Tech: Tiple: How to Tune? What To Play?

Subject: Tech: Tiple: How to Tune? What To Play?
From: GUEST,Dewey
Date: 09 Feb 06 - 01:15 AM

I recently bought a Tiple. I've been tuning it like a guitar and playing it like a mandolin. How is the instrument supposed to be tuned? What kind of music can I play on it?

Any recommendations for chords and/or recordings that might help? I like early jazz, dixieland and blues, but am also interested in Latin American/ Mexican tunes as well. I really don't have much of a clue of where to start as far as sound recordings go. I think I've got a pretty good idea of what the instrument can and should sound like over-all: like Rootin' Tootin' Showboat music, or perhaps a Valdeville Show, but I have a limited number of musical resources to explore the over-all sound or pieces that these might entail.

Subject: RE: Tech: Tiple: How to Tune? What To Play?
From: Morticia
Date: 09 Feb 06 - 04:25 AM

Try this thread

thread.cfm?threadid=9616&messages=72

Subject: RE: Tech: Tiple: How to Tune? What To Play?
From: Big Mick
Date: 09 Feb 06 - 10:12 AM

Do a lyrics and knowledge search of the Forum and you will find much info as well as humor. The Tiple was a prime prop in the earlier days of the Cat. Be advised that the posts will likely be out of chronological order due to the crash. Max is working hard on fixing that, but don't be confused. You will find much of interest, and get a chuckle or two along the way.

All the best,

Mick

Subject: RE: Tech: Tiple: How to Tune? What To Play?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 09 Feb 06 - 11:21 AM

The link Morticia put up is one such shuffled thread - Had a look and thought I would add a little here . Tuning is conventionally exactly the same as a Ukelele , so if you can find a Teach Yourself Ukelele Book you're most of the way there . Best of luck and HAVE FUN .

Subject: RE: Tech: Tiple: How to Tune? What To Play?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 09 Feb 06 - 05:01 PM

Display a disordered thread by clicking its "Printer Friendly" option into being.

~S~

Subject: RE: Tech: Tiple: How to Tune? What To Play?
From: M.Ted
Date: 09 Feb 06 - 05:32 PM

Leadfingers is right, the Tiple is tuned like a uke--make sure that top course of strings is tuned high--of course, there are a lot of different ways to tune a uke:

A D F# B (4th string, "A", in higher octave),
G C E A("G in the higher octave")
C E A D (South American version. "C", is octaved)--

The tiple was used some back during the great ukulele boom--but the problem (in addition to keeping those triple courses of strings in tune) was that the instruments tended to pull apart from all that strain--It happened with the tiple that I had--an old Martin--while I was playing, there was a great sproining sound and the bridge ripped of--

At any rate, it is a truly loud instrument, and it definitely draws attention when it is played.

Subject: RE: Tech: Tiple: How to Tune? What To Play?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 10 Feb 06 - 09:41 AM

We've had the "How" and "What", but....WHY?!

RtS
(just kidding!)

Subject: RE: Tech: Tiple: How to Tune? What To Play?
From: katlaughing
Date: 10 Feb 06 - 10:19 AM

Just in case you don't want to wade through the other thread, though it is most entertaining, I first heard the tiple as played by Gustavo Santaollala, an Argentinian, on his CD "Ronroco." He also did the music for "The Motorcycle Diaries." His playing is exquisitely beautiful, imo. You may listen to clips at amazon on this page.

Subject: RE: Tech: Tiple: How to Tune? What To Play?
From: GUEST,Jack Campin
Date: 10 Feb 06 - 08:49 PM

I have a "Metodo de Timple" (1973, 41pp) for the Canarian 5-string tiple by F. Alcazar.

Tuning, chord diagrams, technique, examples in tablature. What words there are
are in Spanish, but there are so few of them the language isn't much barrier.

No use to me, will swap for a quality set of light 12-string guitar strings.

Subject: RE: Tech: Tiple: How to Tune? What To Play?
From: GUEST,AugustoM
Date: 25 Apr 11 - 11:25 AM

Come si accorda un tiple?: ho seguito diverse discussioni e sono arrivato alla seguente conclusione. Il tiple ha una grandezza di poco inferiore ad una chitarra classica, ed ha quattro gruppi di tre corde, dal basso, MI - SI - SOL - RE. Le prime tre corde sono all'unisono -Mi- ma attenzione poiche' l'accordatura e' un'ottava superiore a quella della chitarra classica non si possono usare dei Mi cantino in quanto si spezzerebbero, pertanto bisogna usare una corda piu' sottile -Sol 6^-, le usavo da ragazzo per accordare la chitarra con una tonalita'  piu' alta traslando le altre corde eliminando il Mi basso. Il Sol 6^ dovrebbe avere uno spessore di 007.
Il secondo gruppo -Si- utilizzo 2 Mi cantino e la centrale un si in quanto va accordato con un'ottava inferiore.
Il terzo gruppo -Sol- utilizzo due Si e la centrale un Sol per avere l'ottava inferiore, quindi il quarto gruppo -Re- utilizzo 2 sol e la centrale un Re rivestito per avere l'ottava inferiore.

Subject: RE: Tech: Tiple: How to Tune? What To Play?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 26 Apr 11 - 09:25 AM

Here's a place to see and hear a tiple:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfCrq4qbFLo

I like it.

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If the instruments tend to be pulled apart, it would make sense to select the lowest uke tuning there is . Wouldn't it?