Fun 7 String Tuning | FACEGBD

[Allan Revich]

This one is a quick retune from G6 tuning,
FACEGBD
Similar to the G13 tuning GBDFACE, but flipped around a bit.

There are a lot of very pretty strums, grips, and picks, in this tuning. I’d love to use it for an art gallery opening.

[Mark Evans]

Oh yeah
I just hit on FACEGA last night
‘There is a vibration in the force’

[Alan Davidson]

This is my standard tuning, except I'm up a whole step to G B D F# A C# E. It's the only tuning I use.
I arrived at it after asking myself what the best tuning would be for playing parallel thirds.
This is definitely it. It is alternating major and minor thirds, which also gives you alternating
major and minor triads: G major, B minor, D major, F# minor, and A major. You can play
I, vi, IV, V in D using all open strings!

As illustration for playing parallel thirds in C major, start on the 5th fret on the two lowest strings.
That gives you C E. Move up one string and down two frets to D F, then up two frets to E G.
Then move up another string and down two frets to F A, and then up two frets to G B.
Just keeping doing this same pattern and you arrive at the octave on the third fret.
It's seamless, liking waking up a ladder.

Other cool things about this tuning:

* Skipping a string always gives you a perfect 5th.
* If you skip the even strings, you have violin tuning: G D A E.
* It actually has all the notes in a D major scale as open strings.
* You can play a complete D major scale and beyond at the 5th fret by just lifting and lowering the tonebar.

Try this chord progression, it will blow your mind. Start on the first three strings at the fifth fret.
Then play them open. Move down one string and play at the fifth fret. Then play them open.
Keep doing that and you wind up with Pachelbel's Canon in D.

[Allan Revich]

Thanks for all the bonus info @Alan. It is indeed a magical tuning sequence. I think I’ll keep using it for solo improvisation, but stick with the simpler G6 (EGBDGBD) for playing with others. Too much going on for my simple mind to keep track of with this tuning.

[Andrew Frost]

This is the tuning you get on C6 pedal steel with the 7th pedal engaged. Strings 3-9.
Very pretty and useful indeed!

D
E
C -> D
A -> B
G
E
C
A
F
C

[Allan Revich]

A cool feature of this tuning is that you can get most of the main chord progressions in root position using only 1 additional fret, with no skipped strings. For example, starting with F major:

FAC - Strings 7-6-5 open
BbDF - Strings 7–6-5 fifth fret (4th)
CEG - Strings 5–4-3 open (5th)
FAC - Strings 5-4-3 fifth fret (octave)
ACE - Strings 6-5-4 open (m3rd)
DFA - Strings 6-5-4 fifth fret (m6th)

And the pattern repeats across all 7 strings!

[Dave Sky]

I have used ACEGBD for over 15 years. Now it looks like I need a 7 string model!