Major thirds tuning
Major thirds | |
---|---|
Trivial (0) | |
Minor thirds (3) | |
Major thirds (4) | |
All fourths (5) | |
Augmented fourths (6) | |
New standard (7, 3) | |
All fifths (7) | |
Minor sixths (8) | |
Guitar tunings |
Among
The Spanish guitar's tuning mixes four perfect fourths (five semitones) and one major-third, the latter occurring between the G and B strings:
- E–A–D–G–B–E.
This tuning, which is used for acoustic and electric guitars, is called "standard" in English, a convention that is followed in this article. While standard tuning is irregular, mixing four fourths and one major third, M3 tunings are regular: Only major-third intervals occur between the successive strings of the M3 tunings, for example, the
tuning.- G♯–C–E–G♯–C–E.
For each M3 tuning, the open strings form an augmented triad in two octaves.
For guitars with six strings, every major-third tuning repeats its three open-notes in two octaves, so providing many options for fingering chords. By repeating open-string notes and by having uniform intervals between strings, major-thirds tuning simplifies learning by beginners. These features also facilitate advanced guitarists' improvisation,[2][3] precisely the aim of jazz guitarist Ralph Patt when he began popularizing major-thirds tuning between 1963 and 1964.
Avoiding standard tuning's irregular intervals
In standard tuning, the successive open-strings mix two types of intervals, four perfect-fourths and the major third between the G and B strings:
- E2–A2–D3–G3–B3–E4.
Only major thirds occur as open-string intervals for major-thirds tuning, which is also called "major-third tuning",[4][5] "all-thirds tuning",[6] and "M3 tuning".[7] The most viable M3 tunings are:
- E2-G#2-C3-E3-G#3-C4
- F2-A2-C#3-F3-A3-C#4
- F#2-A#2-D3-F#3-A#3-D4
- G2-B2-D#3-G3-B3-D#4
- G#2-C3-E3-G#3-C4-E4
All of these tunings reduce the overall range of the instrument a bit: the first takes a M3 off the top of the range, and the last takes a M3 off the bottom of the range. One popular M3 tuning has the open strings:
which some guitarists have applied to the top six strings of a
- F♯2–A♯2–D3–F♯3–A♯3–D4
loses the two lowest semitones on the low-E string and the two highest semitones from the high-E string in standard tuning; it can use string sets for standard tuning.[8]
Note that regardless of which note is chosen to start the tuning sequence, there are only four distinct sets of open-note pitch classes. The major-thirds tunings respectively have the open notes : {E, G#, C}, {F, A, C#},[5] {F#, A#, D}, and {G, B, D#}[8][5]
Properties
Major-thirds tunings require less hand-stretching than other tunings, because each M3 tuning packs the octave's twelve notes into four consecutive frets.[2][11] The major-third intervals allow major chords and minor chords to be played with two–three consecutive fingers on two consecutive frets.[12] Every major-thirds tuning is regular and repetitive, two properties that facilitate learning by beginners and improvisation by advanced guitarists.[2][3][13]
Four frets for the four fingers
In major-thirds tuning, the
Only two or three frets are needed for the
For fundamental-chord fingerings, major-thirds tuning's simplicity and consistency are not shared by standard tuning, whose seventh-chord fingering is discussed at the end of this section.Repetition
Each major-thirds tuning
Regular musical intervals
In each
In contrast, chords cannot be shifted around the fretboard in standard tuning, which requires four chord-shapes for the major chords: There are separate fingerings for chords having
Shifting chords: Vertical and diagonal
The repetition of the major-thirds tuning enables notes and chords to be raised one octave by being vertically shifted by three strings.[5] Notes and chords may be shifted diagonally in major-thirds tuning, by combining a vertical shift of one string with a horizontal shift of four frets:[1][20] "Like all regular tunings, chords in the major third tuning can be moved across the fretboard (ascending or descending a major third for each string)...."[1]
In standard tuning, playing scales of one octave requires three patterns, which depend on the string of the root note.[21] Chords cannot be shifted diagonally without changing finger-patterns. Standard tuning has four finger-patterns for musical intervals,[19] four forms for basic major-chords,[22] and three forms for the inversion of the basic major-chords.[18]
Open chords and beginning players
Major-thirds tunings are unconventional
Instructional literature uses standard tuning.
