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Forums :: General Discussion

Major Cross Tuning?

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Wed, 10/20/2021 - 11:44
UkuleleRob65
UkuleleRob65's picture
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Joined: 06/06/2014

I'm curious about any others' thoughts about Tony Eyer's "major cross" tuning (currently manufactured by Seydel). In addition to blues, I enjoy Celtic tunes. In part because they're a nice contrast to blues when playing solo harp for folks, and, I guess, in part due to my Irish heritage.

I've worked on Celtic tunes on diatonic, chromatic, a Lee Oskar Melody Maker, and even a G diatonic retuned to "Paddy Richter." I recently bought a G Seydel Major Cross (from Rockin' Ron, of course), and have found it to be, for me, the answer to a lot of issues when playing these tunes. Bottom line: I love it.

One issue is that the Seydel Major Crosses are tuned pretty high. E.g., the top of the G is just a tad below a standard diatonic F. If I pick up a D (almost all Celtic tunes are played in G or D, 'cause they're essentially fiddle tunes), it'll be the Low D (which Seydel makes).

Also, switching between diatonic and Major Cross is a lot of fun. As one pro has observed, alternate tunings are a lot like trying to type a letter on a typewriter where the key positions have been changed from standard. E.g., all of the letters are there; you just have to adjust which keys you strike. But having played variously tuned stringed instruments all my life (guitar, banjo, ukulele, mandolin), playing instruments where the notes are in different places is a fun challenge, not a problem.

Anyone else out there experimenting with Major Cross?

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