Guitar tuning in different keys. Unusual guitar tuning. Non-standard (alternative) guitar tuning. The best audio editing programs and how to use them

In this article on the site we will talk about alternative guitar tunings.

Unusual guitar tuning is a type of tuning that differs from the classical and generally accepted fourth tuning.

It is important to understand that we are talking here about open strings, that is, notes will be extracted from open strings without pressing.

The classic tuning of a six-string guitar in notes looks like this (from the first string to the sixth): E (mi), H (si), G (sol), D (re), A (la), E (mi).

This tuning is used by guitarists 95% of the time and is considered the default tuning.

For example, if you see a chord grid with the indicated finger placement, it means that this classical tuning is implied, and you only need to use it.

On the other hand, there are a lot of musical groups that take advantage of their individual tuning of instruments. Often, such an alternative tuning differs little from the generally accepted one, and the changes affect only individual strings.

For example, the sixth bass string in heavy musical styles is often lowered a tone lower - from MI - to RE, and an additional seventh string SI (the thickest) is added.

Similar techniques of alternative tuning are used on the bass guitar, especially the five-string, where instead of the classical MI there is a SI or even a SI-flat in the bass.

If you look at the tabs of the same Korn, Sepultura or Cannibal Corpse, you will definitely notice the use of alternative guitar tuning.

However, custom guitar tuning is not limited to just one string. The same metal bands, in order to give the music more heaviness and darkness, rebuild the entire guitar.

For example, the classical guitar tuning often shifts entirely down a semitone or tone, moving from the general tuning of fourths MI to the general tuning of RE.

All this is implemented simply: all the strings of the guitar are lowered at the same interval lower, which achieves a special lowered sound.

On the other hand, alternative guitar tunings are often used in other styles.

In jazz, in blues, in grunge and even in rock.

For example, when playing with a slider (a special tip placed on the guitarist’s finger), it is very convenient to line up the guitar in fifths, so that when the fret is pressed, a whole chord can be heard without dissonant notes. Similar practices are found in other styles of music.

Unusual guitar tuning, alternative tuning

In order not to bore the reader with long stories, we will present several alternative tuning options for a six-string guitar. You can use these settings variations at your own discretion.

For example, to diversify your playing, to find new musical ideas, to change the monotonous classical sound of an instrument...

Alternate tuning of a guitar is usually implemented so that all of the open strings of the instrument produce a specific minor or major chord.

When playing in this tuning, you can simply press entire frets of the guitar and get new chords.

For example, by tuning a guitar in D major and plucking all the strings at the fifth fret, you will get a pure G major, and at the seventh fret you will get an A major.

Note: The examples below indicate an alternative order of notes from the SIXTH string to the FIRST string (the sixth is the far left and the first is the far right).

To perform the correct tuning you will have to either tighten or loosen individual strings, going beyond the generally accepted tuning.

1. Alternative guitar tuning in D major (D):

2. Unusual guitar tuning in G major (G):

3. Tuning a six-string guitar in the key of C major (C):

4. Alternative tuning E major (E):

5. Non-standard tuning G minor (Gm):

6. Alternative guitar tuning in D minor (Dm):

7. Unusual tuning of a six-string guitar in the key of A minor (Am):

And a few more completely unusual configuration options:

8. SOL fret tuning (G):

9. Alternative tuning in PE fret (D):

10. Guitar stand in A major (A major):

11. Tuning a guitar with sol bass:

12. Unusual tuning of an instrument with bass BEFORE:

13. Bass retuned to PE (D):

14. Guitar tuning with a lowered first string:

Note: "B" is the symbol for B-flat, and simply B is written as "H". Moreover, in the pictures for this article, “B” indicates the note SI.

This confusion is associated with the notation of the SI note in various forms of musical notation, but don’t let this scare you. In the article, the pure note SI is designated exclusively as “H”.

As you can see, there are different approaches to rebuilding a six-string instrument. In some cases, all notes are changed, and in some situations, only some strings are twisted (not all).

For example, changes are often made to the bass strings, and you may see this option especially often. The most problematic type of guitar tuning is adding strings.

To implement such a tuning, you will either need to use a seven-string instrument, or shift all the strings, adding a thick B string in the bass.

In general, you could come up with such alternative tunings yourself, experimenting with different guitar tunings.

Do not think that all possible options are limited to only the 14 examples described above. In fact, there are many, many more alternative configuration methods!

