# New Standard Tuning



## maskofduality (Nov 4, 2006)

I was wikipedia surfing (I started out with two different searches, one on Pain of Salvation and another on Herbie Hancock) and eventually I searched modes, then cadence, then after several more search terms i came across Robert Fripp's "New Standard Tuning". I've heard about it before but this time was different. With the actual tuning laid out before me, I noticed the rather incredible range it offered on a six string guitar.

With this in mind, I pose the following questions:

The learning curve aside, is it a good tuning for creativity?

how would you have it tuned on your sevenstring, a high D or a Low F?

Where can I go to learn about using this new scale in terms of scale patterns, methods to chord shapes, etc?

If you guys know anything about it, feel free to post it 

EDIT (props to Naren): New Standard Tuning on the six string guitar is from highest to lowest:
G4(<-- like the high G alternative on some 8 and 7 string guitar tunings)
E4(<-- originally this would be your highest string on a normal tuned guitar)
A3(<-- raise your G string's tuning by a whole step... obviously)
D3(<-- just leave your D string alone basically)
G2(<-- Lower your A string one whole step)
C2(<-- Drop your E string two whole steps)

I just added those instructions for quick tuning and stuff.

EDIT2: After some brief research, it seems like this tuning would favor four note per string patterns. I have yet to try it out. I've also noticed a lot of comments about the high strings being prone to snapping when you bend them. Not good since I'm a huge fan of bending but meh, we'll see.


----------



## Naren (Nov 4, 2006)

And what would that "New Standard Tuning" be? You didn't mention it in your post...


----------



## maskofduality (Nov 4, 2006)

oh dear, that's actually true.

it's from highest to lowest:
G4(<-- like the high G alternative on some 8 and 7 string guitar tunings)
E4(<-- originally this would be your highest string on a normal tuned guitar)
A3(<-- raise your G string's tuning by a whole step... obviously)
D3(<-- just leave your D string alone basically)
G2(<-- Lower your A string one whole step)
C2(<-- Drop your E string two whole steps)

I just added those instructions for quick tuning and stuff. 

I'll add this to my original post too! Thanks for catching that Naren.


----------



## D-EJ915 (Nov 4, 2006)

nvm you posted it

High G is super high...wow...I mean, my F# is killer. For the record, G is 27th fret on an E string...


----------



## maskofduality (Nov 4, 2006)

I really want to try this tuning out but my light sleeping roommate will wake up


----------



## Ancestor (Nov 4, 2006)

maskofduality said:


> I really want to try this tuning out but my light sleeping roommate will wake up



Ha, dude you have to break them in. Just like babies, they eventually start to sleep right on through. 

Yeah, that's cool. I would love to have some more guitars so that I could keep them in different tunings without having to go back and forth.


----------



## Korbain (Nov 4, 2006)

wow, i have nooooo idea what tuning you just wrote down there is. But it looks cool lol. If only i listened more in music at school instead of just wanting practical


----------



## machinegunriffer82 (Nov 4, 2006)

I think gojira uses this tuning.

i think gojira uses this tuning <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KhNijzbQoic"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KhNijzbQoic" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>

i think gojira uses this tuning

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhNijzbQoic


----------



## Metal Ken (Nov 4, 2006)

Hmm... i wonder why a high G? Everything seems to be in 5ths except that.. Maybe if it started on A? 

G# - will it go this high? 4th fret on high E string. 
C#- high b string 1 step sharp
F#- drop your G string 1/2 step
B- 1 step higher than the A string on a normal guitar
E- Same as the E string
A - 1 step below the 7 string B


----------



## Hawksmoor (Nov 4, 2006)

Well, Fripp is back

A singer songwriter tuning this shure ain't and it never made sense to me. It was usefull for slide though


----------



## Ken (Nov 4, 2006)

Anyone else have enough trouble with standard tuning. :raiseshand:

All the same, I may try this on my hardtail RG.


----------



## distressed_romeo (Nov 4, 2006)

I was tempted to try this, being a huge King Crimson fan, but to be honest, I don't think it has any real advantages over standard tuning; it's just makes some things easier and some things harder. Fripp himself's said as much in interviews before. Apparently the purpose of adopting the new tuning at the Guitar Craft courses is to force everyone to start from scratch and throw out all their old licks and patterns.

Regarding the High G, I'm guessing it's that as it's impossible to get a high A with normal strings, and the High G would make chord voicings more manageable.

When I get home, I may set up my Les Paul in this tuning and finally give it a proper go...


----------



## maskofduality (Nov 4, 2006)

I've just placed it in on my sevenstring and arbitrarily turned the low B into a Low G. I have no idea as to how this will turn out but I will say one thing. The open tuning produces a very peculiar but ear pleasing open chord. I'm debating turning it back to normal tuning and waiting for a chance to come across this whole "Guitar Craft" thing or if I should explore it on my own, thus cutting out the probable expenses of taking guitar craft courses.


----------



## All_¥our_Bass (May 17, 2008)

I do straight fifths on my sixer (no minor third at the top) with a low F.
(low-high FCGDAE)

This is perfect for me, because...

A.) I like to use large intervals
B.) I started on bass, so I got used to using those really low notes
C.) I like meshuggah
D.) I* LOVE* the extra range
E.) I'm wierd

It's great for chords, both playing and sound wise. I like the unusual chord inversions it gives access to. 7th and add9 chords are a breeze. For all you people who like to play all the eastern scales 'n' stuff, it makes parallel fifths harmony excessively easy.

All that good stuff being said, it hard/impossible to play 'normal' stuff on, for the most part. 4NPS scale patterns are a bit harder to finger in the lower registers and require extra stretching. Also finding a good set of strings at your local shop can be a pain in the ass (not to mention expensive), I had to buy all of mine as singles.


