Forums

4-String - Best Open Tuning?

Posted by Barry Lampke on November 1, 2010 at 9:41pm in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts
I have a 4-string CBG that is currently tuned to open D (DADF#).  I see the barre chords are easily done but am having trouble finding a C chord that isn't so high (barre is on 10th fret - correct?).  The C chords I have found don't sound quite right (1 string 1st fret, 2nd string second fret, third string third fret).  Minors are also a challenge.  All of the chord charts for open D seem to use the bottom strings a lot (A and D) so the 4-string thing is befuddling me.

Does open G have the same challenges?

Thanks,

BB

You need to be a member of Cigar Box Nation to add comments!

Join Cigar Box Nation

Email me when people reply –
Follow

Replies

  • emlas July 22, 2015 at 4:56am

    Oh my!..

    I just discovered that this a very old thread and i guess Barry´s got it all sorted out by now!

    Sorry for the late entry... :)

  • emlas July 22, 2015 at 3:03am

    DAdf# is a great tuning. There are many songs you can learn from youtube tutorials in that tuning. The DAdf# are a part of the open six string tuning DADf#ad, also called vestapol tuning. Here are a couple of youtube links:

    Jesus is on the mainline:

    https://youtu.be/tLfYObWbUHg

    Nobody´s fault but mine:

    https://youtu.be/Fc1QCEiRGWc

    I´ve added a chord chart. I  hope this is what you´re looking for and I hope they are correct.

    DAdf#.pdf

  • Fat Knuckle Freddy July 14, 2015 at 9:32am

    Hello. I'm new to the site. I've been wanting to do it for years. Your C chord is built on the 3rd string third fret (c note root) 2 string 2nd fret (E note) 1st string first fret (G note). Looks like an F chord on standard guitar. With the above fingering, your minor is like an F minor chord move E back 1 fret.Your minors have a a little tough fingering off the 4th string root but easier on the 3rd string root. I use 3 tunings on my 4 CBG. I use the bottom 4 strings of a guitar, not the top four. Tunings, low to high, DADA (my favorite), DADF#, EAEA. I hope I answered the question. Cheers!

  • frank tennyson July 12, 2015 at 7:25pm

    Travis Woodall has a good intro vid for ADF# tuning.

  • Barry Lampke November 6, 2010 at 6:24pm
    It's all good - no problem at all. There's nowhere else I can get the thoughtful and helpful responses on this stuff - especially for a 4-string CBG! Keni Lee - I know I should be learning the theory but I'm not there yet! In the meantime, thanks for helping me through the basic chords.
  • Keni Lee Burgess November 6, 2010 at 6:19pm
    Hello Barry,
    I thought you were working in open G. That is why I suggested the chord page. I am not trying to sell you another tuning. I play using DADf# but only the lower three strings on a 3 string (DAD). I will be posting a series of lessons soon for playing chords on 3 string tuned ADf#. So, you will find this very applicable with a D(ADf#) tuning on a 4 string. Sorry for any confusion.
  • The Phrygian Kid November 6, 2010 at 3:58pm


    Barry Lampke said:
    Thanks for chord suggestions! I have managed a C chord by using

    - 1st finger on second fret lower D string,
    - 2nd finger on 2nd fret for the other D string, and
    - 3rd finger on 3rd fret for A string and
    - muting the F# string.

    Is this a decent fake for a C chord?

    For an Em chord, I found this:

    - 1st finger on 1st fret on the F# string
    - 2nd finger on 2nd fret on lower D string
    - 3rd finger on 2nd fret on A string
    - 4th finger on 2nd fret on other D string

    Please let me know if these work. Now I am search of an Am!

    u are really close with ur chords ur working out, good stuff. Ur C chord really wants a 'G' note, so u need to free up ur first finger to fret the 1st string at the 1st fret. A minor is almost the same as C but u wanna trade that G u just made for an A. In order to fret the 1st string at the 3rd fret u will have to swap ur fingers around to free up ur 4th finger...

    ur doing great
  • The Phrygian Kid November 6, 2010 at 3:54pm
    hey man dont let these guys sell u on another tuning, u gotta tackle one tuning at a time for where u are at. I dont really see why u guys think a 2nd tuning is gonna help??? The 'C' chord u have worked out there should be working fine, but what u really want to do is either detune the entire instrument by 2 steps (drop every string by 2 notes, so the intervallic relationship between ur strings remains the same) or transpose the tune to the key of D.

    If in the chart where it says C u just play a D that ought to be a lot easier no?? this means u gotta raise all the other chords by the same 2 fret differential to keep the tune the same. Try that../.
  • Barry Lampke November 6, 2010 at 8:57am
    I am trying these in DADF#. Am I way off?
  • Keni Lee Burgess November 6, 2010 at 6:29am
    Here is a link to open g chords to start you off:
    http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://alanhorvath.com/images/G...
    Please check out my CD5 for 4 string CBG (www.ebay.com / search: keni lee)
    I think you will find it quite a comprehensive study of open g CBG. Enjoy.





    Barry Lampke said:
    Thanks for chord suggestions! I have managed a C chord by using

    - 1st finger on second fret lower D string,
    - 2nd finger on 2nd fret for the other D string, and
    - 3rd finger on 3rd fret for A string and
    - muting the F# string.

    Is this a decent fake for a C chord?

    For an Em chord, I found this:

    - 1st finger on 1st fret on the F# string
    - 2nd finger on 2nd fret on lower D string
    - 3rd finger on 2nd fret on A string
    - 4th finger on 2nd fret on other D string

    Please let me know if these work. Now I am search of an Am!
This reply was deleted.