Open String Note Names

Music Theory Notes, Sharps & Flats & Octaves!
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You NEED to know the note names of the open strings, and how they're numbered! :)


View the full lesson at Open String Note Names | JustinGuitar

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Loved the dynamite one haha

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For the Dutchies:
Een Aap Die Geen Bananen Eet
(a monkey who doesnt eat bananas)

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Eat A Darn Good Breakfast Everyday

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Why are there no c and f strings?!

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Allard @drallas
First of all welcome to the community :grinning:
Not a expert but it has to do with the twelve notes in western music, somebody had to decide what the six strings had to be tuned to. The standard tuning has lots of advantages for chords etc.
I am sure somebody will give more theoretical answer.
Michael :notes:

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Welcome to the forum Allard
You are correct Michael. if the B string was tuned in 4ths the same as the rest of the strings chords like A, G , F and all E and A shaped barre chords would be rather difficult to play. the bottom 2 notes of these chords would be moved up one fret making barre almost impossible.

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@stitch Thanks for your answer, it makes sense to me; but Iā€™m too much of a beginner to comprehend it fully yet.

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A salute to Eddie he was the best.

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@drallas There are technical reasons for the specific order of the strings chosen and good answers given above.

A simple explanation for 2 strings notes left off is:

6 strings on a guitar

the highest and lowest strings are tuned to the same notes to make barre chords easier. That is just 5 available notes

there are 7 note names (A through G).

So 2 notes need to be left out.

P.S. Using the E as the lowest and highest note is by convention, I believe. You could tune all your strings down by a whole tone and would have string notes of DGCFAD. Put a capo on the 2nd fret and you would have standard tuning. You can also get a 7 string guitar and tune the lowest string to C and have a C string.

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Note you are talking about standard tuning here, and as said there are reasons.

Its supposed to be perfect 4ths spacing but that is changed up a bit for 1 string a otherwise its difficult to play some chords.

The standard open tuning is a generic best fit tuning for all round play, no one has to stick with it !

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Yes, we are focused on standard tuning here. Justin introduces nonstandard tuning in Module 18 Grade 3 and discusses them further in the Essential Knowledge section.

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