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4-String Open G Tuning?

Some days I just feel old.......

I completed a nice fretted 4-stringer and started stringing it up, then the "Senior Moment" hit. What was the correct tuning? I looked at the string package and it showed G major as DGBD. Then I looked at a chord chart for 4-string Open G which showed strings as GDGB (from the top of the guitar to the bottom).

This makes me think that for open G major I need GDGB not DGBD as shown on the package. What am I missing here and what is the correct tuning (before I start breaking strings).

Thanks

Tom T

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tom T on December 28, 2014 at 12:24pm

Thanks.

I want to give that a try. Should sound good.

Tom T

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Permalink Reply by Bob D on December 25, 2014 at 12:40pm

I just finished my first 4string build and I use gdgb. I am using the middle strings of a light 6 string (.09) pack with the A string tuned down. I have real low action and no buzz. After joining this forum only a short time ago I have learned that there are no rules. Do whatever sounds good to you and jam!!!

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Permalink Reply by Thumper on December 25, 2014 at 1:56pm

I prefer GDGB, but then, between that, dropped "D" and standard tuning on my 6 string, my memory's used up LOL

D'Addario is definitely my preferred string, been using them exclusively fof over 20 years when I 1st picked up a classical guitar.

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Permalink Reply by ChickenboneJohn on December 25, 2014 at 7:54pm

I think this needs a little bit of clarification, and to fully understand what's going on here, unfortunately a little bit of theory is needed to iron this out. GDGB and DGBD are both Gmajor tunings. For a chord you need three notes, so to put a guitar on an open tuning with a full major chord, you need 3 notes, and with a 4 string guitar, some of those notes will be duplicated. For a G major chord you need the root, the 3rd and the 5th notes in the major scale. These are simply the notes counted in ascending order on the "do -re-mi" (major scale), starting the count with the root note G as a "one".

In the case of G major that is:

Root G

3rd B

5th D

With the GDGB tuning, it's the same as the commonly used GDG 3 string tuning, with the 3rd (the B) added to the top. The DGBD is more like the top 4 strings of a regular guitar tuning with the top string dropped from E to D. By the way, another bit of clarification...top and bottom strings conventionally refer to the lowest sounding (bottom) and highest sounding (top) notes, not the strings physical location in respect to the floor, so with a four string, the heaviest, lowest sounding string is number 4, the lightest highest sounding string is number 1.

So, effectively you've got the same notes in a different order in these tunings - in musical terms these are called different "inversions" of a chord, or alternative "voicings". You don't necessarily get the notes placed in ascending order in a chord, and this is the case in both of these examples. With GDGB, you've got root, 5th, root (octave) 3rd in ascending order. You can see that the root is the repeated note, although it is a full octave higher than the lowest string. With DGBD, we have 5th, root, 3rd, 5th(octave), this time with the 5th note being duplicated , again an octave above the lower.

I'm trying to keep this simple, but once you start looking at theory you do need to have a reasonable grip on the fundamentals if it is going to be of any help to you. One thing that is apparent, that the root note is in different places on these tunings, so if you want to play in the key of Gmajor, on the first tuning you'll find it on the 4th string, and on the other it's on the 3rd string. You do need to give little bit of thought to things if you are trying to play a solo or melody in the key of G, as to which string(s) you will use, and where you are going to fret it - neither of these tunings has a root note (a G) on the 1st string which would help make things a little easier.

My advice is that if you really want to understand the theory you have to put some time in to learning it, but it really isn't necessary. What starts all the confusion is that folk start theorising and speculating about what's going on in musical terms without really knowing the basics..so either don't worry about it and stay away from the theory, or take some time to study and get properly educated in music theory.

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Permalink Reply by Ice Bob on December 25, 2014 at 8:48pm

it dont matter there is lots of reasons for both. i started on 4 string and didn't notice that Shane and alot of people tuned (DGdb). 2 years later i noticed this but it never slowed me down. my friend Banjo Ron told me one day that its like Banjo tuning (DGbd) minus the drone string. to me it was just like 4 string guitar in dropped D which i was already familiar with. so i take the high 4 strings out of the pack of 6 and dont use the bass strings. which is why i dont sound like others. maybe if i started as a 3 string player this would be more comfortable to me. remember there is no rules my tuning is higher the other tuning lower there are other G tunings. you can scan back on my Cigar box tunings Group for more tunings Group

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on December 26, 2014 at 5:38am

Power chords are root and 5th (a dyad, to be proper , although the octave can be included, to make it a proper chord, so 1-5-8, or...1-5-1). They work over both major and minor scales.

Deep Purple's "Smoke on The Water" is a rock classic whose basic riff features power chords, and can easily be played on a GDG CBG.

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Permalink Reply by ChickenboneJohn on December 26, 2014 at 6:02pm

Wayfinder - what Ron said - the definition of a "power chord" is one consisting of a root and a 5th. It's not a full three note chord, it is missing the 3rd. The 3rd is what makes a chord major or minor (the minor is made with a flattened 3rd), so a chord without the 3rd, ie the "power chord" is neither major nor minor, that's what gives it that rootsy sound. The fact that the root or the 5th is duplicated somewhere in the power chord with an octave doesn't technically affect whether it's a power chord or not.

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Permalink Reply by ChickenboneJohn on December 26, 2014 at 6:38pm

It's a power chord simply because it sounds powerful, especially when played on an overdriven electric guitar

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Permalink Reply by Uncle John on December 26, 2014 at 4:15am

Good answers. Try two or three open G tunings. The DGBD is open G and a banjo tuning. Finger chording. So is DGBE - tenor guitar tuning. I use both of those some.

Then there is the low throaty GDGB that I am just starting to use more. Just did a vid with it 'Keep It Clean'. Good sound for slide and blues. A lot of us play IVI tunings such as GDg, DAd, EBe, CGc. Adding that fourth string adds a bit of treble and fullness, but to me, some songs sound better on three and some on four.

Tom, that video that I just did and mentioned above? I tried 4-5 guitars in 3 different tunings and settles on the GDgB. I typically do like that and some others do as well.

Eric and some like the lower growl of open E tunings. True dat, but if you are a singer, gravitate to the key or open chord that most often fits your voice. For me that is key of G about 70% of the time.

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Permalink Reply by Tom T on December 26, 2014 at 3:47pm

Thanks for the ideas. How do I find that Vid?

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on December 27, 2014 at 2:05am

Go to Uncle Johns Profile page, and look through his vids; scroll down the page, and it's the most recent one, on the left:

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/profile/JohnBolton