Standard (EADGBE) Guitar Tuning: Why?

[bassrique]

In all these years, I've never investigated the history of it. When and why did this tuning develop?

In my past experiences w/the six string, I've always tuned it in straight fourths, but this time I think I'll force myself to go the standard route. The "regular" chord shapes should be interesting.

[Bob Lee (QSC)]

It was the E major chord's idea.

[Sartori]

Originally Posted by Bob Lee (QSC)

It was the E major chord's idea.

E minor is actually even more natural. You only have to fret two notes.

Seriously, you can make many chord shapes with this tuning. One thing I have against drop tunings, for example, is that it becomes very difficult to fret a minor third interval on the two lowest strings in this tuning.

In standard, on the other hand, it's quite easy. And in fact, it is quite simple to make a full triad. Guitar is a chordal instrument, or at least, it developed as one, and they probably found that this tuning offered the most chords in relatively comfortable hand positions.

[uethanian]

there's a few different historical reasons for it. part of it was the development of the viol family, which predated the violin family, and had 6 strings and moveable gut frets. as it happens, most viols were tuned 4th-4th-3rd-4th-4th, which is slightly different than guitar but still makes it so the highest and lowest strings are the same note. and part of that was for tuning reasons; viol players used a variety of tunings but never spaced their frets in equal temperament. that means that after a series of 6 4ths (if they had tuned that way), the notes on the highest string would be slightly out of tune with the same note where it appeared on other strings. so the third in the middle makes it so more notes on more strings were usable for a given tuning.

also, if you look at guitar-type instruments from various regions of the world (and there's a lot of different ones), you'll see that there's plenty of variation in tuning, not to mention number of strings and playing style. the guitar (as we think of it today) developed to be able to play both melody and harmony simultaneously. then that led to playing chords across all strings. so in both of these cases, it's important to have command of basic major/minor sets of notes without having to move your fretting hand around a lot. although that makes playing things outside of that realm more difficult, so it's certainly a compromise.

[Sartori]

Lutes were also tuned 4th 4th 4th 3rd 4th 4th (among other variations). And functioned in a similar way to guitars.

[hesham8]

F A D G C F
C F A D G C
D G A D G C
G C D G C F
E A B E A D
D A B E A D
C# F# B E A D
B F# B E A D

Try some of these tunings.
They all predated the guitar instrument. And they're all very good. I actually use these on the one fretless guitar in guitar center to play Oud music...

[bassrique]

Originally Posted by hesham8

F A D G C F
C F A D G C
D G A D G C
G C D G C F
E A B E A D
D A B E A D
C# F# B E A D
B F# B E A D

Try some of these tunings.
They all predated the guitar instrument. And they're all very good. I actually use these on the one fretless guitar in guitar center to play Oud music...

My head hurts, but in this case, that's a good thing.



Thanks to all that answered.

[Bob Lee (QSC)]

For some reason I get new tuning ideas every time I have an eye exam.

[Chipsonfire]

I've seen several pieces played with D A D G A D tuning. I imagine that would make a limited number of chords VERY easy to play lol. From what I've heard, the standard tuning is to make the most common chords easier to play, but I haven't looked into it myself.

[Sartori]

Standard tuning makes lots of chords somewhat easy to play. Many other tunings make a few chords extremely easy to play, and others much harder.

I only use open tunings on bass, as they make the arpeggios and runs I do easy to play.

[Richard Lindsey]

Originally Posted by Sartori

Lutes were also tuned 4th 4th 4th 3rd 4th 4th (among other variations). And functioned in a similar way to guitars.

Vihuelas too IIRC.