitar—after all, she (he,
it) responds best when well taken care of…
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
BE SURE TO VISIT DOUG'S "SECRET VAULT"
It contains many of Doug's Previous
Guitar Technique Tips of the Month
It contains many of Doug's Previous
Guitar Technique Tips of the Month
Have a comment?
Question?
Suggestion for the website?
We would love to hear from you.
Question?
Suggestion for the website?
We would love to hear from you.
We have a Printer Friendlier (PDF) version of this article that's also easier on the eyes.
It's SO much easier to read a printed article than to read it from the computer screen.
It's SO much easier to read a printed article than to read it from the computer screen.
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over 20 pages. Most of the videos run from 15-30 minutes. The tips are thorough and the
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A one-year subscription (12 tips) is only $24. That is only $2 per tip.
Purchase a ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION to:
DOUGLAS NIEDT'S GUITAR TECHNIQUE TIP OF THE MONTH
Doug's Guitar Technique Tip of the Month will be sent to you monthly. These are the best on the
Internet. No one else's technique articles and videos even come close. Most of the written tips run
over 20 pages. Most of the videos run from 15-30 minutes. The tips are thorough and the
production is excellent. Check out the free tips in Doug's Vault for a sampling.
A one-year subscription (12 tips) is only $24. That is only $2 per tip.
Be a better guitar player or teacher. SUBSCRIBE NOW!
Purchase a ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION to:
DOUGLAS NIEDT'S GUITAR TECHNIQUE TIP OF THE MONTH
Doug's Guitar Technique Tip of the Month will be sent to you monthly. These are the best on
the Internet. No one else's technique articles and videos even come close. Most of the written
tips run over 20 pages. Most of the videos run from 15-30 minutes. The tips are thorough and
the production is excellent. Check out the free tips in Doug's Vault for a sampling.
A one-year subscription (12 tips) is only $24. That is only $2 per tip.
Purchase a ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION to:
DOUGLAS NIEDT'S GUITAR TECHNIQUE TIP OF THE MONTH
Doug's Guitar Technique Tip of the Month will be sent to you monthly. These are the best on
the Internet. No one else's technique articles and videos even come close. Most of the written
tips run over 20 pages. Most of the videos run from 15-30 minutes. The tips are thorough and
the production is excellent. Check out the free tips in Doug's Vault for a sampling.
A one-year subscription (12 tips) is only $24. That is only $2 per tip.