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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 ~ Madagascar
Guitar Tunings ~ Madagascar | |||
Names | Pitch | Tunings | Regions |
Standard | E A D G B E | ||
Drop | D 6 / 9 | D A D G B E | |
Haja’s Bb | B sus 2nd | Bb F C F Bb C | |
Rakotomavo | Bb | Bb F C G C E | |
Kabosy | C / G add 4 | C G D G B D | |
Drop | C / G | C G D G B E | |
Tarika Samy | D G C G C E | ||
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 ~ Indonesia
Guitar Tunings ~ Indonesia | ||||
Names | Pitch | Tunings | Genres | Regions |
E A D G B E | ||||
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 | ||