Some users may need to change the key of a musical composition. Of course, for this you can use specialized stationary programs (at the level of music editors "" or "Sony Sound Forge Pro"), but it will be easier and more convenient to use online network services that can easily change the key of the song we need. In this material I will talk about ways to change the key of a song online, and what services will help us with this.

As you know, tonality in music usually refers to the pitch position of a musical mode. Changing the latter is usually done using special programs that allow you to change the value of the tonic and mode to suit the user’s needs (“MixMeister Studio”, “Audacity”, “Prosoniq TimeFactory”, “Adobe Audition”, etc.)

An alternative to stationary programs is a number of network services that make it easy to change the tempo of music online. They work in the following way: you go to such a resource, upload the desired audio file to it, set the desired key value (major and minor, usually an indicator from -12 to +12). After this, listen to the result, and if you are satisfied with the result, then save the modified file to your PC.

All of the tools I list below are free in nature, making it easy to set your tone level online.

The best services for changing the key of a melody

Let's move on to listing the services for changing the tone on the Internet online with a description of the features of their work.

Vocalremover.ru

The first of the network services that allows you to transform the tonality is vocalremover.ru. Among the capabilities of this online editor are trimming vocals, changing the tempo of a composition, the presence of an online voice recorder, as well as the online key change we need. To work with the site, it is better to use the Google Chrome browser (the site may be unstable on other browsers)

To change the key using this service, do the following:

Ruminus.ru - will help you set the right pace

The second Russian-language service I want to talk about is ruminus.ru. Unlike the vocalremover.ru service I already mentioned, setting the key on ruminus.ru is done using arrows, which you use to indicate the desired numerical value of the key. Also here you can change the speed of the musical composition and its tempo.

To work with the service, do the following:

If you need, check out the following article.

Conversion-tool.com

The English-language resource conversion-tool.com is intended primarily for converting audio formats from one to another. At the same time, its capabilities allow you to easily change the key of a track online.

To work with this service, do the following:

Onlinetonegenerator.com

This English-language service works according to a similar algorithm with the already described site vocalremover.ru, allowing you to change the key without affecting the speed of the track.

To do this, do the following:

Transposr.com

Another English-language service that works using an extremely simple algorithm and allows you to easily make changes and adjust the key of your favorite song.

1. You go to the specified resource transposr.com.
2. Click on “Upload your file here” and upload the desired music to the resource.
3. Use the “plus” and “minus” buttons to set the desired tone indicator, then press the “Transpose” button.
4. Wait for the file processing to finish, and then click on the “Download My MP3” button to download the result to your PC.

Conclusion

If you have a need to modify the key of a song online, I recommend turning to the functionality of the services listed in this material. All of them are free, have an extremely simple and user-friendly interface, allowing you to change the key of the composition you need in a few clicks. I consider vocalremover.ru to be the most convenient of these services – its capabilities demonstrate fast and high-quality results.

In contact with

Music theory includes a huge variety of terminology. Tonality is a fundamental professional term. On this page you can find out what tonality is, how to determine it, what types there are, as well as interesting facts, exercises, and a way to change the tonality in a backing track.

Basic moments

Imagine you decide to play a piece of music. You found the notes, and when analyzing the musical text, you noticed that after the key there are sharps or flats. We need to figure out what they mean. Key signs are alteration signs that remain throughout the entire performance of a musical composition. According to the rules, they are placed after the key, but before the size (See Figure No. 1), and are duplicated on each subsequent line. Key signs are necessary not only so as not to constantly write them down near the notes, which takes a lot of time, but also so that the musician can determine the key in which the piece is written.

Figure No. 1

The piano, like many other instruments, has a tempered tuning. In this system, the units of calculation can be taken as tone and semitone. By dividing into these units, each sound on the keyboard can form a tonality, either major or minor. This is how the modal formulas for major and minor were invented (See Figure 2).

Figure No. 2

It is by these scale formulas that one can build a tonality from any sound, either in major or minor. The sequential reproduction of notes according to these formulas is called a scale. Many musicians play scales in order to quickly navigate keys and key signs with them.

Tonality consists of two components: the name of the sound (for example, C) and the modal mood (major or minor). To build a scale, you need to select one of the sounds on the keyboard and play from it according to the formula, either major or minor.

Exercises for consolidation

1. Try playing a major scale from the sound “D”. Use the ratio of tones and semitones when playing. Check for correctness.
2. Try playing a minor scale from the sound "E". You must play according to the proposed formula.
3. Try playing scales from different sounds in different moods. First at a slow pace, then at a faster pace.

