bass and strum stick tunings

["loop.pool" <looppool@cruzio.com>]

I"m completely enamored of the simple
Sus 2 tuning   D A D E

What I love dearly about this tuning is that all the bar harmonics
up and down the neck are in Lydian.

It's a really beautiful and very simple tuning to play in (for a drummer 
like myself).


Another one I"ve been using on a strum stick I purchased at NAMM is
a Flat 7 tuning

D A D C

It makes for some really beautiful triadic suspended modal chords.

I'm using these on a bass but I'm just loving playing StrumStick and 
Dulcimer lately.

The timbre of the Strumstick (which just has three highly strung thin 
strings) is really beautiful.

It's like a cross between a mandolin and a banjo with very chimey 
harmonics.
It's tuned diatonically (with a flat 7 and a natural 7)  so when you put 
it 
into a non 1-5-1 tuning
it produces some beautiful parallel modal chords and melodies.

MARTIN SIMPSON's approach to altered tunings

If you are interested in altered tunings please check out Martin Simpsons' 
book "The Acoustic Guitar of Martin Simpson"
There's a cool section at the front of that book on his approach.

I was really privileged to tour and record with him for a couple of years 
and he has a fascinating and very simple
paradigm for the use of altered tunings.

He changes the tunings of his acoustic guitar between every tune on stage 
and does so while telling really wonderful and
sometimes thought provoking or humorous stories.  It's amazing to watch 
and 
I can't more highly recommend seeing him live
or listening to his records if you get the chance.