Intermediate guitarists do not limit themselves to one hand-position, and consequently open chords are only part of their chordal repertoire. In contemporary music, master guitarists "think diagonally and move up and down the strings"; fluency on the entire fretboard is needed particularly by guitarists playing jazz.[24] According to its inventor, Ralph Patt, major-thirds tuning
makes the hard things easy and the easy things hard. ... This is never going to take the place of folk guitar, and it's not meant to. For difficult music, and for where we are going in free jazz and even the old be-bop jazz, this is a much easier way to play.[9]
Left-handed chords
Major-thirds tuning is closely related to
Fingering of seventh chords
Major-thirds tuning facilitates playing chords with
Disadvantages
While major thirds tuning confers the numerous advantages detailed above, it also introduces certain disadvantages, as compared to the instrument's standard tuning:
- M3 tuning decreases the overall range of the guitar (this is why some players eventually resorted to 7- and 8- string instruments, to regain that lost range)
- M3 simplifies the voicing of chords in close harmony, but it makes certain common voicings in open harmony more difficult, or even impossible
- M3 facilitates moving 3- and 4-note chords up or down an octave, but it makes the fingerings for 5- and 6-note multi-octave chords more complex and awkward.
History
Major-thirds tuning was introduced in 1964 by jazz guitarist
See also
- Minor-thirds tuning
- Repetitive open-tunings approximate M3 tunings:
- Non-Spanish classical guitars:
- Other open tunings
- Open A tuning: E–A–C♯–E–A–C♯ approximates F–A–C♯–F–A–C♯
- Open B tuning: F♯–B–D♯–F♯–B–D♯ approximates G–B–D♯–G–B–D♯
- Open C tuning: C–E–G–C–E–G approximates C–E–G♯–C–E–G♯
- Open D tuning: D–F♯–A–D–F♯–A approximates D–F♯–A♯–D–F♯–A♯
- Open E tuning: E–G♯–B–E–G♯–B approximates E–G♯–C–E–G♯–C
- Open F tuning: F–A–C–F–A–C approximates F–A–C♯–F–A–C♯
- Open G tuning: G–B–D–G–B–D approximates G–B–D♯–G–B–D♯
References
Footnotes
- ^ a b Classical guitars have 12 frets, while steel-string acoustics have 14 or more (Denyer 1992, p. 45). Electric guitars have more frets, for example 20 (Denyer 1992, p. 77).
- ^ equal-temperamenttuning, in which B♭ and A♯ denote the same pitch. These notes represent distinct pitches in tuning systems that are not equally tempered.
Citations
- ^ a b c d Sethares (2001, "The major third tuning" (pp. 56–57), p. 56)
- ^ a b c d e f Peterson (2002, pp. 36–37)
- ^ a b c d e f g Kirkeby (2012)
- ^ a b c d e f g Peterson (2002, p. 36)
- ^ a b c d Griewank (2010, p. 3)
- ^ a b Patt, Ralph (4 April 2004). "Tuning in all thirds". rec.music.makers.guitar.jazz. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
- ^ a b Griewank (2010, p. 1)
- ^ a b c d e Griewank (2010, p. 4)
- ^ a b c d Peterson (2002, p. 37)
- ^ Kirkeby (2012, "Strings")
- ^ a b c Griewank (2010, p. 9)
- ^ a b c Griewank (2010, p. 2)
- ^ a b c Sethares (2001, p. 52)
- ^ a b Denyer (1992, p. 72)
- ^ Mead (2002, pp. 28 and 81)
- ^ Duckworth (2007, p. 339)
- ^ Griewank (2010, p. 10)
- ^ a b Denyer (1992, p. 121)
- ^ a b Denyer (1992, p. 119)
- ^ Griewank (2010, pp. 9–10)
- ^ Denyer (1992, p. 105)
- ^ Denyer (1992, pp. 74–75)
- ^ Zemb, Patrick (15 August 2007). "Sommaire du site musical (French: Summary of the musical site)". English machine-translation. Archived from the original on 24 June 2013. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
- ^ a b White (2005)
- ^ Griewank (2010, p. 5)
- ^ Griewank (2010, pp. 13, with listing on pp. 20–21)
- ^ Sethares (2001, "The major third tuning" (pp. 56–57), listing on p. 57)
- ^ a b Sethares (2001, p. 53)
- ^ Duckworth (2007, pp. 128–129)
- ^ a b c d Smith (1980, pp. 92–93)
- ^ Kolb (2005, p. 37)
- ^ Fisher (2002, pp. 30–33)
- ^ Patt (2008)
- ^ Sethares (2012)
Bibliography
- Denyer, Ralph (1992) [1982]. "Playing the guitar". The guitar handbook: The essential encyclopedia for every guitar player. Special contributors ISBN 978-0330327503.
