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Thread: Anybody use alternate tunings?

  1. #1
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    Anybody use alternate tunings?

    When I've played clawhammer I've used a number of different tunings,such as sawmill tuning,and so forth. Any of you use this in bluegrass? I'm waiting for a book I sent for that deals with this very thing.

  2. #2

    Re: Anybody use alternate tunings?

    Quote Originally Posted by BanjoBelle View Post
    When I've played clawhammer I've used a number of different tunings,such as sawmill tuning,and so forth. Any of you use this in bluegrass? I'm waiting for a book I sent for that deals with this very thing.
    BanjoBelle,

    Alternate tunings are not very common in traditional bluegrass as played by Earl Scruggs, Ralph Stanley, JD Crowe, etc.
    I’d estimate that at least 80% of the time traditional bluegrass players play out of open G (gDGBD), 18% or 19% are in dropped-C (gCGBD), or D-tuning (aDF#AD or f#DF#AD), and the remaining 1 or 2% are unusual tunings, such as JD Crowe’s “Bear Tracks” in open-C (gCGCE), Earl’s “Nashville Blues” in D-minor (aDFAD), or G-minor (gDGBbD).

    -Dave

  3. #3

    Re: Anybody use alternate tunings?

    I have used most of the above that Dave mentions and also (gDGCD). Three finger style, resonator bluegrass banjo.

  4. #4

    Re: Anybody use alternate tunings?

    I try not to use them. Don't want to waste time at jam. Either just lower 5th to F# or raise it to A to play those popular alternate tunes. I do use C tuning though.

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