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Two stringer tunings

Posted by Robert on August 20, 2015 at 1:52pm in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion

Hi all,

 

I am an amateur guitar builder and harmonica player and I'm interested in building a two string guitar. In fact I already did.

 

Somewhere on the big big web I read about tuning a 2stringer to Open G by using one string in G and the other string in B (higher) or D (higher). So I tuned to G and D. And they sound good together, only.....it doesn't sound like G.

I know a GDg 3stringer sounds like a G

 

What I would like to do is play a backing in G. I mean when I struck both strings open, it should sound a G.

That way I can record it and play harmonica along with in G. So I need the 2stringer to play in G.

 

So...does a 2stringer tuned to G en D really sound like G?

 

Hope I'm making myself clear :-)

 

Thanks!

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Replies

  • Robert August 21, 2015 at 1:10pm

    @Ron thanks for the advice, I know the circle of fifths from playing crossharp to figure out which harp to use for which key of the song.

    @Uncle John, I will check out that CBG 101 vid, thanks! There is also a member group for two strings on CBN that I'm reading. This is a great website.

    • doggylv . > Robert August 21, 2015 at 5:18pm
      I'm glad you guys know what was being said wow, builder, can't play....yet
      • Ron "Oily" Sprague > doggylv . August 22, 2015 at 1:32am
        You will, eventually. While you're waiting for glue to dry, or get tired of sanding, learn a little music theory. It won't hurt. Really.
  • Uncle John August 21, 2015 at 11:02am

    Ron's info is good.  GD is my fave and I am a hack level harp player and singer.   Go to page top- resources/how to play and find knotlenny's CBG 101.  The lesson is for 3 strings, but I promise it works perfectly for a GD 2 string.   10 minutes a day for a month and you will be sounding good and having fun and looking handsome.   It worked for me.

    • darryl kernaghan > Uncle John August 21, 2015 at 3:20pm

      Looking handsome?put me down for 12 minutes.and nice assist oily

  • Robert August 20, 2015 at 3:09pm

    What are other possible tunings? What should be the tuning for A?
    A + C?
    A + C#?

    And what about E?
    Is there a system I can use for figuring this out myself?

    • Ron "Oily" Sprague > Robert August 21, 2015 at 1:03am
      Same difference, really. If you currently have G-D (remember, that's a fifth within the octave, with G being 1, A = 2, B = 3, C = 4, and D = 5), then now A becomes your starting point. So the fifth above A is...E. C is the third above A.

      Yes, there is a system to figure this out. It's called music theory. Everyone should learn at least a little bit of it. If you search "Music Theory" in Wikipedia, the resulting article does a nice job of showing you the basics. Also, learn the Circle of Fifths. This will allow you to do the quickie transposition exercise I just showed you above.
      • jawbone > Ron "Oily" Sprague August 21, 2015 at 11:02am

        So, the circle of fifths isn't a bunch of guys sitting around, each with their own bottle ????
        I've been mislead !!!!

  • Ron "Oily" Sprague August 20, 2015 at 2:42pm
    Tune one to G. Tune the other to D, and you have a fifth. G5, a "power" chord (technically, a dyad). This will work for what you want to do. You could also tune them G-g (except your thinner, higher pitched string will probably break before you can tune it up to g).

    If you had a three stringer, and tuned it GDg, you'd still only really have that G5 power chord. If you really want an open G chord, you'd need to add a B, to get the G-major triad, G-D-B. Or any inversion of those, like D-G-B, or G-B-D.

    But your G-D on the two stringer will work if you wanna use it for a backing track. Another way to approach this, if you have the ability to multitrack, is to tune your 2-banger G-D, play and record your licks, then retune to G-B, and play the same licks and record them in another track, time linked to the first track. Then you'd get that full G chord, and have a really kewl sounding dual track to record your harp against.
    • Robert > Ron "Oily" Sprague August 20, 2015 at 2:48pm

      Ron, what a great reply, thanks!

      By change, I also made a 3stringer in GBD, with G being the lowest in the same octave.

      I'v been trying the G-g, but like you figured, the string broke (I use metal wire no real strings, or any other guitar part for my instruments).
      That is why I use the GBD tuning for the 3stringer and not the GDg.

      So good news for the G-D tuning! Really happy now.

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