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 ARCHIVED TOPIC: tuning and pitch


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/79103

alistair - Posted - 04/02/2007:  13:28:16


Hi,

I just got my banjo in the post (wahoooo) I cant tune the damn thing with my tuner,

What are the pitchs of the strings when in tune...??

Any idea?

Thanks

vrteach - Posted - 04/02/2007:  13:44:11


The four most common tunings are:

Open G: (gDGBD)
Gmodal: (gDGCD)
Double C: ( gCGCD)
Standard C: (gCGBD)


These are often capoed up to A and D.

The letters go left to right representing the 5th-1st string. By convention the 5th string often is designated by being in lower case.

I tend to use the Open G tuning as my "base". That is, I get to other tunings by their relationship to Open G. For example, Gmodal is just Open G with the 2nd string tuned up to C. Standard C is Open G with the 4th string dropped to C. And Double C is Open G with the 2nd up to C and the 4th down to C.

Mike Iverson has a pdf that has these and other tunings on his page at:

http://bluesageband.com/Tabs.html


Erich
-------
http://vrteach.freepgs.com/banjo/


Edited by - vrteach on 04/02/2007 13:52:20

flatfoot - Posted - 04/02/2007:  14:03:10


.

In the gDGBD tuning, the 4,3, and 2 strings are the same as the 4,3, and 2 strings of a guitar. Can you find somebody with a guitar to get you started?

The little "g" means the fifth string. The short string. After that, D,G,B,D is in order from thickest to skinniest.

.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I thought my neighbors liked the sound
Until, one rosy dawn,
I saw a sign that said "For Sale"
On ev'ry neighbor's lawn.

alistair - Posted - 04/02/2007:  14:34:14


Sorry - i might have explained wrong...I mean the frequency....like the HZ's....

I'm using a Seiko SAT500 tuner and using the auto setting but the 5th string sounds...well.....bad....so wanna try and tune it again with the Hz...



Edited by - alistair on 04/02/2007 14:38:13

vrteach - Posted - 04/02/2007:  14:39:29


Oh. I didn't expect that question.

Here is a site that has frequencies of musical notes.

http://www.phy.mtu.edu/~suits/notefreqs.html

I guess that the 5th string would be g5 (?) and if so it's hz would be 783.99 (?)


Erich
-------
http://vrteach.freepgs.com/banjo/


Edited by - vrteach on 04/02/2007 14:41:29

alistair - Posted - 04/02/2007:  15:07:43


cheers - I'll take a look

pootwaddle - Posted - 04/02/2007:  16:46:22


You'll want your tuner to be at A-440

Poots

Pootwadde Stinkeepants

Any 6 year old can do it, with about 30 years of practice...
Lewisville, TX, USA

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