Tunings Master Listing
This listing was started years ago and was meant to be a reasonably sized listing of most of the playable tunings used over the last 100 years in the area of Hawaiian music, western swing, and country music. It's plain I've omitted many blues and modal tunings from this list. Common tunings or ones I consider important and useful are highlighted. Obviously, this is highly subjective and I'd be interested in your input. Please email me your additions and any corrections. Mahalo!
Tunings sometimes contain pitches that aren't "in order" from bottom to top -- for example, the high chromatic strings at the bottom of Herb Remington's F#13th. The Midi Pitches field helps clarify the notes named in the Spelling field. The chart below is the key used to generate the Midi Pitches field.
Note Names with Midi Pitches
(Open guitar notes in blue - Middle C in pink)
Major Chord Tunings
| Name |
Spelling |
Midi Pitches |
Remarks |
| A Major |
E A C# E A C# E |
64-61-57-52-49-45-40 |
|
| A Major |
A C# E A C# E |
64-61-57-52-49-45 |
High Bass |
| A Major |
E A E A C# E |
64-61-57-52-45-40 |
Low Bass |
| D Major |
D A D F# A D |
62-57-54-50-45-38 |
Basic |
| D Major |
D D F# A D F# |
66-62-57-54-50-38 |
Feet Rogers |
| E Major |
E G# B E G# B E |
64-59-56-52-47-44-40 |
|
| E Major |
E B E G# B E |
64-59-56-52-47-40 |
Basic |
| G Major |
G B D G B D |
62-59-55-50-47-43 |
Dobro |
| G Major |
D G D G B D |
62-59-55-50-43-38 |
Taro Patch |
Minor Chord Tunings
| Name |
Spelling |
Midi Pitches |
Remarks |
| C Minor 6th |
A Eb G A C Eb G |
67-63-60-57-55-51-45 |
Bobby Koefer |
| C# Minor |
E G# C# E G# C# E |
64-61-56-52-49-44-40 |
|
| C# Minor |
E B E G# C# E |
64-61-56-52-47-40 |
Sol Hoopii |
| C# Minor 7 |
B D E G# C# E |
64-61-56-52-50-47 |
Sol Hoopii |
| F#min9 |
G# C# F# A E G# C# E |
64-61-56-52-45-42-37-32 |
Jerry Byrd |
Sixth Chord Tunings
| Name |
Spelling |
Midi Pitches |
Remarks |
| A6th |
E A C# E F# A C# E |
64-61-57-54-52-49-45-40 |
|
| A6th |
C# E F# A C# E |
64-61-57-54-52-49 |
Basic |
| A6th |
A A C# E F# A C# E |
64-61-57-54-52-49-45-33 |
Herb Remington |
| A6th |
A C# E F# A C# E F# |
66-64-61-57-54-52-49-45 |
High 6th |
| A6th |
F# A C# E F# A C# E |
64-61-57-54-52-49-45-42 |
Leon McAuliffe |
| Bb6th |
Bb D F G Bb D F G |
67-65-62-58-55-53-50-46 |
High 6th |
| Bb6th |
G Bb D F G Bb D F |
65-62-58-55-53-50-46-43 |
Western Swing |
| B6th |
B D# F# G# B D# F# G# |
68-66-63-59-56-54-51-47 |
High 6th |
| B6th |
G# B D# F# G# B D# F# |
66-63-59-56-54-51-47-44 |
Western Swing |
| C6th |
C E G A C E |
64-60-57-55-52-48 |
Basic-6 |
| C6th |
A C E G A C E G |
67-64-60-57-55-52-48-45 |
Basic-8 |
| C6th |
G A C E G A C E |
64-60-57-55-52-48-45-43 |
Low G |
| D6th |
A B D F# A B D F# |
66-62-59-57-54-50-47-45 |
|
| D6th |
F# A B D F# A B D |
62-59-57-54-50-47-45-42 |
Rudy Wairata |
| Eb6th |
Bb C Eb G Bb C Eb G |
67-63-60-58-55-51-48-46 |
|
| E6th |
B C# E G# B C# E G# |
68-64-61-59-56-52-49-47 |
|
| E6th |
G# B C# E G# B C# E |
64-61-59-56-52-49-47-44 |
|
| E6th |
A C# E G# B C# E G# |
68-64-61-59-56-52-49-45 |
Don Helms |
| G6th |
B D E G B D E G |
67-64-62-59-55-52-50-47 |
|
| G6th |
G B D E G B D E |
64-62-59-55-52-50-47-43 |
High 6th |
| G6th |
G B E G B D |
62-59-55-52-47-43 |
Ken Emerson |
Seventh Chord Tunings
| Name |
Spelling |
Midi Pitches |
Remarks |
| A7th |
E G A C# E A C# E |
64-61-57-52-49-45-43-40 |
|
| A7th |
A C# E G A C# E G |
67-64-61-57-55-52-49-45 |
|
| A7th |
G C# E A C# E |
64-61-57-52-49-55 |
European |
| E7th |
E B D E G# B E G# |
68-64-59-56-52-50-47-40 |
|
| E7th |
G# B D E G# B E G# |
68-64-59-56-52-50-47-44 |
|
| E7th |
E G# B D E G# B E |
64-59-56-52-50-47-44-40 |
Basic-8 |
| E7th |
E D E G# B E |
64-59-56-52-50-40 |
Low Bass |
| E7th |
B D E G# B E |
