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"Half Nashville" Tuning: Metheny Style

1/3/2016

16 Comments

 
Nashville tuning may not be something you typically associate with the baritone guitar. However, in this video, virtuoso Pat Metheny beautifully demonstrates what his half Nashville alternative tuning can offer to baritone players.
You could spend a lifetime trying to copy Pat's musical styling.  Fortunately, emulating this tuning takes minutes.
Pat's half Nashville tuning requires that you sub out the 3rd and 4th strings in your typical baritone string set for standard-gauge guitar strings and tune both one active up from normal baritone tuning. Thus, your typical baritone would be tuned (low to high) B, E, A^, D^, F#, and B. Note: the "^" symbol denotes the raised octave.  Pat tunes his baritone A to A, so if you want to follow more precisely in his sonic footsteps, try tuning your baritone to A, D, G^, C^, E, A.

This alternative tuning adds brightness and breadth to the baritone guitar, creating interesting voicing possibilities.  If you want to learn more about baritone tuning, check outpart one and part two of our complete guide to baritone tuning. It's chalked full of standard and alternative tuning options for baritone guitar.

Thanks for reading this article. Please reply with your comments, thoughts, questions, or links to your musical experiments with half Nashville tuning.

Finally, please take a moment to check out our full list of acoustic baritone reviews or our full list of electric baritone reviews.
16 Comments
Tom Keckler link
1/13/2018 08:49:06 am

Most appreciated info. Thanks a million

Reply
Tom keckler link
4/16/2018 01:40:42 pm

What ga stiring take place of d &g for hAlf baritpone NASHVILLE tuning

Reply
Matt
4/19/2018 09:15:14 pm

First off, thanks for your question Tom. As I understand it, Pat is using medium to heavy gauge standard acoustic strings.

Reply
Anticueca
9/16/2018 12:32:14 am

Thanks for the information

Reply
Sambajammer
1/26/2020 01:48:53 pm

I think I may understand the origin of the Taylor 8 baritone, one of which I am happy to own. The octave pairs on the 3 and 4 strings add a brightness to the overall sound.

Reply
Joe Brackman
7/12/2020 03:10:27 pm

Joe Beck and Frank Gambale have both used similar tunings as well. I think Gambale's is in baritone A-A, but might be an octave up? Don't remember. Gambale has also wanted to take ownership if this tuning and proposed that it be called the Gambale Tuning...

Reply
richard lupien
12/12/2022 03:39:42 pm

Gambale Tuning = a 5th above on the four lower strings and an octave below on the two small strings : AGDCEA is a kind of a middle piano voicing.

Reply
Bill Gannon link
10/3/2020 08:17:50 am

https://www.facebook.com/PatMetheny/videos/285857252730345

Reply
Johannes
2/20/2021 04:57:12 am

Hey Matt, thanks a lot for the informative post.

I've got a new baritone guitar and would love to try out this tuning. Do you think it would work if I simply took out strings 3 and 4 and replaced them with the top two strings in a new light-gauge string set (gauges .022W and .015, respectively)? I would tune those up an octave, as you described.

Just worried about damaging my new guitar, esp since everyone else seems to be using the top strings of the middle part of a 12-string set.

Reply
richard lupien
12/12/2022 05:22:14 pm

As long as you respect the string-note gauge ratio your ok!!...it's kind of tricky, the third string becoming the "smallest". Let's say you start off with a John Pearse #3260L set (.015 to .068) tuned B to B. The third string D becoming the smallest (being an octave up) would be .012 (tuned to D) and the fourth string A would be .016 (tuned to A) or from A to A, the third string C being the smallest (being an octave up) would be let's say .015 (tuned to C) and the fourth G would be .030 (tuned to G). Best of luck!!...

Reply
richard lupien
12/12/2022 06:08:28 pm

Error : tuned from A to A : the fourth string being G (an octave higher) would need à .022W (tuned to G) not a .030...sorry about that!!...

richard lupien
12/12/2022 06:20:32 pm

An Elixir 8 string baritone set of strings uses .014 and .017 for the higher octave for B to B tuning.

richard lupien
12/12/2022 06:12:07 pm

Put simply, the anwser is yes!!...

Reply
richard lupien
12/12/2022 06:14:05 pm

The top strings of a 12 string set is for the regular Nashville tuning!!...nerver heard of a 12 string baritone guitar!!...does that exist?...

Reply
richard lupien
12/12/2022 06:27:50 pm

OK, so a baritone 12 string does exist!!...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ah7YVJlZL2I

Reply
H
11/15/2021 03:39:59 pm

Anybody know if there are oryginal strings sets for baritone half nashvile tuning?

Reply



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    Matt is a musician, educator, and baritone guitar enthusiast living in Washington state.

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