| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
Kapila Kane
Ha`aha`a
USA
1051 Posts |
 Posted - 03/26/2004 : 03:19:35 AM
|
Has anyone tried to High String a guitar for taropatch or other Slack key tunings?
Probably good for overdubs or second guitar...but haven't taken time to try it myself on my old "extra" guitar. Do smaller guitars make a better high-string?
Gordo
|
|
|
cpatch
Ahonui
USA
2187 Posts |
Posted - 03/26/2004 : 03:21:52 AM
|
| It's been discussed here in the past but I can't recall if anyone has tried it. No idea about the smaller guitar either. (This reply isn't very helpful, is it?) |
Craig
My goal is to be able to play as well as people think I can. |
 |
|
|
Kapila Kane
Ha`aha`a
USA
1051 Posts |
Posted - 03/26/2004 : 03:37:56 AM
|
well it's a start!
and it's 1:30 MST;
So let's see what else comes in about dis...just curious...
Really silly, the answer is to try it!
It's generally a second guitar in other styles of playing.--often in the studio. It will be more relevant when one takes it to "tape"...not probably a basic track.
(daddy, What's 'Recording' tape?)
Gordo
|
|
|
|
Mark
Ha`aha`a
USA
1628 Posts |
Posted - 03/27/2004 : 7:46:38 PM
|
I agree -- just try it!
I keep a guitar strung up high string for recording. It's a '60s era Gibson "low grade" (LG 0) w/ mahagony top. That's a fairly small guitar, and bright with a capitol "B."
It sounds absolutely amazing played slack key style, like a little music box. I find it's best in Taro Patch or the F wahine tuning Keola uses (C-F-C-G-C-E) cuz the high G string really tinkles. The alternating basses get real sweet, too, and it's fun to arrange a melody so some of it gets played with your thumb.
I've used it on some sessions, but nothing commercially available that I can think of at the moment.
Have fun with it!
Cheers,
Mark (who appearently has 'way too much time on his hands today.)
|
|
|
|
RJS
Ha`aha`a
1635 Posts |
Posted - 03/27/2004 : 9:42:08 PM
|
What is striging a guitar high?
What pitch do you assign to each string/how is it different from "normal" Taro Patch.
I have a requinto that I tune in Taro Patch - and it sounds much higher than my usual guitar, but I'm not sure that's whay your talking about. |
|
|
|
Lawrence
Ha`aha`a
USA
1597 Posts |
Posted - 03/28/2004 : 12:31:56 AM
|
Raymond,
"High stringing" a guitar is such a common trick in
Nashville that it is called Nashville tuning. Imagine
a 12 string Guitar (and the way it is tuned). As you may
know, the First four string pairs are tuned an octave apart
and the last two pairs are tuned in unison. Well, if you
take a six string Guitar and replace the lower four strings
with the high-pair strings of the twelve string and tune them
the same way (an octave above the normal six string tuning),
then you will arrive at Nashville tuning (at least if you
are doing standard tuning - E A D G B E).
I suppose these folks are talking about doing the same thing
for a TaroPatch tuned Guitar (D G D G B D), where the lower
D G D G strings are an octave higher.
So, what does this gain? (you may ask)... Well it makes a
thicker and higher sounding lead guitar in an ensemble that
does not interfere so much with other mid-range instruments
in the mix (and it is the ensemble or mix that is important
for this technique to pay off). Note that the Guitar can be
played exactly the same way but the bass strings will sound
higher.
|
Mahope Kākou...
...El Lorenzo de Ondas Sonoras |
|
|
|
RJS
Ha`aha`a
1635 Posts |
Posted - 03/28/2004 : 7:15:51 PM
|
| Thanks |
|
|
|
cpatch
Ahonui
USA
2187 Posts |
Posted - 03/28/2004 : 8:25:16 PM
|
quote:
Originally posted by Lawrence
it is the ensemble or mix that is important
for this technique to pay off)
You can also play an arrangement on a regular guitar and then create a second track with the high strung guitar (playing the same thing). Pan one left and one right and you get a nice stereo mix. |
Craig
My goal is to be able to play as well as people think I can. |
Edited by - cpatch on 03/28/2004 8:39:15 PM |
|
|
|
richard
Aloha
USA
28 Posts |
Posted - 03/28/2004 : 10:09:20 PM
|
I've been meaning to try high-stringing a Baby Taylor for a few months and this thread convinced me. It's very interesting but probably limited as a solo instrument. High tuning sounds best for ensemble work. In Taro Patch as Mark says, it's really sweet, especially if you're playing melody above the 5th fret. It has a dulcimer-like quality.
