GDGD essentially AEAE... as same tuning relationship, fifth, fourth, fifth) same fingering and bowing, and drones... just overall pitched lower. Any AEAE tune can be played in GDGD, or FCFC or anything in between (doesn't even have to be A=440). It's the tuning relation that lends itself to the quality of the tune.

So most folks just refer to those as Cross A tuning, regardless actual pitch.

What folks consider G tunes are typically what plays well with all fifths; GDAE. Though, some tunes, tuning the first string down to fourth, GDAD works well.

I don't know what most people are doing these days, since I don't know anybody these days. But back when I was growing up lots of people played stuff in keys that could easily be played with other instruments. Like, dulcimers, now normally tuned to D by people I've seen on YouTube, were often tuned to C because a lot of people were playing guitars at that time and C was always a good guitar key for that kinda music. It's still my favorite key for guitar. But now people seem to have drifted up to D. this is just what I believe I have observed from a distance...not anything provable. For me, GDGD is my favorite on fiddle, because I don't like playing in A on guitar as much as I like G, plus G is also good for banjo. So if I do a multi track recording, I'm pretty comfortable with any instrument I pick up to go with my fiddling. But it works best for the typical A tunes. For the D tunes, the tunes that just don't fit GDGD that well, I use ADAD. That works well for those tunes that are normally played in D on fiddle. So I can accompany myself on a recording in D on guitar, or put banjo into Double C and capo up. But my preference, since I do like C better than D, would be to GCGC...I think (hard to remember because unfortunately I haven't played for a couple of years now because of caregiving lifestyle I've had to tackle on)...anyway, the D tuning take down to C...then I'm happier on guitar and don't have to capo the banjo in double C. Of course an actual C fiddle tune sounds terrible unless it's done in standard tuning, GDAE, so I'm not talking about those tunes, just tunes like Johnson Boys or Mole in the Ground or that sorta thing. It's a good singing key and fiddling key for those types songs.

But my whole point is I'm thinking possibly the tunings that have come around to be popular probably come and go as other instruments join in and try to match up with whatever instruments people are jamming with.

In the context of OT jams, regardless of where I go around here (Texas), a tune is performed in a specific key. In any given key the group is in, only tunes in that key can be called; if in another key, it's rejected. I assume this is the case in other areas as well in general, with obviously some exceptions as there always are.

Yes, playing in GDGD is the same fiddle-wise as AEAE. No problem with me playing in either. I'm relatively new to this, and just want to make sure I'm not limiting myself. Watching any of the live videos for the G-tunes on that spreadsheet, it did look like they were playing in standard tuning. I'm sure most of them know more than I do about it at this point.

Thinking on it last night after posting, it makes a lot of sense to play in standard tuning for G-tunes, and I'm looking forward to making that shift. Playing in standard tuning for A-tunes makes the least sense, and for D I'd say its in between.

I think most of the old-time fiddlers I've been around at jams stay in GDAE for G tunes.

I noticed in the Brad Leftwich Tommy Jarrell book that there are few tunes in G. Most in A or D.

quote:

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Originally posted by screecher

I think most of the old-time fiddlers I've been around at jams stay in GDAE for G tunes.

I noticed in the Brad Leftwich Tommy Jarrell book that there are few tunes in G. Most in A or D.

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The dearth of G tunes in Tommy's repertoire (and that of the rest of the old Round Peak masters) is just a quirk of the local tradition.  

I usually play the A standards in cross G,  and there are a few D tunes I like better in G (tuned GDAD).

I play mostly in standard tuning but I’m a big fan of the volume and resonances that come out of GDGD (which I currently use for singing and playing). I like GDGD (AEAE) so much that I’m planning a winter project to see how far I can get cross-tuned.

However, I’m a little nervous about this project. I’m concerned that getting good at a particular tune in GDGD might inadvertently damage my ability to play that tune in standard GDAE.

Now, I’m aware that this worry might be somewhat overblown. After all, playing in different tunings seems like speaking different languages. I happen to speak three languages, and I can switch back and forth between those languages without thinking — easy peasy.

I learned my 2nd and 3rd languages not by going to school but by living every day in those languages. So maybe I just need to dive in, pick out some of my fav GDAE tunes, play the hell out of those tunes in GDGD, and hope for the best. There might be a better way to approach this, but I’m not smart enough to figure that out.

quote:

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Originally posted by Strabo

I play mostly in standard tuning but I’m a big fan of the volume and resonances that come out of GDGD (which I currently use for singing and playing). I like GDGD (AEAE) so much that I’m planning a winter project to see how far I can get cross-tuned.

However, I’m a little nervous about this project. I’m concerned that getting good at a particular tune in GDGD might inadvertently damage my ability to play that tune in standard GDAE.
...

Go for it without too much concern for losing your ability to play in standard.  Anything firmly rooted will come right back with no more than busting off the rust if even that, and that happens pretty fast.  It's good to get the mind to adapt to different tunings.  it keeps you from just etching any given tune in muscle memory and not getting any further than that.    Nothing to be nervous about; it's all upside.   

That’s a good image, Tim. Rather than etching that familiar old groove deeper and deeper, it makes sense to use it to grow new, fresh grooves.

The tree in front of my house thinks that is growth.