64-59-56-52-50-47 |
Roger Filberto |
Ninth Chord Tunings
| Name |
Spelling |
Midi Pitches |
Remarks |
| D9th |
F# A C D F# A C E |
64-60-57-54-50-48-45-42 |
|
| D9th |
D E F# A C E |
64-60-57-54-52-50 |
Basic |
| D9th |
F# A C E F# A C E |
64-60-57-54-52-48-45-42 |
Drop-string C6 |
| D9th |
C E F# A C E |
64-60-57-54-52-48 |
Drop-string C6 |
| D9th |
D A C E F# A C E |
64-60-57-54-52-48-45-38 |
John Ely |
| E9th |
G# B D E F# G# B E |
64-59-56-54-52-50-47-44 |
|
| E9th |
E G# B D F# G# B E |
64-59-56-54-50-47-44-40 |
Basic-8 |
| E9th |
D E F# G# B E |
64-59-56-54-52-50 |
Basic |
| E9th |
E B D E F# G# B E |
64-59-56-54-52-50-47-40 |
Jerry Byrd |
| F#9th |
F# A# E G# C# E |
64-61-56-52-46-42 |
Dick McIntire |
Eleventh Chord Tunings
| Name |
Spelling |
Midi Pitches |
Remarks |
| A11th |
A A C# E G B D F# |
66-62-59-55-52-49-45-33 |
Hanawahine |
| A11th v2 |
A G C# E G B D F# |
66-62-59-55-52-49-43-33 |
Hanawahine |
| B11th |
B A C# D# F# A C# E |
64-61-57-54-51-49-45-35 |
|
| B11th |
B D# F# A C# E |
64-61-57-54-51-47 |
Basic |
| B11th |
F# A B D# F# A C# E |
64-61-57-54-51-47-45-42 |
Don Helms |
| B11th |
C# D# F# A C# E |
64-61-57-54-51-49 |
Drop-string A6 |
| B11th |
B A B D# F# A C# E |
64-61-57-54-51-47-45-35 |
Henriques |
| B11th |
B C# D# F# A C# E |
64-61-57-54-51-49-47 |
Jerry Byrd |
| B11th |
B F# B D# F# A C# E |
64-61-57-54-51-47-42-35 |
Jules Ah See |
| G11th |
B D F A C E |
64-60-57-53-50-47 |
David Kelii |
Thirteenth Chord Tunings
| Name |
Spelling |
Midi Pitches |
Remarks |
| C13th |
G Bb C E G A C E |
64-60-57-55-52-48-46-43 |
|
| C6th |
Bb E G A C E |
64-60-57-55-52-46 |
Ingano-6 |
| C6th |
Bb E G A C E G |
67-64-60-57-55-52-46 |
Ingano-7 |
| C6th |
C Bb C E G A C E |
64-60-57-55-52-48-46-36 |
Jules Ah See |
| C6th |
Bb C E G A C E G |
67-64-60-57-55-52-48-46 |
Junior |
| D13th |
C F# A B D F# |
66-62-59-57-54-48 |
B. Rogers |
| D13th |
C D F# A B D |
62-59-57-54-50-48 |
DeWilligen |
| E13th |
E G# B D E G# C# E |
64-61-56-52-50-47-44-40 |
|
| E13th |
D E F# G# C# E |
64-61-56-54-52-50 |
|
| E13th |
E B D E F# G# C# E |
64-61-56-54-52-50-47-40 |
|
| E13th |
D E F# G# B C# E G# |
68-64-61-59-56-54-52-50 |
|
| E13th |
D F# G# B C# E |
64-61-59-56-54-50 |
|
| E13th |
D E G# B C# E |
64-61-59-56-52-50 |
Basic |
| E13th |
E B D F# G# B C# E |
64-61-59-56-54-50-47-40 |
Boggs |
| E13th |
E D E G# B C# E G# |
68-64-61-59-56-52-50-40 |
Don Helms |
| E13th |
E B D E G# B C# E |
64-61-59-56-52-50-47-40 |
Harry Brooker |
| E13th |
E G# B D F# G# C# E |
64-61-56-54-50-47-44-40 |
Jules Ah See |
| E13th |
B D E G# B C# E G# |
68-64-61-59-56-52-50-47 |
Kolsiana |
| E13th |
E G# D F# G# B C# E |
64-61-59-56-54-50-44-40 |
Leon McAuliffe |
| E13th |
G# B D E G# B C# E |
64-61-59-56-52-50-47-44 |
Low G# |
| F#13th |
F# D# F# A# E G# C# E |
64-61-56-52-46-42-63-66 |
Herb Remington |
Combination Chord Tunings
| Name |
Spelling |
Midi Pitches |
Remarks |
| A6+F#7 |
A# C# E F# A C# E |
64-61-57-54-52-49-46 |
Bobby Koefer |
| C6th+A7 |
C# E G A C E |
64-60-57-55-52-49 |
Jerry Byrd-6 |
| C6th+A7 |
A C C# E G A C E |
64-60-57-55-52-49-48-33 |
Jerry Byrd-8 |
| C6th+A7 |
B A C# E G A C E |
64-60-57-55-52-49-45-59 |
Joaquin |
| C6th+D9th |
F# A C E G A C E |
64-60-57-55-52-48-45-54 |
Joaquin |
| C9+A7 |
C# E G Bb C D |
62-60-58-55-52-49 |
Leavitt |
| D Major 7+E9 |
G# B D F# A C# E G# |
68-64-61-57-54-50-47-44 |
|
| G Maj 7+C |
C G E G B D E F# |
66-64-62-59-55-52-43-36 |
Dick Sanft |
Diatonic Chord Tunings
| Name |
Spelling |
Midi Pitches |
Remarks |
| A Diatonic |
D F F# G# A B C# E |
64-61-59-57-56-54-53-50 |
John Ely |
| C Diatonic |
E F G A B C E |
64-60-59-57-55-53-52 |
Jerry Byrd |
| E Harp |
C# E F F# G G# A B C# E |
64-61-59-57-56-55-54-53-52-49 |
Alkire |
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