In G Wahine it sounds a bit weird. Those nice octave runs and third string hammer-ons don't come out well.
Toni thinks it sounds a bit menehune-like, and wants me to keep the little Taylor tuned high for now. Thanks for the question, Gordon.
Richard |
|
|
|
BreezePlease
Akahai
Japan
86 Posts |
Posted - 03/28/2004 : 11:49:38 PM
|
quote:
Well, if you take a six string Guitar and replace the lower four strings with the high-pair strings of the twelve string and tune them
the same way (an octave above the normal six string tuning), then you will arrive at Nashville tuning.
Question: What gauge strings do you usually use for this? Would it be better to go with the string-gauges found in the medium or heavy sets?
-dean |
|
|
|
cpatch
Ahonui
USA
2187 Posts |
Posted - 03/29/2004 : 12:59:36 AM
|
| Good question...I'd be concerned about maintaining the same neck tension as you would have with the standard strings. |
Craig
My goal is to be able to play as well as people think I can. |
|
|
|
Kapila Kane
Ha`aha`a
USA
1051 Posts |
Posted - 03/29/2004 : 01:42:38 AM
|
Well, the local music store went with .027 for 6th string (wound)
.018 for fifth
.012 for fourth
.009 for third string,
.014 for second,
and .010 first string.
Not thinking they had done much in this area...
Haven't strung up the old extra yet.
There's a thousand variations depening on the slack-key tuning, player, guitar, and song.
I'm going to Nashville tomorrow (unfortunately for a memorial service and fiddle work) but may get a chance to ask friends what they've used--and will report any significant learnin...if the topic's still goin' later this week!
Anyway, thanks for all the feedbback.
Gordo |
|
|
|
BreezePlease
Akahai
Japan
86 Posts |
Posted - 03/29/2004 : 10:09:48 AM
|
Had some time today, so picked up some strings and 'did it.'
Some feedback.
Used
.026 for 6th (lowest)
.016 for 5th
.013 for 4th
.010 for 3rd
.016 for 2nd
.013 for 1st
Selection of gauges was mostly based on availablity. The way I understood the tuning from the above info was to tune the 3rd through 6th strings up an octave, leaving the 1st and 2nd where they are normally.
Initial impressions:
Since the big jump in the tuning is between the 3rd and 2nd strings, Taropatch and Drop C (probably C Wahine, as well) require some work, especially with vamps and parallels that straddle this 'border,' as most do in these tunings (at least the ones I use most). I really like 2nd-3rd string parallels in Taropatch, which don't seem to work very well here--or at least, I'm not yet attuned enough to the way they end up sounding here. Overall, the sound is interesting, but seems definitely skewed towards accompaniment use.
Same applied for me with F (CFCGCE) with runs and vamps (scales) extending across the 'border.' However, the 1st-3rd string parallels were kinda interesting--the 3rd string seems to penetrate much more, producing a 'harmony' effect. Quite nice; and again probably more interesting for pure accompaniment.
Now, where this tuning really got interesting for me was with C Mauna Loa (CGEGAE). With its already-existing tonal gap between the 2nd and 3rd strings, not much play-style modification was required to yield a shimmeringly pretty, interesting sound profile close enough to conventional to adumbrate possiblities for use on its own--as well as for accompaniment. Will probably leave the guitar in this tuning for a while to really add another dimension to the aural pain I dispense to all those around me.
Did not try D major, as I figured I would run up against the 2nd-3rd string gap. Don't do EADGBE.
That's about it for my first-slice impressions. Would appreciate any other pointers/suggestions from anyone else who has more experience here.
-dean
|
|
|
|
Russell Letson
`Olu`olu
USA
504 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2004 : 10:32:05 AM
|
| I've used a modified Nashville setup on my Baby Taylor and my 6-string banjo for years: I only high-string the low three, leaving the G alone. That way fingerstyle patterns aren't interrupted--I get bass patterns (one octave high) and trebles where I expect them. The only oddity is where a treble-range pattern crosses to the 4th string and sounds high. For "normal" fingerpicking in slack key or Piedmont styles (that is, where the bass and treble stay in their regular three-string territories), the effect is pleasantly music-box-like. |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
Topic Locked
