I tried perfect fourths for about three months. Scales and single note lines were easy. Chords (I use a lot of extentions) were rough going. I also tried perfect fifths for about three weeks. It was hell for me. I applaud anyone who goes from standard tuning to perfect fifths. Sure it makes powerchords easier but I just can't stretch like that.
The best guitar synth work I've ever seen/heard using fifths is Todd Keehn on the ztar.
Guitar-Driven Composition
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- KVRAF
- 7837 posts since 20 Jan, 2008
Dell Vostro i9 64GB Ram Windows 11 Pro, Cubase, Bitwig, Mixcraft Guitar Pod Go, Linntrument Nektar P1, Novation Launchpad
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- KVRAF
- 26033 posts since 20 Oct, 2007 from gonesville
when I was somewhat more scalar-oriented I would have liked perfect fifths tuning, to get 'up a step' in the same position rather than a unison (I'm able to go into a classical LH position and have a big stretch anyway). but string gauges were a problem. I found, for me working with the limitation is better than looking for an out, as a discipline.
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- KVRist
- 140 posts since 20 May, 2005
Related to the earlier discussion in this thread, I've heard a number of jazz musicians say in interviews that basically their musical ideas are ahead of their technical skills. And that makes sense, too. Great improvisers can just play, spontaneously, there is music going through their heads all the time. At that level, it is hard to match that ability with technical skills, since there are obvious limitations for how much you can practice an instrument (practical, physical limitations, etc.) as compared with humming, thinking about music, listening to music, etc. Also, whenever these guys are working on technique, they are also listening at the same time. So once a musician gets past a certain point in his musical progress, almost certainly their ideas will outstrip their technical abilities.
Sam
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- KVRAF
- 2217 posts since 15 Jul, 2003
tenor banjo/tenor guitar and mandolin (cello, viola and violin) are all tuned in fifths.
tenor banjo guitar is a great chording instrunment to a point since it only has those 4 strings and many chord forms end up doubling one of the notes
(and my fingers had some issues with the most common dom 7th form)
and with 4 strings you can't expect to stay with 1st inversions, which has its good and bad
The tenor guitar is a lot more popular in places like Celtic music than I would ever have suspected.
What's most interesting in this niche world (IIRC) is the chord shapes for mandolin are very different than for tenor, even though they're both tuned in 5ths. I assume that's dictated by scale, but it's not that difficult to apply a chord shape from one to the other.
tenor banjo guitar is a great chording instrunment to a point since it only has those 4 strings and many chord forms end up doubling one of the notes
(and my fingers had some issues with the most common dom 7th form)
and with 4 strings you can't expect to stay with 1st inversions, which has its good and bad
The tenor guitar is a lot more popular in places like Celtic music than I would ever have suspected.
What's most interesting in this niche world (IIRC) is the chord shapes for mandolin are very different than for tenor, even though they're both tuned in 5ths. I assume that's dictated by scale, but it's not that difficult to apply a chord shape from one to the other.