Triple Courses: A Primer

 

Recently, a non-guitarist friend stated that they didn't understand triple courses, and asked me to explain them.  I gladly obliged, and then realized that this might make for a helpful and informative blog post.

A course is either one string or two or more adjacent strings that are closely spaced relative to the other strings, and typically played as a single string.  The strings in each multiple-string course are typically tuned in unison or an octave.  Not so with most of my instruments.

A 6-string guitar is a 6-course instrument.  A violin is a 4-course instrument, as is a mandolin because its eight strings are grouped as four double-courses.  A 12-string guitar is a 6-course instrument, as the strings are placed very close together so that you can finger two strings with one finger, creating a double course; double because of two strings played together.   A triple course is three strings placed very closely together such that you can play/finger all three with one finger.  

No one is making triple-course instruments.  I did not invent this; the first triple-course instrument was the gittern which dates from the 15th century.  My triple courses came into being by my own modifications.

Why triple courses?  Because my music involves extensive use of tone clusters.  On a 6-string guitar, these are nigh-on impossible to create.  On my double-course instruments, tone clusters are plentiful, as I create my own tunings that are based on fourth gradations, the same as  6-string guitar tuning, but the second string in each course is tuned to various intervals. This provides a kind of density unobtainable with any other string instrument.  I love it, and use intervalic tunings on most of my double-course instruments.  Side note: currently, the only single-course instrument I use is the Martin D-28.  Hence, all my instruments are double-courses, except the 15-string Martin (three double and three triple courses, pictured at the top of this blog post), and the 30-string Double Contraguitar (six triple courses).   The beauty of the triple course is that each triple course is tuned to a tone cluster.  This enables me to create massive harmonic structures.  I play both necks simultaneously, and on the 30, I can do things like create 22-note harmonic structures.  It would require three people at one piano to do that, or an orchestra.  Additionally, my instruments are not all in the same register.   The 30-string Double Contraguitar is in E contra tuning (one octave below 6-string guitar).  The 24-string Double Sub-contraguitar is in D sub-contra tuning, and the 26-string Double Sub-contraguitar is in C sub-contra tuning.  These are just a couple of examples.  Then, within each of those instruments, they're all in different intervallic tunings.  So, no two instruments have the same register or tuning.  This all becomes quite orchestral and I love it. 

Even though I only have two instruments with triple courses, triple courses play a large role in my music.  Triple courses enable the creation and realization of massive harmonic structures, ones that aren't possible on double course instruments.

-kk