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Fripps "New Standard Tuning" - anyone using?


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Posted

In a thread near here, this "NST" was mentioned in passing.

 

I'd be curious to hear from people using it how it's working for them,

why they changed, what issues they faced, what resources out

there are available to help (google yeilds almost nothing).

 

Basically along the lines of "how does one go about approaching

this tuning?"

 

No doubt there will be people who can't resist posting even if they

haven't tried it - barfing over the idea of a "Dropped C" tuning

is almost irresisable I'm sure... but please do try to resist :)

 

Thanks!

 

GaJ

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Posted

Last week I put on my carbon fiber Emerald X5 (I was a bit afraid of uneven string tension on an acoustic wooden guitar) a custom set for NST (010, 012, 017, 032, 042, 059). I have just begun to explore chord shapes, intervals positions and scales. I'm planning to notate everything in PowerTab format (when I have something I'll send it to you, if you want). I like the sound. It seems it's mainly used with a flatpick but I plan to play fingerstyle. I think I could come up with something interesting. My resources are the same as yours (Google, Cuil, Opera search) but should I find something out of sight I'll post it here.

I have sent you a PM with other considerations.

Happy new year

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Posted

I regularly use Fripps "New Standard Tuning" as my main tuning. To comprehend for the differences in tension I use my own set of individual strings for the guitar. On electrics I use .08p or .09p, 12p, 17p, 26w, 42w, and 52w. I have not tried the tuning yet for acoustics.

 

The biggest appeal I found was more linear intervals and scales. "Scales across two strings in NST line up nicely into coherent tetrachords or four-note patterns that have a visually rational relationship (whole and half-tone relationships have a remarkable symmetry that can be easier to learn than the OST whose intervals from 6 to 1 have the (inconsistent) major third thrown in the middle of the scale". This is great because leads flow very naturally because the location of the notes themselves are natural. There are no odd scale shapes in NST, it all very linear. The high G string which is a minor third above the E is also useful for forming chords with short intervals and certain licks that require short intervals. You get a much greater range too from the low C and the high G string.

 

The only downside I suppose would be that at first you will find that NST requires a great deal of stretching. However this is good, it strengthens and trains your hand. I found that after a while once you get used to the stretches, I realized how economical the tuning actually is in that I could put to good use all four fingers in my left hand.

 

Here are some of the few sites that reference NST:

http://home.comcast.net/~curtgolden/cgwebsite/cg3_tuning.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Standard_Tuning

http://www.frakctured.ukf.net/

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Posted

What made you decide to use it?

 

Did you do "the course" (Guitar Craft)?

 

Do you play any "cover" material? How do you fare there? Or it a case of "use the normal tuning to play tunes written for that"?

 

GaJ

  • Members
Posted

What made you decide to use it?


Did you do "the course" (Guitar Craft)?


Do you play any "cover" material? How do you fare there? Or it a case of "use the normal tuning to play tunes written for that"?


GaJ

 

 

Well I was bored with my playing in Standard Tuning. I always kept going into cliched riffs and licks and I wasn't accomplishing anything new. I tried learning new scales and stuff but then I was realizing how a lot of things in Standard Tuning doesn't make sense and don't line up nicely. Then I learned about New Standard Tuning and I haven't turned back since. I can't play some of the riffs I could play before but now I can play new ones and I'm not reverted into cliched blues-rock riffs that I used to depend upon before. For example because I have wider intervals between strings, eastern scales are now a cinch and are easier than Standard tuning. Also because the middle four strings are tuned like a violin/mandolin I can incorporate riffs and chords from those instruments. It really revolutionized my playing.

 

I have not done a course in Guitar Craft.

 

As far as cover material it depends. Occasionally there will be a tune that is easier in my tuning (like classical influenced stuff). On most covers the part will end up quite different to play but still playable or with a couple of small variations. I enjoy this actually because it lets you more easily make a song your own. I still try to stick with my tuning in covers as much as I can, but our band does few covers anyways.

 

Sometimes parts are very difficult in NST, mostly pentatonic stuff that is very easy in Standard Tuning. But that's why in my band our second guitarist is tuned in Standard Tuning, sometimes he'll play a part I can't play. It really adds diversity to our sound. For example If he plays a chord, I can play the same chord and it'll be in a different voicing than it. Also in our original material, I can come up with parts that he can't play in Standard Tuning, and he'd come up with parts that I can't play in NST. Its really cool.

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Posted

So tempting. Unfortunately I play a lot of covers, and my favourite leads to cover are very pentatonic (David Gilmour) so this is a little offputting....

 

GaJ

  • Members
Posted

 

So tempting. Unfortunately I play a lot of covers, and my favourite leads to cover are very pentatonic (David Gilmour) so this is a little offputting....


GaJ

 

 

Well imo pentatonics are easier in NST once you get used to it. It's arranged into nice three note per string patterns. However if you are covering DG (one of my favorite guitarists as well) it is a totally different feel and might be awkward. The tuning lines up to put stresses on notes other than Standard Tuning. It probably won't be too hard, DG is known for not putting out shred solos or anything, but it certainly won't be the same so that's you're call if you like the feeling of pentatonics in NST better or not. Honestly NST imo is much better for original stuff (what my band primarily does) and creating your own style than covers. If you like pentatonics, you can certainly come up with new original licks in NST and like I said in another post it helps me put my own feel into covers.

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Posted

It would seem the meaning of "standard" has become a tad dilute.

Fourths are wide enough for me. If I were to use fifths, I'd reduce the number of strings, like a tenor guitar.

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Posted

This isn't a thread about "is this the right name for the tuning known as NST".

 

If you want to pile in with the loads of people who think that "standard" was a presumptuous name, there are other threads for that, just google.

 

This is a thread for people who have actually used the tuning to share their experience with those who are interested in it and could do with some tips.

 

GaJ

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