Hybrid Tunings, part 1

 

For the past year or so, I've been using a hybrid tuning on the 15-string Baritone.  By hybrid, I mean some courses are in octaves, and some are not.  Previously, my tunings were either all intervallic, or all octaves.  

It took some time for me to to understand the new hybrid tuning.  I could tell from the first day that it was certainly in the direction I wanted for that instrument.  At first, it almost sounded like two separate instruments: the intervallic instrument and the octaves instrument.  

For the 15-string baritone, the three bass courses are in octaves, and the three treble courses are intervallic.  On this instrument, the top three courses are triple courses, so these are actually tuned to various clusters with no repeated notes.  The octave bass courses seem to bring additional clarity and definition to the triple courses.  

After acclimating to this hybrid tuning, I decided to try a hybrid tuning on C4, which is an 18-string Contraguitar.  C4's tuning is even more radical, as some of the courses are unisons, some are intervallic with no repeated intervals, and some are octaves.  I've yet to fully acclimate to this very different tuning, but it is showing potential, and for now I'm sticking with it.  It also sounds like more than one instrument.  Sometimes that's a good thing.  Sometimes it's not what I want or what I'm hearing.

It's an interesting development.  I'll see where it goes.  I may decide to change C4 to something either fully intervallic, or something fully in octaves and unisons.  

For now, C4 remains in its new triple hybrid setting.  I have a recording session later today, and C4 will be there.  

-kk