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Guitar Tunings ~ South America

A set of standard nylon strings are fine for a classical guitar. One can detune these tunings to a lower key if they find the strings are too tight of a tension for some of these tunings. These tunings can be played on acoustic guitar and electric guitar as well. Most of the tunings displayed on this page from South America, Africa and Asia. Additional regions would include Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and other

To distinguish the major and minor features of the presented tunings. One can use triads to figure out which fits best when it comes to the description of the tunings For example the Open G tuning D G D G B D features the recognizable triad of G B D or 1 / 3 / 5 presenting a major chord when strummed. The Open G Minor tuning has a triad of G Bb D or 1 / 3b / 5. Triads are chords that only feature three musical notes. In which there are three types, major, seventh and minor. This principle of using triads to figure out tunings can be used to determine the key the tuning is in. The tunings are classified according to name, pitch, tuning and region.

Yaravi tunings are reentrant; they belong to the same family of tunings as the standard guitar E A D G B E tuning. What separates the tunings from the standard is the A string is often tuned to a flat or a sharp. These tunings are primarily played in both Baulin and Yaravi genres.

The diablo (devil) tunings are tuned with both sharps and flats present in the tunings. These tunings are played in both Bolivia and Peru.

Guitar Tunings ~ South America
Name Type Pitch / Key Tuning Genre Country / Region
Re Entrant E E A D G B E *
Re Entrant Em7 add 11 E A D G B D
Re Entrant D D A C F A D *
Dropped D D A D G B E
Dropped D 6/9 D A D F# B E
E A D G C E
E A D# F# B E Victima
E Ab D G B E Baulin
Re Entrant E Minor E B E G B E * *
Re Entrant E Major E B E G# B E * *
  E Bb D G C E
  E B D# F# B D#
  E Bb E G# B E
  E B E G# B D#
  Eb Bb C F A D
  E G D G B E
F
Re Entrant F Major E A C# F# B E Victima
E A D# F# B E Huaynos Ancash, Peru
Sexta en Fa  Re Entrant F F A D G B E
Llano, Mahuli Re Entrant F A D G C E Huaynos / Carnivales Ancash, Peru
Arpa  Re Entrant F# F# A D F# B# E  Huaynos / Carnivales Ancash Peru
Fa# / F# Re Entrant F# F# A D G# B# E Huanuco, Ancash Peru
Re Entrant F# A D A B E Huanuco, Ancash Peru
Re Entrant F# A D A C# E Huanuco, Ancash Peru
F B D G B E Huaynos
Re Entrant A G A D G B E
Comuncha Open G G B D G B D
Comuncha G6 G B D G B E
Diablo G Minor G Bd D G B E
Diablo G Minor G Bd D G C E
G/C G B D G C E Yaravi Jesús in Huanuco Peru
G C D G B E
Del Diablo   G C D G C E  
C# C# B E F# B E Peru
Open G Minor D G D G Bb D
Open G Major D G D G B D
Open G6 D G D G B E
Open G maj7v2 D G D G D F#
Open Raised E Open B / ^ E E B D# F# B D#
C# C# B E F# B E Peru

Guitar Tunings ~ Oceania

 

Guitar Tunings ~ Papua New Guinea
Names Pitch Tunings Regions
Standard E A D G B E *
Four Key F maj 11 F Bb C F A C
Four Key E A B E G# B
E A B F# B D#
Five Key E G# B F# B D#
Six Key A 6 add 9 E A C# F# B D#
Five Key F F Bb C G C E
C / G C G C G B D
G / C add 4 G C D G B D

 

Guitar Tunings ~ Samoa
Names Pitch Tunings Regions
Standard E E A D G B E *
Ki Tu Fa G D G D G B D *
Ki Ku Fa D A D A# F A#
Ki Sui Ki
Sui Ki A Le Ki Tu Fa G maj 7 G F D G B D
Sui Ki Maualuga C6 C G C G A C
Ki Ta Lua x F C G C E
Ki Salamo D maj 7 D A D F# A C

Guitar Tunings ~ Asia

 

 

Guitar Tunings ~ Asia
Names Pitch Tunings Genres Regions
Open C sus F G C F G C Myanmar
D Major D A D F# A D Hindustani India
D Minor D A D F A D Hindustani India
E Major E B E G# B E Hindustani India
E Minor E B E G B E Hindustani India
Carnatic E / B B E B E B e Carnatic India
G Major D G D G B D Hindustani India
G Minor D G D G Bb D Hindustani India

Guitar Tunings ~ Africa

Alternate Guitar Tunings as collected from where ever the guitar is played in the African continent.

Guitar Tunings ~ Africa
Names Pitch Tunings Genres Regions
E A D G B E
Em7 add 11 E A D G B D Maskanda South Africa
Mi Compasé E A [d] G B E Rumba, Soukous Congo
Drop D D A D G B E
Hauyani C C E G C E G South Africa
G A D G B E Ali Farka Toure Mali
F F C F A C F Botswana

 

Guitar Tunings

The alternate tunings presented here are found throughout the rest of the world under a wide variety of names. Tunings are classified according to region and country where they are known to be played in. If a letter x is placed where a known pitch is to be, this means the string is omitted or removed, for example drop G – D G D G B D would become G – x G B G B E.

A set of standard nylon strings are fine for a classical guitar. One can detune these tunings to a lower key if they find the strings are too tight of a tension for some of these tunings. These tunings can be played on acoustic guitar and electric guitar as well. Most of the tunings displayed on this page from South America, Africa and Asia.

 

Charango Tunings

The charango’s frets are arranged in a 12 tone chromatic scale. The tablature and notation follow the same rules for the guitar. Although the most common configuration of the strings on a charango is 10 stringed or five double pairs G C E A E or Gg Cc Ee Aa Ee. The tunings in the table are only samples of the known tunings used in Bolivia, Peru, Chile and North Western Argentina. The chords for charango are very similar to the ukulele G C E A although the instruments are both members of the lute family. The charango & ukulele are separate instruments from each other. Each lute having their own history.

In the table the asterisk * represents the tuning is a standard tuning that is used in a region containing several different countries.

The first table as featured shows the established standard tunings of the charango family

Charango Tuning by Typology
Instruments Length cm (Nut to Bridge) Tunings
Charangon / Ronrocco C F A D A
Charango C G E A E
Walaycho D G B E B

The second table shows the regional tunings for the charango as played on the 10 string / 5 course configuration Gg Cc Ee Aa Ee.

Charango Tunings
Name Pitch Tuning Region
Standard Am7 / E G C E A E *
Ronrocco C F A D A Bolivia, Peru
D G B E B Argentina