Open mood
An open tuning ( English open tuning ) is a tuning in string instruments , in which the not fingered ("open") strings form a simple chord .
In an open tuning, only fifths and a maximum of thirds are added in addition to the fundamental and its octaves , so that a simple major or minor chord is created when the open strings are struck. This gives the instrument a particularly full sound; In addition, such a mood enables special playing techniques.
Some stringed instruments have open tunings as normal tuning (e.g. from the cistern family ), while other instruments only exist as scordatura (i.e. changing the normal tuning, e.g. on guitars ). In the latter case, many guitarists prefer the English expression "open tuning".
Open moods as scordatura on guitars
Open tunings have been of great importance since the end of the 19th century, when Hawaiian guitarists arranged their songs using the "slack key" technique. Slack Key describes fingerpicking in open moods. At the beginning of the 20th century, especially in the USA, there was great interest in Hawaiian music and thus the type of guitar playing with the slide (English for "glide"). The Hawaiian guitarists played their guitar while seated and placed it on their thighs. By sliding the slide (a rounded piece of metal) over the strings, the guitarists achieved new, delightful sound moments (see also slide guitar and bottleneck ).
But the open tuning is not only used for the slide guitar, but is in modern fingerpicking, in Celtic and Irish music as well as in rock music an invigorating element for the guitarist, which opens up new possibilities for the guitarist on the guitar, even when he is playing the open Tuning is forced to learn new fingerings of the chords. There are now fingering charts for every chord , for scales (as a basic pattern for solos and licks ) and intervals for Open Tuning .
theory
When playing with Open Tuning, the key of the piece is usually also the basic chord that the open tuning has. Was the guitar z. B. If tuned in Open G tuning, the piece is usually also played in G major . In every open tuning, the tonic chord (basic chord) is on the unfinished strings, the dominant chord on the 7th fret as a whole barre and the subdominant chord also as a whole barre on the 5th fret.
With the help of barre chords there is also the option of moving chords upwards chromatically. In Open-D tuning, the E major chord is found in the 2nd fret, the F major chord in the 3rd fret, the G major chord in the 5th fret, etc.
Examples
The standard tuning of a guitar is: E - A - d - g - h - e 1
| Mood in | String tuning | Surname |
|---|---|---|
| C major | C - G - c - g - c - e 1 | Open C-tuning , JelGi - everyone learns to play the guitar |
| D major | D - A - d - f sharp - a - d 1 | Open D tuning , Vestapol |
| D minor | D - A - d - f - a - d 1 | |
| E major | E - H - e - gis - h - e 1 | Open e-mood |
| G major | D - G - d - g - h - d 1 | Open G tuning , Spanish |
| G minor | D - G - d - g - b - d 1 | |
| A major | E - A - e - a - c sharp 1 –e 1 | Open A mood |
With E-Tuning, compared to D-Tuning, only the pitch of all strings is one tone higher, which means that the chord names also change, but the way of playing does not change. All chords, scales and intervals can be transferred from D-Tuning to E-Tuning. The same applies to A-Tuning and G-Tuning.
More scordatures
Scordaturas whose open strings do not result in a (simple) major or minor chord are sometimes also counted among the open tunings. These include B .:
| String tuning | Surname |
|---|---|
| D - A - d - g - a - d 1 | DADGAD |
| D - A - d - g - h - e 1 | Dropped-D mood |
| C - G - c - f - a - d 1 | Dropped-C mood |
| D - A - d - a - a - d 1 | only root, fifths and octaves |
Limits of Open Tuning
When choosing the right open tuning, there are also design limits to be considered. For acoustic guitars with thick strings (> 12 sets), E and A tuning is not recommended because of the high stress on the bass strings and the guitar neck.
Open moods with cistern
Most of the instruments from the cistern family (e.g. Waldzither , English guitar) are tuned in an open mood. This is not a scordature, but the normal tuning of these instruments. The open atmosphere leads to the full, rich sound of these instruments, and was one of the reasons why the cittern already in the Renaissance period as well as beginners easy to learn folk instrument was widespread (as opposed, for. Example, for lute ).
Due to the different designs in this family of instruments, the number of choirs and the exact tunings are different.
Examples of open moods in cisters:
| String tuning | Surname |
|---|---|
| C major (six courses) | cc - ee - gg - c 1 c 1 - e 1 e 1 - g 1 g 1 |
| C major (five courses) | cc - gg - c 1 c 1 - e 1 e 1 - g 1 g 1 |
| C minor (five courses) | cc - gg - c 1 c 1 - es 1 es 1 - g 1 g 1 |
Special playing techniques
The special playing techniques made possible by an open tuning include the drone playing style (the lower strings are used as drone strings), the slack key technique , the slide guitar technique and the bottleneck technique.
A well-known example of a guitar piece played in an open mood is Das Loch in der Banana by Klaus Weiland .
literature
- Norbert Koch, Thomas Schmiechen: Guitar - openly tuned. Open tunings. Schott, Mainz (= Edition Schott. Volume 7245).
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Andreas Michel: Zister moods. Retrieved December 30, 2017 .