----------



## distressed_romeo (May 18, 2008)

I love fifths tuning and NST. I've done CGDA tuning on my fretless bass a lot, and it works brilliantly, and I've done NST and CGDAEF# on my acoustic before. Fifths-based tunings are awesome for acoustic instruments, as they resonate a hell of a lot better than fourths do. I've also done the 'crafty fifths' thing of all-fifths with a minor third and a major second on top; on my five-string bass it was BbFCGBb, which was awesome for tapping, and on the acoustic, BbFCGBbC.

If I was to use a seven-string version I'd probably do CGDAEGA, or the same thing a tone down.

I love/d fifths and NST, as it's surprisingly intuitive, but makes it actually extremely hard to play any of the guitar-y cliches like blues licks and so forth. Pentatonic scales line up very nicely with 3-note-per-string fingerings, and open-voiced triads are also very easy to grab. On bass, it's awesome for two handed grooves, a la Trey Gunn (who uses the C-A tuning on the melody side of his Warr guitar). Oh, and as AYB said, it rules for faux-Indian playing, especially with fretless.

Now that I think about it, I wouldn't mind setting up a guitar for this tuning again... Maybe next time I re-string my fretless guitar...


----------



## All_¥our_Bass (May 19, 2008)

The only problem is it's best to devote a guitar entirely to it if you really like it. Now I have to get another axe in a more 'normal' tuning.


----------



## BrianCarroll (May 19, 2008)

machinegunriffer82 said:


> i think gojira uses this tuning




Nope, just DGCFAD


----------



## Trespass (May 19, 2008)

Harr, can't wait to setup an acoustic to this.


----------



## Demeyes (May 20, 2008)

I tuned a few strings on my 7 to this yesterday. I left the higher ones alone because they'd probabl snap with the tension. 
I like it. It does force you to come up with different ideas and patterns. I might get a few single strings and set up an electric with it to experiment with. With the right strings I'd say it could be very fun to play around in.


----------



## elrrek (May 20, 2008)

I've been seriously considering this for my Ibanez MMM1 but I have no idea what string gauges to use. It's got a 28 inch scale length and I thought just sticking a set of Elixir Baritone strings (012 016 022 038 052 068) on might do the trick But I wonder if the 012 will be too heavy for a high E and the 068 too light for a low F.

Anyone got any opinions?


----------



## All_¥our_Bass (May 20, 2008)

For your high e, I'd suggest a 10 or 11. For the 68 in F I'd suggest at least an 80 or 85(minimun). But try those gauges you listed first, you might like the way a 68 in F sounds/feels. Btw I use a 95 for F and E .


----------



## stubhead (May 21, 2008)

I kept a guitar around in this tuning for a few years, and I'm going to string up one up again soon. It's great for getting different ideas - almost everything sound good, but weird, you know? Getting out of old habits _is_ the point, to me... I ended up unhooking it because I was working on reading issues _and_ pedal steel, and keeping track of _three_ tunings was frying my poor li'l head....  I'm going to hook one up again any day now though.

It's not gonna work with standard string sets. I've got enough strings to start a store here, so what I had come up with that worked is 56-40-26-14-10-9 or thereabouts - you're not going to be bending that high G no matter what, it technically should be a high *B*, when they make a nice, durable, loud .005" string let me know. For down-tuned, 60-44-32-19-13-9 or so would work - you'll probably have to refile the nut just a hair but I've got two guitars set up for this and they're both in standard tuning right now with no problems. Learn about filing nut angles _before_ you start... There's a page of string gauges/tension/pitch all figured out at the Steel Guitar Forum but the site is down now, so I'll post it when it comes back up.


----------



## elrrek (May 23, 2008)

Looks like I'm going to be ditching the idea of putting a 68 on for an F then, gah!


----------



## elrrek (Jun 4, 2008)

Sorry to bump this up again but I watched an interview with Martin from Meshuggah recently and he said their 8s have a 70 for a low F at 30 inch scale? Is that correct, surelöy that would mean a 68 at 28 inch would be possible?


----------



## loneguitarist (Jun 29, 2008)

maskofduality said:


> ...
> how would you have it tuned on your sevenstring, a high D or a Low F?...



High D is not yet possible.


----------



## Shannon (Jun 29, 2008)

My 27" 8-string currently has a 68 for the Low F & it works just fine. Just for preference though, I'm problably gonna bump it up to a 72 or 74.


----------



## MusicMetalHead (Aug 2, 2010)

elrrek said:


> I've been seriously considering this for my Ibanez MMM1 but I have no idea what string gauges to use. It's got a 28 inch scale length and I thought just sticking a set of Elixir Baritone strings (012 016 022 038 052 068) on might do the trick But I wonder if the 012 will be too heavy for a high E and the 068 too light for a low F.
> 
> Anyone got any opinions?



just buy a pack of eight strings. us e the lower 3 and upper 3. that should work. might feel wierd goin from thick to thnner strig though


----------



## Hollowway (Aug 2, 2010)

Cool! As soon as I get my time machine fixed I'll give ellrek a ride back so he can try that.

(Sorry. Couldn't resist.)


----------



## Stealthdjentstic (Aug 2, 2010)

Hollowway said:


> Cool! As soon as I get my time machine fixed I'll give ellrek a ride back so he can try that.
> 
> (Sorry. Couldn't resist.)





Well worth it!


----------



## Mr. Big Noodles (Aug 2, 2010)

Hollowway said:


> Cool! As soon as I get my time machine fixed I'll give ellrek a ride back so he can try that.
> 
> (Sorry. Couldn't resist.)





Stealthtastic said:


> Well worth it!





Seconded.


----------

