Nashville and Other Guitar Tunings

One thing I did not realize until recently is that Nashville Tuning is also called high-strung tuning. It's accomplished by using lighter, unwound strings. Nashville tuning is more involved than just tuning your guitar differently. It's also known as high-stringing a guitar because different strings need to be used. I read that it creates a 12 string effect on a 6 string guitar. You use the high octave strings of a 12 string set of strings on a six-string guitar. The first two strings of your instrument (high E and B) remain unchanged, and the lower four strings (G through low E) are tuned an octave above standard tuning.

There are ready made string sets for this. D'Addario XL series electric guitar strings can be bought in a High Strung/Nashville Tuning gauges .010/.014/.009/.012/.018/.026 light set. The gauges for a medium set would be .012/ .016/ .010/ .014/ .020/ .030 high to low.

A few songs recorded with Nashville Tuning:
* Rolling Stones - Jumpin' Jack Flash
* Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
* Tom Petty - Free Fallin'

Guitar Tuning Reference
Tuning Low____6___5___4___3___2___1__High__
Mayfield -----F#--A#--C#--F#--A#--F#-------
Collins ------F---C---F---Ab--C---F--------
Half Bent ----F---Bb--Eb--Ab--C---F--------
Fourths ------E---A---D---G---C---F--------
Open E -------E---B---E---G#--B---E--------
Open A -------E---A---E---A---C#--E--------
Nashville ----E---A---D---G---B---E--------
High Plain ---E---A---D---G---B---E--------
Standard -----E---A---D---G---B---E--------
Lute ---------E---A---D---F#--B---E--------
Hendrix ------Eb--Ab--Db--Gb--Bb--Eb-------
Drop D -------D---A---D---G---B---E--------
Drop D -------D---A---D---G---B---D--------
DADGAD -------D---A---D---G---A---D--------
Open D -------D---A---D---F#--A---D--------
D Minor ------D---A---D---F---A---D--------
D Modal ------D---A---D---D---A---D--------
G 6 ----------D---G---D---G---B---E--------
Open G -------D---G---D---G---B---D--------
Richards ---------G---D---G---B---D--------
G Minor ------D---G---D---G---Bb--D--------
Cooder -------Db--Ab--Db--F---Ab--Db-------
Kottke -------C#--F#--B---E---G#--C#-------
Open C -------C---G---C---G---C---E--------
C 6 ----------C---G---C---G---A---E--------
Kaki King ----C---G---D---G---A---D--------
Leadbelly ----B---E---A---D---F#--B--------
Baritone -----B---E---A---D---F#--B--------
Baritone II --A---D---G---C---E---A--------