Downright saddest, mournful, depressing tunings!!! - Discussion Forums

Premier Sponsors

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue, we will assume that you agree to our privacy policy which includes details of cookie usage. Hide this notice

Discussion Forum

Hide these ads: join the Players Union!

All Forums
Playing the Banjo
Playing Advice: Clawhammer and Old-Time Styles
ARCHIVED TOPIC: Downright saddest, mournful, depressing tunings!!!

Please note this is an archived topic, so it is locked and unable to be replied to. You may, however, start a new topic and refer to this topic with a link: http://www.banjohangout.org/archive/400922

GS - Posted - 12/16/2024: 09:32:13

At this most joyous time of the year, what is/are the saddest, most mournful tuning(s) in your view and some good tunes for a beginner to learn in two finger thumb lead and three finger playing?

Edited by - GS on 12/16/2024 09:33:37

RG - Posted - 12/16/2024: 09:56:05

I find variations of "D" tunings to be great for these kinds of songs... here's my take on Lloyd Chandler's "Oh Death" in f#DGAD for illustrative purposes...

Oh Death

GS - Posted - 12/16/2024: 10:42:02

quote:
Originally posted by RG

I find variations of "D" tunings to be great for these kinds of songs... here's my take on Lloyd Chandler's "Oh Death" in f#DGAD for illustrative purposes...

I said sad and mournful!!! I've always found that song such a cheery one .

If that's your take, I say WELL DONE, it's soooo good. When you say variations of D tunings, do you have other examples of tunings? Please bear in mind I am new to this banjo lark.

Edited by - GS on 12/16/2024 10:44:05

KCJones - Posted - 12/16/2024: 11:18:51

According to Nigel Tufnel, D Minor is the saddest of all the keys. I think he's right.

RG - Posted - 12/16/2024: 11:56:38

quote:
Originally posted by GS

quote:
Originally posted by RG

I find variations of "D" tunings to be great for these kinds of songs... here's my take on Lloyd Chandler's "Oh Death" in f#DGAD for illustrative purposes...

I said sad and mournful!!! I've always found that song such a cheery one .

If that's your take, I say WELL DONE, it's soooo good. When you say variations of D tunings, do you have other examples of tunings? Please bear in mind I am new to this banjo lark.

Appreciate the kind words. Another variant used by Boggs (and others) is f#CGAD, "regular" "D" tuning being f#DF#AD. Here's my version of "Hustling Gambler"/"Country Blues", and there's also Roscko Halcomb's f#ADAD that he played "Old Smokey" in, here's my take of that as well to give you an idea of what it sounds like banjo wise... it's not quite as "dark.". For other tuning's, I like to tune the high "g" to "f" in sawmill tuning to get fDGCD, like Rosko played "Hills of Mexico" in (i'm tuned down a step on this recording), and I'm a big fan of fCFCD tuning as well as eBEBE and a kind of off-shoot that I like to play "Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down" in, eEGAB. Pardon the sound on the mp3's. they're just quick recordings on my iphone. Good luck on your banjo journey.

Edited by - RG on 12/16/2024 12:02:25

Hills of Mexico

Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down

Old Smokey

Country Blues/Hustling Gambler

Mad Hornet - Posted - 12/16/2024: 13:50:23

For a Christmas song What Child Is This? sounds very mournful to me. I like to play it though.

calicoplayer - Posted - 12/16/2024: 15:38:27

The simplest "mournful" tuning I've used is Gm; just knock your B string down to Bb, and you'll have a wonderfully minor, sad tuning. Try "Pretty Poly" or "Ghost Riders in the Sky" in this tuning.

stanleytone - Posted - 12/17/2024: 02:48:56

C minor tuning gets my vote for sad

If you are looking for a more sinister

sound, tune it to an open E.

Edited by - stanleytone on 12/17/2024 02:49:14

banjooud - Posted - 12/17/2024: 03:00:35

Gm tuning

youtube.com/watch?v=4bnhhbV34nI

charles grimm - Posted - 12/17/2024: 09:09:23

C minor is gloomy too.

carlb - Posted - 12/17/2024: 10:14:45

Alone and Forsaken by Hank Williams. My version.

Alone and Forsaken

GS - Posted - 12/17/2024: 12:00:20

I thank you all for your input. In order to have a (second) banjo left in a tuning (a sad, mournful tuning and a tuning most common after standard g and to try and learn quite a few songs) what would you say would be such a common tuning? I'm not sure if I've read this correctly, but is aDADE similar/the same as gCGCD? These tunings have got the me baffled! BTW, it doesn't take much to baffle me!

Edited by - GS on 12/17/2024 12:03:07

stanleytone - Posted - 12/17/2024: 13:03:57

youtu.be/z-yGBo5oV7M?si=fLtn2P3R8oZXj-He
Heres an old vid of me playing the first part of Bela Flecks Bigfoot. Its in open C Minor tuning

RG - Posted - 12/17/2024: 14:56:05

aDADE is key of "D", gCGCD is key of "C"... aDADE is gCGCD tuned up two steps, as aEAC#E (key of "A") is gBGBD tuned up two steps. Probably 95% of old-time music is played in those keys using those tunings. A lot of old-time banjo is dependent on drones and open strings, and alternate tunings give what Wade Ward called "atmosphere" to tunes, and he should know, he learned to play banjo from his brother who was born in 1872. I use alternate tunings more for songs than playing fiddle tunes.

You don't need a second banjo, start twisting those tuners and get used to using alternate tunings, have some fun with it.

Edited by - RG on 12/17/2024 14:58:51

GS - Posted - 12/18/2024: 01:19:15

quote:
Originally posted by RG

aDADE is key of "D", gCGCD is key of "C"... aDADE is gCGCD tuned up two steps, as aEAC#E (key of "A") is gBGBD tuned up two steps. Probably 95% of old-time music is played in those keys using those tunings. A lot of old-time banjo is dependent on drones and open strings, and alternate tunings give what Wade Ward called "atmosphere" to tunes, and he should know, he learned to play banjo from his brother who was born in 1872. I use alternate tunings more for songs than playing fiddle tunes.

You don't need a second banjo, start twisting those tuners and get used to using alternate tunings, have some fun with it.

Thanks for replying, RG. I think, especially with not being musically inclined until a relatively late age, with no understanding of keys, reading music, etc etc, when I see all these tunings it takes some understanding, and it's possibly a little off putting. Second banjo? We'll see . Some fun? Oh, ok....

RG - Posted - 12/18/2024: 20:12:30

quote:
Originally posted by GS

quote:
Originally posted by RG

aDADE is key of "D", gCGCD is key of "C"... aDADE is gCGCD tuned up two steps, as aEAC#E (key of "A") is gBGBD tuned up two steps. Probably 95% of old-time music is played in those keys using those tunings. A lot of old-time banjo is dependent on drones and open strings, and alternate tunings give what Wade Ward called "atmosphere" to tunes, and he should know, he learned to play banjo from his brother who was born in 1872. I use alternate tunings more for songs than playing fiddle tunes.

You don't need a second banjo, start twisting those tuners and get used to using alternate tunings, have some fun with it.

Thanks for replying, RG. I think, especially with not being musically inclined until a relatively late age, with no understanding of keys, reading music, etc etc, when I see all these tunings it takes some understanding, and it's possibly a little off putting. Second banjo? We'll see . Some fun? Oh, ok....

No worries, i don't read music either, but a basic understanding of what comprises a "key" and the associated chords goes a long ways to helping to play this music, worth the while to put a little homework in to get a working understanding of it.