Match TuningI came up with this scheme in the seventies when I was learning to play myself. It was first written up in Banjo Newsletter magazine in October 1987 and February 1988. This tuning number system shows the relation of fretted notes on one string and the sound of the next string to which you match the pitch. Tuning is a little easier these days because of electronic tuners. When practicing, or playing, by yourself, it does not really matter if you are tuned to exact concert pitch. As long as the strings are properly tuned from one string to the next. Purist musicians might scoff at this way of thinking, but it simplifies things if you only read tablature. gDGBD might not mean a whole lot if you don't read music. The first number (optional) indicates the fret number where you place your capo. If no number is shown, you do not use the capo. The second character (letter) shows the key in which the tab is played. The next four numbers represent the strings on the instrument, starting with the lowest pitch sounding string. For five string banjo this of course, is the forth string and the number of numbers is always one less than the actual number of strings on the instrument. In case one of the strings needs a double digit number I find it easiest to put a hyphen in there to avoid confusion. Example: G12-340, the forth string being lower in pitch by 12 frets compared to the third string. |
Example: 2A5435
2 | A | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | Regular bluegrass tuning, key of A, capo at second fret |
2 | capo position on second fret - omit if capo not used | |||||
A | key of A - omit if unknown (in this case don't indicate the capo number either to prevent confusion - or, use an X or a question mark or something) | |||||
5 | lowest sounding string (4th) fretted at the 5th fret matches the pitch of the next open higher (3rd) string | |||||
4 | next string (3rd) fretted at 4th fret matches sound of next open string (2nd) | |||||
3 | next string (2nd) fretted at 3rd fret matches pitch of next open string (1st) | |||||
5 | next string (1st) fretted at 5th fret matches pitch of next higher open string (5th) |
Using this scheme, the standard guitar tuning is 55545 (6th string fretted at fifth fret sounds like the open, non-fretted, 5th string etc. The standard tuning for mandolin looks like 777. Here's a whole bunch of them and if you have any you'd like to add, drop me an email. |
Instrument | Key | Number | Notes | Capo 2 | Description/Name or song |
Banjo - 5 string | G | 5435 | gDGBD | aEAC#E | Standard bluegrass open G chord |
G | 5525 | gDGCD | aEADE | Modal | |
G | 5523 | fDGCD | gEADE | Modal | |
G | 12-435 | gGGBD | aAAC#E | "John Brown's Dream," Jarrell | |
G | 12-327 | gGGA#C | aAACD | "Long Steel Rail," Fred Cockerham | |
Gm | 5343 | fDGBbF | aEACG | Minor | |
Gm | 5255 | gDGAD | aEABE | Minor | |
Gm | 5345 | gDGBbD | aEACE | Minor | |
Gm | 12-340 | dGGA#D | eAACE | "Off the Wall" | |
C | 7435 | gCGBD | aDAC#E | Standard C tuning | |
C | 7525 | gCGCD | aDADE | Double C, mountain | |
C | 7543 | gCGCE | aDADF# | Open C (open C chord) | |
C | 7522 | eCGCD | f#DADE | "Lost Indian" | |
C | 5453 | gDGBE | aEAC#F# | Regular G tuning, 1st string +2 frets | |
Cm | 7255 | gCGAD | Doc Boggs | ||
D | 4354 | f#DF#AD | gEGBE | Standard bluegrass D tuning (open D chord) | |
D | 4357 | aDF#AD | bEG#BE | Open D chord | |
D | 5437 | aDGBD | bEAC#E | Standard G, 5th string +2 | |
D | 5754 | f#ADAD | g#BEBE | ||
D | 5757 | aADAD | bBEBE | ||
D | 4350 | dDF#AD | eEG#BE | Blues kinda sound | |
D | 7527 | aCGCD | bDADE | ||
Dm | 3453 | fDFAD | gEGBE | "Bunkyo" | |
Dm | 7254 | f#CGAD | Doc Boggs | ||
F | 5523 | fDGCD | gEADE | ||
F | 5723 | fCFCD | gDGDE | ||
F | 3723 | fDFCD | |||
F | 2523 | fFGCD | Matokie Slaughter | ||
F | 2525 | gFGCD | |||
Bb | 7723 | fBbFCD | fBbFCD | Open | |
E | 7252 | eCGAD | eCGAD | "Little Birdie" | |
E | 5554 | f#BEAD | g#C#BE | "Shortnin' Bread" | |
Eb | 4158 | BbEbGAbD | Tyler May | ||
Em | 2554 | f#DEAD | Doc Boggs | ||
4325 | eDF#AB | whatever | Bart | ||
Banjo - 4 string | 777 | ||||
743 | |||||
Balalaika | 05 | EEA | Standard/Classic tuning | ||
12-5 | EEA | Classic tuning, 3rd string dropped one octave | |||
43 | AF#D | Folk tuning (same as 5 string banjo G, capo 7) | |||
75 | AEA | Dmitry | |||
Guitar | 55545 | EADGBE | EADGBE | Standard guitar tuning | |
D | 75545 | DADGBE | Drop D | ||
D | 75435 | Open D | |||
D | 75525 | DADGAD | |||
G | 43543 | Open G | |||
Mandolin | 777 | ||||
Violin | 777 | ||||
Ukelele | 545 | ||||
Dobro | G | 43543 | GBDGBD | Open G chord | |
other tunings or instruments welcome |