Dead Man's tuning

Subject: Dead Man's tuning
From: Big Mick
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 10:39 AM

I was listening to the excellent CD titled "Songs From The Mountain". In the liner notes for the opening medley of fiddle tunes, the author refers to the fact that they are played with dead man tuning on the fiddle. The liner notes indicate that this is a rare form. Can any of you fiddlers explain this tuning to me and tell me about its background.

And as a slight bit of related drift (Hey........it's my friggin' thread), this CD is inspired by the novel "Cold Mountain". What I have heard so far is wonderful.

All the best,

Mick

Subject: RE: Dead Man's tuning
From: Sorcha
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 10:45 AM

Mick, I've never heard of it, but I am classicly trained, and don't do much cross tuning. Time consuming, ya know? I did a search on Google for "dead man's tuning" and got a lot of choices..........now, me, I would guess dEAD, but just guessing........LOL!

Subject: RE: Dead Man's tuning
From: GUEST,Arne Langsetmo
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 11:06 AM

Just hazard a guess, but is that AEAC#?

Pete Sutherland gave us that one, and I thought it had a name, but not sure if that was it.

Cheers,

-- Arne Langsetmo

Subject: RE: Dead Man's tuning
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 01:33 PM

Mick. Jean Carignan played "Hangman's Reel" is a cross tuning, and spoke at length about it. What I remember of my Quebec French is minimal but I thought i caught him saying something about "deadman tuning", so...

Does anyone know the correct tuning for Hangman's reel? I play it in EAEA, but that may not be the right one.

Rick

Subject: RE: Dead Man's tuning
From: Sorcha
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 01:37 PM

Arrrrgggghhh! Google on Dead Man's tuning

Subject: RE: Dead Man's tuning
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 01:40 PM

The subject was discussed on the FIDDLE-L list a while back, but they're moving their website at the moment, so I can't look it up.  AEAE (bottom to top) seems to be favourite.  There's also a 5-string banjo version, apparantly usually f#ADAD.  Hangman's Reel is, I believe, usually played AEAC# (bottom to top).

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Dead Man's tuning
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 01:41 PM

I crossed with Sorcha, having been checking out those very same references!

Subject: RE: Dead Man's tuning
From: Sorcha
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 01:42 PM

(Hi Malcolm!)

Subject: RE: Dead Man's tuning
From: BanjoRay
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 03:03 PM

The banjo tuning f#ADAD is usually known (by me, at least!) as graveyard tuning.

Cheers
Ray

Subject: RE: Dead Man's tuning
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Mar 01 - 04:19 PM

Cold Mountain is a fantastic book. Read it.

Subject: RE: Dead Man's tuning
From: GUEST,Sadie
Date: 15 Aug 08 - 12:32 PM

It is DDAD

Subject: RE: Dead Man's tuning
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Aug 08 - 12:46 PM

The final word in banjo tunings

http://www.zeppmusic.com/banjo/aktuning.htm

Russ (Permanent GUEST and banjo player)

Subject: RE: Dead Man's tuning
From: GUEST,Stew
Date: 15 Aug 08 - 12:47 PM

Dwight Diller plays "Dead Man's Piece" in fCFCD on the banjo. Don't know if that makes it the official dead man's tuning for banjo.
Stew

Subject: RE: Dead Man's tuning
From: GUEST,Willy Minnix
Date: 29 Feb 12 - 03:30 PM

I just published a book on the subject of Dead Man's Tuning called "Mandolin Dead Man's Tuning vol. 1 basics." It's intended to be the first in a 9 volume series exploring this subject. Feel free to check it out at amazon or createspace.

Subject: RE: Dead Man's tuning
From: nickp
Date: 01 Mar 12 - 04:55 AM

That's an excellent book GUEST Willy. When is volume 2 available?
NIck

Subject: RE: Dead Man's tuning
From: mayomick
Date: 01 Mar 12 - 06:36 AM

D.E.A.D?