Varieties

Some tones may have a certain connection with each other. Then they can be included in the following classifications:

• Parallel tones. The peculiarity is the same number of key signs, but different modal inclination. In fact, the set of sounds is absolutely identical, the only difference is in the tonic sound. For example, the keys C major and A minor are parallel, they have the same number of key signs, but different modal inclination and tonic sound. There is a parallel-variable mode, which is characterized by the fact that there are two parallel tonalities in the work, and their mode constantly changes, now to major, now to minor. This mode is typical for Russian folk music.
• The names of the same name have a common tonic sound, but at the same time different modal inclination and key signs. Example: D major (2 key marks), D minor (1 key sign).
• One-thirds have a common third (that is, the third sound in a triad); they are no longer united by the tonic, key signs, or mode. Typically, the one-third minor is located a minor second or semitone higher than the major. Accordingly, the one-third major in relation to the minor is located lower by a small second or semitone. An example is the tonalities of C major and C sharp minor; in the triads of these chords the sound “E” is the same.

Exercises for consolidation

Determine how the two tones relate to each other. Place the appropriate number next to the example:

1. Parallel
2. Same name
3. Single-faced

Questions:

• B-major and H-moll
• A-major and A-minor
• G-major and e-moll

Check your own knowledge.

Answers: 3, 2, 1.

Interesting Facts

• As a musical term, it originated in the early 19th century. It was introduced by Alexandre Etienne Choron in his own writings.
• There is “color” hearing, which is characterized by the fact that a person associates a certain tonality with a specific color. The owners of this gift were Rimsky-Korsakov And Scriabin.
• In modern art there is atonal music, which does not take into account the principles of tonal stability.
• English terminology uses the following designation for parallel keys - relative keys. When literally translated, these are “related” or “related”. The same name is designated as parallel keys, which can be perceived as parallel. Often, when translating specific literature, translators make mistakes in this matter.
• The symbolism of classical music has assigned a certain meaning to certain keys. So Des-dur is true love, B-dur defines beautiful men, heroes, and e-moll is sorrow.

Key Chart

Sharp

Flat

How to determine the tonality of a piece

You can find out the main tonality for the composition using the plan below:

1. Look for key signs.
2. Find it in the table.
3. There can be two keys: major and minor. To determine which fret you need to look at what sound the piece ends with.

There are ways to simplify the search:

• For major in sharp keys: last sharp + m2 = name of the key. So, if the extreme key sign is C sharp, then it will be D major.
• For flat major keys: penultimate flat = desired key. So if there are three key signs, then the penultimate one will be E-flat - this will be the desired key.

You can use both standard methods and those given above. The main thing is to learn how to correctly determine the tonality and navigate it.

Exercises for consolidation

Determine the tonality by key signs.

Major

Minor

Answers: 1. D major 2. As major 3. C major

1. Cis minor 2. B minor 3. E minor

Circle of quarto-fifths

The quarto-fifth circle is a special diagrammatically presented information in which all keys are located at a distance of a perfect fifth clockwise, and at a distance of a perfect fourth counterclockwise.

Main triads in the key

Let's start with what a major and minor triad are and how they are built. Regardless of inclination, a triad is a chord consisting of three sounds, which are arranged in thirds. The major triad is designated as B 5 3, and consists of a major third and a minor. The minor triad is designated as M 5 3, and consists of a minor and major third.

Triads can be constructed from each note in a key.

The main triads in a key are those chords that indicate whether they are in a major or minor mood. On the first, fourth and fifth triads are built, corresponding to the modal inclination. That is, in major, major triads are built at these steps, and in minor, minor triads are built, respectively. The main triads for each stage have their own names or functions, as they are also called. So the tonic is located on the first stage, the subdominant on the fourth, and the dominant on the fifth. They are usually abbreviated as T, S and D.

Related keys

There is such a thing as tonal affinity. The greater the difference in signs, the further the relationship. Depending on the systems, there are 3 or 4 degrees. Let's consider the most popular system, which divides tones into 3 degrees of relationship.

