M.A.M.I. Guitar Chords / Scale / Fingerboard Chart Sample
for Right-Hand
A-D-G-C-E-A Joe Beck "Alto" Tuning...
MAMI Scale Atlases are the ultimate guitar
scale chart references.
They allow you to chart any potential chord
that can be played on your
instrument for a given scale, including
inversions.
MAMI's "Matrix Approach" helps you
to create music by identifying guitar scale
chords but also by
showing you logical sequences for harmonizing musical elements
like chords, triads, and arpeggios throughout the guitar's fingerboard.
He's been renowned on the jazz and studio scene for decades
and has played
with all of the legends.
Make no mistake, Joe still plays the
"standard" E-A-D-G-B-E guitar tuning as well as anyone.
But his
creation: the A-D-G-C-E-A "Alto" tuning is the product of a
combination of factors:
guitar mastery, genius, experience, and maturity.
The alto guitar
tuning is used by Joe mainly in duo and trio settings and is designed
primarily
to make the guitar an instrument for "comping" behind
vocalists, and solo / lead instrumentalists.
Joe uses his own custom designed guitar with
split pickups to optimize the effect
of the tuning but at the heart of the
"Alto" are the strings.
The two low bass strings are flat wound:
an "A" (0.80 gauge) and "D" (0.60 gauge).
The two
middle strings are a round wound "G" (0.22 gauge) and a plain
"C" (0.16 gauge).
The two high strings are a round wound
"E" (0.26 gauge) and a plain "A" (0.18 gauge).
Needless to say, before this tuning could be
adopted one would have to perform
some modifications to their instrument
to accommodate this stringing.
Also this tuning also requires some
change in musical perspective besides the
obvious physical changes to the
instrument and fingerboard note placement.
The sonic range of the
"Alto" tuning is awesome, it is possible to play
"real" bass lines and play shimmering chords on the same guitar!
The note placement does compromise "lead" playing in the traditional
guitar sense.
By adopting a more melodic and horizontal approach to the
fingerboard this is overcome.
On his recording "Polarity"
with Jimmy Bruno, Joe proves that it is possible to
play interesting
lead and melody lines that take advantage of both the
unusual range as well as
the non-traditional interval placements inherent with this tuning.
Clearly though, this tuning was created to help Joe play "behind the
scenes" using a
piano-like effect and accompany other
instrumentalists in a supporting role.
His mastery, years of experience on the
guitar and musical maturity allowed him
to visualize a wonderful new
purpose for his playing.
Joe's vision and genius created a fresh perspective
on the instrument
