7 string tuning for blues

Allan Revich · Post by **Allan Revich** » 6 Nov 2021 5:31 pm

Starting from the standard Open D, DADF#AD, I put a dominant 7 on the 2nd string for a D7 tuning. Nothing unusual about that, and a fairly standard tuning. But adding the flat 3rd as a reentrant string opens up a world of possibilities.

On seven strings, low to high itâ€™s fDADF#CD
Also doable on six strings as fADF#CD

Great for arpeggios as you have 5/6 notes of the blues scale at root position. Also great for flipping between major and minor chords up and down the neck, simply by omitting the appropriate 3rd. The â€œfâ€ doesnâ€™t necessarily have to be reentrant but it sounds bluesier to my ear this way.

For an â€œall aroundâ€ tuning itâ€™s hard to beat a 6th or 13th tuning, but for blues, I think this tuning rocks.

Cliff Swanson · Post by **Cliff Swanson** » 7 Nov 2021 3:49 am

I'm looking forward to playing around with this. Also brings me closer to the idea of owning a 7-string steel. Thanks for posting, Allan.

Allan Revich · Post by **Allan Revich** » 8 Nov 2021 1:03 pm

Here are a couple of samples of the tuning in action...

https://youtu.be/6fhXkdnKEAU (blues improv)

https://youtu.be/8Je3oPjW35I (harder blues/rock riff)

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 8 Nov 2021 1:39 pm

Do you always play with a flat pick?

Allan Revich · Post by **Allan Revich** » 8 Nov 2021 2:27 pm

Bill McCloskey wrote:Do you always play with a flat pick?

Yes, but I often use finger picks on my third and fourth fingers with it.

Allan Revich · Post by **Allan Revich** » 9 Nov 2021 8:03 pm

Cliff Swanson wrote:I'm looking forward to playing around with this. Also brings me closer to the idea of owning a 7-string steel. Thanks for posting, Allan.

Iâ€™m interested in how you liked the tuning.

Iâ€™ve actually returned to my previous D/Dm tuning, without the dominant 7. Something about that 7 seemed to give everything I played the same flavour.