- ISBN 9780495090939.
- Fisher, Jody (2002). "Chapter Five: Expanding your 7 chord vocabulary". Jazz guitar harmony: Take the mystery out of jazz harmony. ISBN 9780739024683.
- Griewank, Andreas (1 January 2010), Tuning guitars and reading music in major thirds, Matheon preprints, vol. 695, Berlin: DFG research center "MATHEON, Mathematics for key technologies", MSC-Classification 97M80 Arts. Music. Language. Architecture.
- Kirkeby, Ole (1 March 2012). "Major thirds tuning". m3guitar.com. cited by Sethares (2012) and Griewank (2010, p. 1). Archived from the original on 30 October 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
- Kolb, Tom (2005). Music theory. Hal Leonard Guitar Method. Hal Leonard Corporation. pp. 1–104. ISBN 978-0634066511.
- Mead, David (2002). Chords and scales for guitarists. London: Bobcat Books Limited: SMT. ISBN 978-1860744327.
- Patt, Ralph (14 April 2008). "The major 3rd tuning". Ralph Patt's jazz web page. ralphpatt.com. cited by Sethares (2012) and Griewank (2010, p. 1). Retrieved 10 June 2012.
- Peterson, Jonathon (2002). "Tuning in thirds: A new approach to playing leads to a new kind of guitar". American Lutherie: The Quarterly Journal of the Guild of American Luthiers. 72 (Winter). Tacoma, Washington: The Guild of American Luthiers: 36–43. ISSN 1041-7176. Archived from the originalon 21 October 2011. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
- Sethares, Bill (2001). "Regular tunings". Alternate tuning guide (PDF). Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin; Department of Electrical Engineering. pp. 52–67. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
- Sethares, William A. (18 May 2012). "Alternate tuning guide". Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin; Department of Electrical Engineering. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
- ISBN 978-15622-2239-0.
- White, Mark (2005). "Reading skills: The guitarist's nemesis?". Berklee Today. 72. Boston, Massachusetts: ISSN 1052-3839.
Further reading
- Sethares, Bill (10 January 2009) [2001]. Alternate tuning guide (PDF). Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin; Department of Electrical Engineering. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
External links
- Wolfowitz, Kiefer (2 May 2013) [26 August 2012]. "Chord diagrams for major-thirds tuning" (PDF). Wikimedia Commons. Wikimedia Foundation. Dictionary of chords (major, minor, dominant sevenths); diagrams of sevenths (major, minor, dominant, half-diminished) arising in the tertian harmonization of the major scale on C; etc. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
- Professors Andreas Griewank and William Sethares each recommend discussions of major-thirds tuning by two jazz-guitarists, (Sethares 2012, "Regular tunings") and (Griewank 2010, p. 1):
- Ole Kirkeby for 6- and 7-string guitars: Charts of intervals, major, minor, and dominant chords; recommended gauges for strings.
- Ralph Patt for 6-, 7-, and 8-string guitars: Charts of scales, chords, and chord-progressions; string gauges.
- Three other jazz-guitar websites:
- Oberlin, Alexandre (3 October 2012). "Tuning your guitar in major thirds: Tune afresh and improvise!". Clear chord-diagrams. (Available in French). Archived from the original on 19 March 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
- Zemb, Patrick (15 August 2007). "Sommaire du site musical (French: Summary of the musical site)". English machine-translation. Archived from the original on 24 June 2013. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
- Corman, Tony (23 August 2021). "M3 Guitar". Free downloadable method book. Archived from the original on 23 August 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
- Guitar Tunings Database (2012). "Major thirds". Tuner, scales, and chords for M3 tunings: G♯-C-E-G♯-C-E ("most popular") and F♯-A♯-D-F♯-A♯-D ("for beginners"). Retrieved 21 December 2012.
- Video tutorial on major and minor chords in major-thirds tuning on YouTube
- Bromley, Keith (October 2013). Chord shapes for major-thirds (M3) tuning on a 7-string guitar (PDF). Retrieved 9 November 2013.