Augmented fourths | |
---|---|
Basic information | |
Aliases | All-tritone tuning, Diminished-fifth tuning |
Interval | Augmented fourth |
Semitones | 6 |
Example(s) | C-F♯-c-f♯-c'-f '♯ B-F-b-f-b'-f' |
Advanced information | |
Repetition | After 2 strings |
Advantages | Simplified fretboard |
Disadvantages | Only two open-string notes |
Left-handed tuning | Augmented-fourths tuning |
Associated musician | |
Guitarist | Shawn Lane |
Shawn Lane used the B-F-B-F-B-F augmented-fourths tuning for "Tri 7/5" on his The Tri-Tone Fascination. | |
Regular tunings (semitones) | |
Trivial (0) | |
Minor thirds (3) | |
Major thirds (4) | |
All fourths (5) | |
Augmented fourths (6) | |
New standard (7, 3) | |
All fifths (7) | |
Minor sixths (8) | |
Guitar tunings |
Among alternative tunings for guitar, each augmented-fourths tuning is a regular tuning in which the musical intervals between successive open-string notes are each augmented fourths.[1] Because augmented fourths are alternatively called "tritones" ("tri-tones") or "diminished fifths", augmented-fourths tuning is also called tritone tuning or diminished-fifths tuning.
The standard guitar-tuning
interjects exactly one major third amid four perfect fourths for the intervals between its successive open strings. In contrast, the augmented fourths tunings
have only augmented-fourths intervals.
The set of augmented-fourths tunings has three properties that simplify learning by beginners and improvisation by experts: Regular intervals, string repetition, and lefty-righty symmetry. These properties characterize augmented-fourths tunings among non-trivial tunings.