# 8 string interesting/open tunings?



## IdentityDevice (Jul 24, 2012)

I like to play around with different and open tunings and im just curious if anyone knows of any interesting or open tunings for an 8? Theenx 

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## Mister-Tux (Jul 24, 2012)

Why not an open tuning ala Devin Townsend, in CMajor?
CGCGCGCE or EGCGCGCG or EGCGCGCE


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## IdentityDevice (Jul 24, 2012)

Good call man! Def a fan of his. Thanks for the input! Ill be trying those out for sure.


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## no_dice (Jul 24, 2012)

I came up with an interesting open tuning for my 8 one day when I wanted to try using it similar to a harp guitar. I wrote it down, but it's at home, and I do most of my posting here from work, haha.


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## IdentityDevice (Jul 24, 2012)

I want your job Haha. Let me know if you remember it


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## Ishan (Jul 24, 2012)

DADADFAD or FADADFAD, it's open D with either added DA or FA. I like FADADFAD the best, can do some very dissonant chords or not, very moody sounding.


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## IdentityDevice (Jul 24, 2012)

Cooool! I love the moody sounding stuff so ill be trying. That out as well. Awesome


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## Winspear (Jul 24, 2012)

The 6 string tuning 'open sus2' is a great one. Usually it's on acoustics in CGCGCD. Root+fifth repeating and the second on top. Neither major or minor. 

Extending that to an 8 with another CG below would be interesting. Could tune it up if you don't want to go down to C. 

I use it on a 7 with a low F which isn't part of the open chord but it's an interesting extension. It means my 3 bass strings are all tuned in 5ths. If I were to try this on an 8, it might be...

E B Gb Db Gb Db Gb Ab. 3 fifths in the bass once again. Tuned lower if I couldn't reach the high Ab on a long scale length.


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## nostealbucket (Jul 24, 2012)

EtherealEntity said:


> The 6 string tuning 'open sus2' is a great one. Usually it's on acoustics in CGCGCD. Root+fifth repeating and the second on top. Neither major or minor.



CGCGCD is actually a major triad. C to G is a fifth. C to D is a major 2 or a major 9. C major 9.

EDIT: hold up! Its an add 9


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## Winspear (Jul 24, 2012)

Yeah there's no major or minor in there. D is the 2nd not the major or minor 3rd. 

Technically it's sus2 because an add9 implies a 3rd. Cadd 9 would be 1+major 3rd+5th+9th, no 7th. 
Sus2 means omitting the 3rd for a 2nd 

Major 2nd doesn't make it a major chord, it's neither major nor minor


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## XBetrayedX (Jul 25, 2012)

What kind of string gauges are you y'all using for these tunings? By the looks of some of these tunings. I would need to get an 8 or 7 gauge string for my high string. I use 9s by the way. Do you think i could do any of these tunings with just a standard 9 set?


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## ixlramp (Jul 25, 2012)

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/music-theory-lessons-techniques/161530-retune-play-quartertone-scales-microtonal-beginners-guide.html


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## Winspear (Jul 25, 2012)

XBetrayedX said:


> What kind of string gauges are you y'all using for these tunings? By the looks of some of these tunings. I would need to get an 8 or 7 gauge string for my high string. I use 9s by the way. Do you think i could do any of these tunings with just a standard 9 set?



Well custom sets are needed for open tunings really else the tension is all over the place.
But yeah, if breaking a string is the only concern then you could do most with a standard 9 set. 
9's will get up to F# or G on 25.5"


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## XBetrayedX (Jul 28, 2012)

EtherealEntity said:


> Well custom sets are needed for open tunings really else the tension is all over the place.
> But yeah, if breaking a string is the only concern then you could do most with a standard 9 set.
> 9's will get up to F# or G on 25.5"



Ohh nice, Well i have a schecter and it's a 26.5. I have 9s on it right now but what kind of open tuning would be good? and what string gauges? I have never used open tunings before. Even on my 6 strings. I would like an open tuning that can sound like dark.


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## nothingleft09 (Jul 28, 2012)

This is a good idea. Glad you posted this thread or I never would have thought of it.  Followed on soundcloud btw!


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## Semichastny (Jul 29, 2012)

Low to high: dadadead (Dsus2 if I remember correctly) has been holding my interst lately.


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## IdentityDevice (Jul 29, 2012)

No problem  two of my main tunings that I like to play around with on a couple of my 6's are weird or open tunings so I figured someone on here would've experimented with some weird 8 string tunings. I WAS RIGHT lol. And thanks for following my soundcloud  seriously! Really appreciate it.


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## Solodini (Jul 30, 2012)

On 6es I like DADFCE and AFCGCF. There are some simple expansions of those, for 8, like FADADFCE or FADFCGCF. The latter is good for upper midrange melodies and melodic basslines with some nice harmonies in the middle.


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## kikiKiba (Sep 6, 2014)

I this thread is old, but what about something like

F# B E A C# F# B E

I usually drop the 8 to an E.

So it's like a 6 in drop E with two highs for bigger open chords in Eminor, extra root and a 5th

Just a thought


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## Matt11768 (Sep 6, 2014)

Not sure the exact definition of an open tuning but I think this fits, try FCFACGCE, I love it it is super melodic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiERPVIEvSc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiGGDpbgp6I


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## facepalm66 (Sep 7, 2014)

actually to save you some time, and advice for the future, there is an entire topic called "non standard 8 tunings" , so check it out, and browse at least first page before making new threads...

Anyway, the topic probably contains all the tunings you could want.


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## ohmanthisiscool (Sep 19, 2014)

I just ordered an agile 8 string acoustic and I have always wanted a 7 string acoustic to try my "modified Kaki King" tuning which was A,E,B,E,F,#,B on a 6, add a high e for 7 and low E for 8, so its now E,A,E,B,E,F#,B,E. So I have 4 E's, or go F#,A,E,B,E,F#,B,E for two F#'s, three E's and two B's. Or go F#,B,E,B,E,F#,B,E for even more fun, AHHH so many possibilities, I'm sooo excited.


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## Shammas (Sep 20, 2014)

I find different tunings to be a pain personally, but I wrote some of my best stuff when I tuned my 8 to EAEADGBE. You could go a step further and tune EAEAEGAE for some ridiculously easy octave-y chords.


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## 8STRINGS (Sep 21, 2014)

Ishan said:


> DADADFAD or FADADFAD, it's open D with either added DA or FA. I like FADADFAD the best, can do some very dissonant chords or not, very moody sounding.



On 6 string acoustics I always played in DADF#AD, I like your suggestion of FADADFAD but I tweaked it to FADADF#AD, I think the sharp F# sounds really satisfying when strumming all the strings open. I can move little octave chords around the fretboard and let any open strings ring out.


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