Mike Neer wrote:The problem I have with tunings like this where you are trying to cram as many triads as possible into the tuning is that you lose all of your inversions. I would rather be able to play 3 inversions of a C chord than to be able to play 1 inversion of 3 different triads, if that makes any sense.
I agree with you, Mike. One thing that is missing is the whole step intervals which are very helpful for single note playing and for harmony work as well (something that you have pointed out here many times.) One other thing- I don't see any 6 fret tritones which are an important part of diminished and dominant chords (something else that you have taught us). To get a tritone you need two adjacent minor third intervals whereas the intervals here alternate between minor and major thirds. Starting at the low E there is a strict alteration of minor 7th and major 7th chords.
Don- If your tuning works for you, great! Different people are looking for different things in tunings, often based on their own picking style. One twist on your idea of adjacent thirds would be to follow the diatonic scale like this for C Major:
[tab] (triads and 4-note chords starting at low C and going up)
1 G
2 E m3
3 C M3
4 A m3 A minor 7 (or C6)
5 F M3 F Major 7
6 D m3 D minor 7 (or F6)
7 B m3 B half-diminished 7
8 G M3 G dominant 7
9 E m3 E minor 7 (or G6)
10 C M3 C Major 7
(That tuning doesn't have any whole step intervals, either.
)[/tab]
That's my 2 cents, Don. I think it is great that you are forging ahead creating your own tuning and sharing it with us. (It is said that Speedy West would detune some of his strings whenever he'd leave the bandstand to mislead anyone trying to copy his tuning.)
Steve Ahola
