If you’re a songwriter, then you are often looking for that next “new” sound to spark off your creativity and churn out a few new songs. Or perhaps if you’re recording lots, you’re looking for a way to repurpose old instruments to fill out a track. Either way, Nashville tuning is DEFINITELY worth you checking out.
Over Christmas a few years back I got myself a ukulele. It’s been a longtime coming but I finally succumbed, and I love the sound of it.
One of the things that gives the ukulele its distinct sound is its very specific tuning. It is tuned very similar to the highest 4 strings on a guitar (typically up 5 semitones), but the 4th string (which would otherwise be the lowest tuned string) is actually tuned up a whole octave. This means that the 3rd string is the lowest tuned string. This is called “re-entrant tuning”, presumably because the string closest to you “re-enters” the same range as the upper strings, rather than going lower.
What this achieves is a very VERY chimey sound, because the 1st string and 4th string are only one whole note apart, and so both strings are generally sounding in a similar range to one another.
What about guitars?
As it happens, a similar sound can be achieved with guitars by doing exactly the same thing – changing out lower strings to be tuned higher than normal.
There exists a tuning called ‘Nashville tuning’, where the lowest 4 string are replaced with lighter gauge strings and are tuned a whole octave up. It’s like taking a set of 12 string guitar strings, and stringing up a guitar using only the octave strings.
What this achieves is a very chimey shimmery sound with a standard guitar. The tuning is still the same (sort of), except for certain strings being tuned up an octave, which means all your old chord shapes and strumming ideas will work the same, they’ll just sound different.
Good ol’ Justin Sandercoe illustrates this nicely.
Watch from the beginning for a full explanation, or skip to 2m 35s and 5m 00s to hear strumming samples.
What about playing with other guitars?
Good question! This video from Wechter Guitars highlights where Nashville tuned guitars can really come into their own when used in conjunction with a normal tuned guitar. For example, whether performing live or recording, you can double up the guitar part and enhance the sound massively without actually needing to change key or anyone having to learn new parts that fit around the solo part.
Nashville tuning – check it out! You may just find a new sound that sparks your songwriting, or gives a tired recording a fresh vibrant edge.
ADDENDUM: I found a nice variation on this that I discovered a few months after initially writing this post. The problem I found with Nashville tuning was it made for a good SECOND instrument, or recording along with some instruments, but not for a live solo instrument. It was just too thin in my opinion.
So instead, I restrung the D and G strings with B and E gauge strings (ideally slightly thinner) and tuned them up an octave (octave D and octave G). If you’re concerned about that full minor third increase, try downtuning your whole guitar a half or whole step, that should relieve the concern.
What this does is create REALLY nice separation between the lowest two strings (E and A), giving a pronounced “bass” part. Then, because of the re-entrant approach to the middle strings, you have the option to play closed-voicing chords with very dense clusters of notes that otherwise wouldn’t be possible. It also leaves a nice hole in the mids for a strong vocal to sit.
Try it out, you may find it gives you the fullness of standard tuning but with the sparkle, chime and creative opportunities of Nashville tuning.