String Energy, part 2
In this blog post , I spoke about string energy in tapping techniques. Since then, I've continued to greatly focus on string energy in tapping, touch, and legato techniques. The 30-string Contra-Baritone guitar has been key to this research/experimentation/learning process. The two highest courses on the 30-string's Contra (18-string side) are tuned to G and C. Both of these courses are the only two unison courses on the instrument. For the past couple of years, I'd been using .014 gauges for the G course, and .012 for the C course. Last week, I realized that these gauges weren't speaking as well as I'd like when using tapping and legato techniques. So, I moved to lighter gauges for both courses, changing them to .013 for the G course, and .011 for the C course. It made a palpable difference in response, tonality, volume, and articulation. This discovery was a bit counter-intuitive, as the heavier the string, the less energy i...
