New Standard Tuning (NST) on Guitar (Teleberger "jazzCittern")

A demonstration of New Standard Tuning. Similar to Full Fifths Tuning, NST (CGDAEG) is all fifths, with the exception of the high string which is tuned to G. Certain technical challenges are posed by Full Fifths and its extreme high B. This is very handily mitigated by NST, as most of it is fifths but we get some dandy tight chord voicings on the top end, too.

Still, it ain't nothin' but a big mandolin. :) Or a six-string cello with frets. And no bow. The improv advantages to Fifths Tuning are huge. It all makes sense.

This is performed on the Teleberger, i.e., a Tele body and Steinberger neck and bridge, going through a Mesa; Fender Precision Deluxe bass. Etc. Technically, a guitar tuned this way belongs to the prestigious jazzCittern family.

The tune is "Mandarin Orange" Copyright ©2010 by Craig Schmoller/Groveland Software Labs, Inc. All rights reserved.

Visit jazzCittern.com for more information.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• jazzCittern
• NST
• Fifths Tuning
• ModeExplorer
• jazz theory
• jazz guitar chords
• jazz guitar scales
• jazz cittern
• New Standard Tuning
• All fifths
• FFT
• cittern
• full fifths tuning

[Silverspring777]

Hey there, Your video is great, I like your playing. I was trying to use the NST but , i have fear to break the first and second strings, should i go higher on those strings or lower, ? thanks a lot

[grov6land]

@Silverspring777 You know, if you're tuning CGDAEG, you'll be changing string gauges too. But the G on the high end is easily doable with a typical .008.

[diabeticmonkey]

Excellent playing. Some info on your string gauge?

[grov6land]

@diabeticmonkey Thanks! On this guitar I use .052 .040 026 .015 .009 .008.

[UncleTito72]

@devolve42 Fire away. But I have to warn you. As a holder of a degree in music performance from University of Massachusetts, and as a current graduate student In the New England Conservatory of Music Jazz program, I'm pretty sure I know where my elbow is. So, if you think you can take this on, just go ahead.

[swingmanu]

@grov6land thanks a lot, I'll take a look.

[grov6land]

@swingmanu I think you'll be surprise about the chords! Of course the voicings are different, but they are actually simpler... at least by my way of thinking. I might be so bold as to point you to jazzcittern (dot) com/modeexplorerweb/home/lesso­ns/mandolin/chords.aspx to get some ideas? Though this is a mandolin method, the same applies to 86% of NST.

[dodecapusrex]

I'm working with AFT, but into the bass scale starting with low A ( ACGDAe ) or low G (GDAEBf#). The "gdae" spelling shows up in both. I find that with hybrid finger pick & hammer/tap technique that solo & even chord work are very accessible.

My guitar is an archtop, w/ a floating bridge & bigsby bar. For AFT the bridge needs a more acute angle to get the octaves to line up up & down the fretboard.

Straight jazz chromes + single bass flatwound ='s rich sound, nice voicings.

[swingmanu]

tuning in fifths is the easy choice for the violin player who wants to solo on guitar. Not good for usual chords though!

[swingmanu]

@grov6land Tuning in consistent fourth will save a lot of time since the fingering will be consistent in the melodic work(solos). On the other hand, it'll complicate the chord positions and we have to remember that guitarists don't often get paid for showing off but for playing rhythm and arrangements. I hate the wankers who solo for 10 minutes and can't even hold the rhythm for you.

[briel]

If you want to see the benefits, quit being pussies and tune your god damned guitars to the tuning yourselves! As he said, there are benefits to every tuning. I personally have two guitars: one in standard and one in NST. There are riffs I can play in NST that I can't play in Standard and vice versa. I don't understand how people can trash talk something they haven't even tried.

You can talk about theory all you want, but that's what it is... Theory. Try it yourself and play with it.