Relation degree
Group
Sign difference
What keys	parallel	S, D and their parallels	S harmonics for major	Keys on b.2 ↓ and their parallels	Major Major– m2, m3, b3 ↓ and Minor ss harm. – on b2↓ and minor of the same name	Minor Minor– m2, m3, b3 ↓ and Major DD on b2 and major of the same name	For major uv1, uv2, uv4 and uv5, for minor the same intervals ↓.	Tritonanta and its parallel

First group divided into 3 categories:

1. This is a parallel tone. The difference in signs is 0. These keys are united by six common chords. Example: F major and D minor.
2. 4 keys. The difference between the main and final tonality is one sign. These are the tonalities of the subdominant and dominant, as well as parallel to S and D. Example, for the key of G major: S - C major, parallel S - A minor, D - D major, parallel D - B minor.
3. Considered only for major keys. A difference of 4 signs is a harmonic subdominant. Example for C major – the harmonic subdominant is F minor.

Second group kinship is divided into 2 subgroups:

1. 4 keys. The difference is two key signs. It is easy to find these keys from the main one; they are located a major second above and below + parallels to those found. Example: the main key is A major. Above and below the major second or tone of the key: B minor and G major. Parallels for the keys found: these are D major and E minor.
2. The difference of signs is from three to five. Finding the key will depend on whether the key is major or minor.

• Dur: 6 major and 2 minor: above and below on m2, m3 and b3; ss is harmonic, located on b2 below, as well as the minor of the same name. Example for G-dur: As-dur, B-dur, H-dur, Fis-dur, E-dur, Es-dur and f-moll and g-moll.
• Moll: 6 minor and 2 major: for minor second, minor third and b3 above and below; DD is a major second higher and the eponymous major.

Third group is divided into 2 groups:

1. 3 keys that do not have a single chord in common, the difference is 3-5 signs in the opposite direction. For a major, you need to find minors higher at the following intervals, and for a minor, majors at lv.1, lv.4 and lv.5 below.
2. Tritonanta and its parallel. The tritone is found from the original tonic, for C-dur - Fis-dur.

Depending on the degree of harmony, there are many methods of modulation.

How to change the key in backing tracks

It happens that the pitch is either too high for the voice or too low. For music to sound beautiful, it is necessary to use modern technologies and programs to make the backing track convenient, that is, to transpose it to the required interval lower or higher. Let's look at how to change the key in backing tracks or compositions. We will work in the Audacity program.

• Open the Audacity program

• Click on the “File” section. Select "Open..."

• Select the required audio recording
• Use the CTRL+A key combination to select the entire track.
• Click on the “Effects” section and select “Pitch Shift...”

• We set the number of semitones: when increasing, the value is above zero, when decreasing, the value is less than zero. You can choose a specific key.

• We save the result. Open the "File" section, select "Export Audio..."

We hope that the page was useful for reading and now you know what tonality is, understand their types and can transpose a piece of music using a special program. Read other articles on musical literacy and improve your own knowledge.

Many of us love to sing, preferring to perform our favorite songs to a soundtrack with a cut vocal part, popularly called a backing track. But sometimes the key in which the composition is recorded is not suitable for the voice. In this case, it is necessary to change the key of the track. However, not all so simple. Even professional programs may not give the desired result. Let's look at what you need to do to get the highest quality sound.

Changing the key: a little theory

In general, even when using software of the appropriate level, changing the key without compromising the sound quality of the composition is not possible in such a wide range.

At most this will be a few semitones. Otherwise the track will sound unnatural. Don't forget, the change in tonality affects all sounding instruments. Okay, if these are some kind of melodic parts, but with drums the situation is much worse, because raising or lowering the fundamental tone will lead to that same unnaturalness. It is also worth considering that all overtones, as well as post-effects (for example, with a set delay or with a reverb), will also undergo changes.

Changing the key of a backing track: what to use in general

The process of changing the fundamental tone itself consists of using special plug-ins called pitch shifters (from the English Pitch Shifter).

In this case, you can not only change the key at a given tempo, but also change the speed of sound or combine both instruments. Again, changes in tempo are also made within a very limited range.

The best audio editing programs and how to use them

So, let's get to the practical part. In the simplest case, we will need the track itself (preferably in WAV format, not compressed MP3) and any program for changing the key or application that has such a plug-in in its arsenal. It is better, of course, to use professional and semi-professional audio editors (they have a built-in Pitch Shift tool).

Among the software packages that allow you to change the key of any track quickly and efficiently, it is worth noting the following:

• Steinberg WaveLab;
• Sony Sound Forge;
• Adobe Audition (formerly Cool Edit Pro);
• ACID Pro;
• Audacity;
• Prosoniq Time Factory;
• Acoustica Mixcraft;
• Cockos Reaper;
• Logic Pro X;
• Avid Pro Tools, etc.

