In the 1970s, it seemed like if you knew about dropped D tuning, open G and open D, and maybe even open C and DADGAD, you had alternate tunings covered. Today, with the great profusion of alternate tunings and the great music that has sprung from them, they have become a mainstay of contemporary fingerstyle guitar, and a new chapter in guitar education has opened.
Since the mid-1990s when we first set up our online existence, the title/tunings database has been an important resource at stropes.com. Developed by Matt Guthrie, Don Adams, George Winston, Mike Kammin, and Brian Burke, it became a significant knowledge base that tracked contemporary tunings. And with the direct input from the artists represented, it had unparalleled comprehensiveness and utility.
Now, Prince Samuel, working with Ben Kammin, has redesigned the titles/tunings database and implemented new functionality. You can sort and filter by artist, title, and recording, and link to published music. And with your computer or mobile device, you can tune your guitar directly from the database by clicking or tapping on the pitch name. Imagine that! Much appreciation goes to Prince Samuel for this elegant redesign. Our thought was always to make the website a resource in itself, and this reimagining of the titles/tunings database helps fulfill this ambition. We now track over 150 tunings used by the artist whose music we publish. Take a look!
If you have any questions or comments about the titles/tunings database, or if you can help fill in the blanks, please contact me directly (john@stropes.com). And watch for phase 3 development — project name: “Contemplating Tunings.”