Estimated reading time 3 minutes
Table of Contents
Introduction
“Why is EADGBE the unquestioned standard guitar tuning?” How you tune affects both the sound and playability of the guitar. There are many tunings, but EADGBE is the indisputable standard. What makes it so popular among guitarists? Keep reading to find out.
This article uses musical terms. For definitions, see the Glossary at the end of the post.
Why Is EADGBE the Unquestioned Standard Guitar Tuning #1: Ease of Use
To begin with, multiple musical styles have all embraced EADGBE:
- Genres such as folk, country, rock, blues, jazz, and classical all have songs with the open strings’ notes set to EADGBE (from thickest string to thinnest).
- Why? If you’ve ever tried soloing in an open tuning, you’ll know that the scales can sometimes be spread out across the neck, and while some chords will be easy to play others will be nigh impossible.
- Not so with EADGBE, which has a wide range of chords and scales that fit well under your hand.
Why Is EADGBE the Unquestioned Standard Guitar Tuning #2: Lots of Tutorials
In addition, the literature for EADGBE is staggering:
- With literally hundreds of thousands of songbooks, transcriptions, technique manuals, and method books, it gives young players a good incentive to use EADGBE.
- The breadth and depths of these amassed tomes far outweighs the literature for alternate tunings (considerable though they may still be).
- Therefore, EADGBE has influenced decades of guitar music through the wide availability of its instructional materials.
Why Is EADGBE the Unquestioned Standard Guitar Tuning #3: Musical Flexibility
However, it’s not just which notes get assigned to which strings. It also has to do with how you adjust the stings to EADGBE:
- EADGBE is most closely associated with equal temperament.
- In fact, that’s one of its greatest assets, that it can play chords and scales in any key.
- This makes it ideal for chromatic styles like jazz and classical.
However, you also have the option to sweet tune your guitar while you’re in EADGBE:
- How do you do this? By holding a chord and adjusting the strings without fret references or an electronic tuner.
- This will affect the sound of both your chords and scales.
- However, this is much more commonly done in open tunings.
For more information on sweet tuning EADGBE:
Why Is EADGBE the Unquestioned Standard Guitar Tuning #4: Other Options
Having said all that, standard tuning isn’t the only one available. You can do some really cool things with open and other alternate tunings.
For example, check out this video by Jon Gomm:
- Listening to the video, it sounds like Jon Gomm’s acoustic could be in open Eb.
- The cool effect he does where he adjusts his strings as he performs would be next to impossible to do if he was in EADGBE.
- Since he adjusted his strings without using fret references, it allows his acoustic to have a level of resonance that you can’t get when you’re in equal tempered EADGBE.
For more information:
Video: Jon Gomm
Final Thoughts
The takeaway points:
- So, which one should you choose? Well, it depends on what you want to do.
- EADGBE is the unquestioned standard guitar tuning because it is better for chromatic styles of music and is relatively easy to use.
- Also, the sheer number of educational resources can’t be denied.
- However, alternate tunings can create a vibrantly resonant sound for your guitar (e.g., the Jon Gomm video), though there can be a learning curve learning to play the new scales and chords.
- Really, it’s up to you to decide which you want to use.
Have fun playing!
Related Posts
- C Wahine
- Country Blues Guitar
- How to Get the Blues Rock Open D Sound
- How to Get the Classic Rock Open G Sound
- Intonation and Supplemented Equal Temperament
© 2024 Geoffrey Keith
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I almost always tune my guitars to DGDGBD…. So that’s my standard.
DGDGBD or open G is probably the most common alternate tuning (it’s certainly the most searched on Google), because it’s similar enough to standard tuning to not distort the scale too much when soloing while still being able to tune to an open chord to get a great sound (https://successmusicstudio.com/how-to-tune-your-guitar-so-you-sound-like-a-rock-star/). It has a lot going for it and is fun to play in. However, open any pop or rock song compilation tab song book, you’ll see the dominance of EADGBE.