The last four programs are used more for professional recording in studios and mixing, but they also have tools for editing the pitch.

Changing the key of any track and in any program follows the same principle: first, select the entire track or part of it for which you need to change the pitch of the main tone, then select the Pitch Shift plugin from the list, set the number of semitones or percentage relative to the desired key up or down, after which the change process is activated. The new track can then be listened to and saved.

What to use?

To give some practical advice in the end, it is worth noting that beginners should not immediately take on professional programs. At the initial stage of mastering such processes, the Prosoniq Time Factory application is perfect, since it is the simplest of all the above. If we are talking primarily about sound quality, then you can’t do without professional utilities.

However, even professionals sometimes use utilities such as Amazing Slow Downer to quickly set the tone offset. In addition, if a person does not have sufficient knowledge in the field of audio processing, you can turn to many online resources, where you just need to upload your track, select the desired settings, wait for the conversion process to complete, and then download the processed material to your computer.

As you can see, there is nothing particularly complicated. However, you should remember what was said at the beginning. It is not recommended to raise or lower the tone in a range of more than 2-2.5 semitones, since if it is exceeded, the composition will clearly lose the quality and naturalness of the sound. The same applies to tempo. It can be changed within a range of up to 10 bpm (beats per minute). If these two tools are used in parallel, the range of possible settings is significantly reduced.

I won’t argue how true this is. But I found it interesting.

Christian Schubart
"Ideen zu einer Aesthetik der Tonkunst" (1806)​

C major – complete purity. Its symbols are innocence, simplicity, naivety, and the speech of a child.

C minor is a declaration of love and at the same time the bitterness of its loss. Everything is languishing and sad. The soul is sick with love.

D flat major is an ominous key that turns into sadness and delight. She cannot laugh, but only smiles. She cannot cry, but only pretend to have a sobbing face. Therefore, this tonality expresses some unusual character and feelings.

D major – triumph, victory and glory! Solemn symphonies, marches, holiday songs and jubilant a capellas are written in this key.

D minor – melancholic femininity.

D sharp minor is a premonition of deep mental suffering, impending despair, severe depression, the darkest state of mind. Every fear, every indecisive shudder of the heart exhales the horror of D# minor. If ghosts could speak, their speech would be similar to this tone.

E flat major is the tonality of love, devotion and intimate dialogue with God.

E major - noisy cries of joy, joyful pleasure, complete delight.

F major – respect and peace.

F minor – deep depression, mourning for the deceased, groans of suffering at the grave.

F sharp major is a triumph over trials, here you can hear the echo of a soul that suffered greatly and finally overcame all obstacles.

F sharp minor is a gloomy, gloomy key. She pulls with the same passion with which a dog tears a dress. Indignation and discontent are the language she speaks.

G major - everything is simple, idealistic and lyrical, calm and satisfied passion, gratitude for true friendship and true love. In this key you can express any tender and warm feelings.

G minor – dissatisfaction, inconvenience, anxiety over a failed plan, gnashing of teeth, indignation and hostility, antipathy.

A flat major – The key of the grave, death, decay, condemnation.

A flat minor - grumbling, heart squeezed in the chest; everything comes with great difficulty.

A major is a declaration of pure love, the joy of relationships, the hope of seeing a loved one again, youthful cheerfulness and faith in God.

A minor – pious femininity and tenderness.

B flat major - the joy of love, clarity of consciousness, great hope for a better world.

B flat minor is a bizarre creature often dressed in the cloak of night. Something gloomy and very rare takes on a pleasant expression. A mockery of God and the world. Dissatisfaction with yourself and everything. Preparing for suicide.

B major is a strongly colored tonality, a proclamation of wild passions, a composition of the most dazzling colors. Anger, anger, envy, rage, hopelessness and any heaviness in the heart are expressed here.

B minor – patience, calm anticipation of one’s fate and obedience to God’s providence.

Tones and their colors according to Scriabin​

C – red
C# - purple
D – yellow
Db – purple
E – sky blue
Eb – bodily
F – dark red
F# – bright blue\violet
G – orange
Gb – bright blue\violet
A – green
Ab – purple
B – blue
Bb – pink\steel

Most songs “swing” better if their tempo is divided by four without a remainder.​

Once again I want to emphasize that I do not claim that everything said above is true. Try it and decide for yourself.

All the best,
Vitaly.