What is fiddle tunings?

Fiddle tunings are the different ways in which the strings of a fiddle can be tuned to produce various musical notes and chords. The most common tuning for fiddles is known as standard tuning, which is also called G–D–A–E tuning. This means that the strings are tuned to produce the notes G, D, A, and E, starting from the thinnest string.

Other popular fiddle tunings include cross tunings, where the strings are tuned to produce a specific chord, such as A–E–A–C# tuning or G–D–G–B tuning. Double-stop tunings, which involve tuning two strings in unison to create a drone effect, are also popular in traditional folk music.

Alternate tunings, such as open tunings or scordatura, are also used in fiddle music. Open tunings involve tuning the strings to produce a chord when played open, while scordatura involves tuning the fiddle strings to a non-standard tuning in order to play music in a specific key or to achieve a particular effect.

Overall, fiddle tunings offer a wide range of musical possibilities for players to experiment with and create new sounds.