The Guitar
A creator of icons!
The acoustic guitar has been around for several centuries, however it was not until the 1920's guitarist's first began to experiment with electrifying their instrument in search of a loader sound. And it was not until 1950 that Leo Fender first successfully mass-produced and sold electric guitars followed by Gibson in 1952. Today there are a wide range of guitar styles, however the orignal guitar designs from the fifties still have a strange hold on this retro driven industry, as do some of the early guitar icons.
In recent years technology has been been taking giant steps in certain areas, for example mobile phones, but the guitar manages to maintain its aloofness to change. Presently there seems to be a sign of some technological advancements, most significantly with virtual sound modeling and self tuning systems. Virtual sound modeling is digital replication of sound and may not be to everyones taste. However if a guitar can tune itself in seconds, not only does this make being in tune a foregone conclusion it creates the ability to quickly and easily change tunings. To access alternate and open tunings in seconds has the potential to address a new dimension of creativity for guitarists. Many great guitarists have looked into this area and produced some unique sounding material. With different tunings comes a different set of voicings with their own expression. Making use of this requires some basic music theory, a look at other artists work, some luck and even how to implement the circle of notes.
Guitar Tunings
Circle of Notes
Explore the potential and versitility of Fast access multi-tuning.
From a little basic theory, how to use the circle of notes to some chord banks and popular songs that have used an unusual tuning.
Making use of Self Tuning Systems
Experience the potential of fast access tuning, feel the confidence of accurate tuning and free up creativity accessing different tunings within seconds.
Find notes for a chord or scale in a particular tuning. It's all about knowing the right intervals to apply!
The circle of notes gives the order of notes on the fretboard of a guitar. This order will stay consistent though the position on the fretboard may move depending on the tuning.
Using the Circle of Notes
By firstly applying the right intereval relationship, for a particular chord or scale, and counting round the circle of notes (where 0, represents the root note). A chord or scales notes can be identified and then found on the guitar neck. Each chord type (major, minor, 7th, ect) is identified by a collection of intervals. In the Chord Intervals chart the most regular chord types and respective intervals are listed. Like chords, scales are defined by their collective intervals, in the Scales Intervals chart some of the more regular scales intervals are shown.
What can you do with fast access tuning?
Tune in seconds!
Now that tunings can be loaded, stored and accessed quickly and easily means it has become easy to change between tunings and experiment. Some knowledge of how to create a tuning, structure chords and use scales (in a particular tuning) will help to utilise this facility to its full potential.
Get Creative!
Many great guitarists' have looked at open or alternate tunings to get a fresh sound. Different tunings can stimulate different tonal charactoristics and expressions.
