| Regular Tuning Name: | All fourths |
| Image Top: | Chromatic circle fourths.svg |
| Caption Top: | The consecutive open notes of all-fourths tuning are spaced apart by five semitones on the chromatic circle, which lists the twelve notes of the octave. |
| Other Names: | Perfect-fourths tuning |
| Interval: | Perfect fourth |
| Semitones: | 5 |
| Examples: | E-A-D-G-C-F |
| Advanced: | TRUE |
| Repetition: | No |
| Other Instruments: | Bass guitar |
| Advantages: | Closely approximates standard tuning |
| Disadvantages: | Difficult to play conventional music, especially barre chords |
| Lefty: | All-fifths tuning |
| Guitarist: | Stanley Jordan Alex Hutchings Tom Quayle |
| Guitarist Image: | Stanley Jordan.jpg |
| Guitarist Alt: | Stanley Jordan plays guitar. |
| Guitarist Caption: | Jazz musician Stanley Jordan stated that all-fourths tuning "simplifies the fingerboard, making it logical". |
Among alternative tunings for the guitar, all-fourths tuning is a regular tuning.[1] In contrast, the standard tuning has one irregularity—a major third between the third and second strings—while having perfect fourths between the other successive strings. The standard tuning's irregular major-third is replaced by a perfect fourth in all-fourths tuning, which has the open notes E2-A2-D3-G3-C4-F4.[1] Among regular tunings, this all-fourths tuning best approximates the standard tuning.In all guitar tunings, the higher-octave version of a chord can be found by translating a chord by twelve frets higher along the fretboard. In every regular tuning, for example in all-fourths tuning, chords and intervals can be moved also diagonally. For all-fourths tuning, all twelve major chords (in the first or open positions) are generated by two chords, the open F major chord and the D major chord. The regularity of chord-patterns reduces the number of finger positions that need to be memorized.[1] Jazz musician Stanley Jordan plays guitar in all-fourths tuning; he has stated that all-fourths tuning "simplifies the fingerboard, making it logical".[2]
Among all regular tunings, all-fourths tuning E-A-D-G-C-F is the best approximation of standard tuning, which is more popular. All-fourths tuning is traditionally used for the bass guitar; it is also used for the bajo sexto.[3]
Allan Holdsworth stated that if he were to learn the guitar again he would tune it in all-fourths.[4]
All-fourths tuning is closely related to all-fifths tuning.All-fourths tuning is based on the perfect fourth (five semitones), and all-fifths tuning is based on the perfect fifth (seven semitones). The perfect-fifth and perfect-fourth intervals are inversions of one another, and the chords of all-fourth and all-fifths are paired as inverted chords. Consequently, chord charts for all-fifths tunings may be used for left-handed all-fourths tuning.
Book: Sethares, Bill. Regular tunings. Alternate tuning guide. William Sethares. 2001. 52–67. University of Wisconsin; Department of Electrical Engineering. Madison, Wisconsin. 19 May 2012. 2010 Alternate tuning guide, including a revised chapter on regular tunings.
Book: Ferguson, Jim . Stanley Jordan. Jim Ferguson. 68–76. New directions in modern guitar. Guitar Player basic library. Helen. Casabona. Adrian. Belew. Adrian Belew. Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation. 1986. 0881884235.