Nashville tuning

Nashville tuning (also high-strung) is the practice of replacing the heavy lower strings of a guitar with lighter ones that sound an octave higher.³⁴

The six strings of a guitar are normally tuned to the notes E2-A2-D3-G3-B3-E4.¹ The lowest four strings, numbers 6–3, are wound. On a high-strung guitar, these strings are replaced with lighter gauge strings, often from the higher string from each course of a twelve-string guitar set.⁵

Because the note names are the same, the chord shapes do not change, making high-strung guitars relatively easy to play for most guitarists. The resulting sound is bright and distinctive.⁶ It is common practice for sessions in Nashville to have a rhythm guitarist playing in Nashville tuning.²

The practice emerged in the 1950s. Ray Edenton is often mistakenly credited with inventing it after he broke a string. Edenton recalls that he merely adopted the practice from Chet Atkins. The high-strung sound became a signature in Edenton's prolific session work.⁶

Pink Floyd used Nashville tuning on "Hey You", as did Kansas on "Dust in the Wind".⁷ David Gilmour slightly modified the practice by using identical high Es for both the 6th and the 1st string of his Ovation Custom Legend.⁸ Mick Taylor plays in Nashville tuning on the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses". "Jumpin' Jack Flash" featured two acoustic guitars overdriven through a cassette recorder. The main riff is played on a guitar in open tuning. The second part is played on a high-strung guitar.⁹ James Williamson used Nashville tuning on "Gimme Danger"¹⁰ on Raw Power by the Stooges. Elliott Smith used a variant of Nashville tuning with a twelve-string guitar on XO for the song "Tomorrow Tomorrow."¹¹ Andy Fairweather Low used a high-strung guitar on his 1975 UK hit single "Wide Eyed and Legless", taken from his La Booga Rooga album.¹²¹³ The Smiths used Nashville tuning on "William, It Was Really Nothing" and "The Headmaster Ritual".¹⁴¹⁵¹⁶

Pat Metheny is known for using Nashville tuning on several occasions, notably his song "Phase Dance" from his group's debut album.¹⁷¹⁴ Metheny also applied a "half-Nashville tuning" to a baritone guitar, where the 3rd and 4th string only are raised an octave.¹⁸ Frank Gambale uses a version of Nashville tuning a fifth lower.¹⁸