How to Remember Which Notes Stringed Instruments Are Tuned to - Music Theory

Music Matters
27 Sept 202104:42
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRThe video introduces Reckless Eric, a mnemonic device to remember standard string instrument tunings. The speaker explains how the phrase 'Eric ate dynamite, good bye Eric' corresponds to the guitar strings EADGBE. Taking just the first four letters gives bass and double bass tuning. Reversing them gives violin tuning. Going down a fifth from violin gives viola, down an octave more gives cello. In this engaging way, Reckless Eric helps memorize tunings for guitar, bass, violin, viola and cello.

Takeaways
  • 😀 Reckless Eric can help remember the tuning of guitar, bass, violin, viola and cello strings
  • 🎸 The mnemonic 'Eric ate dynamite, good bye Eric' gives the standard guitar tuning - EADGBE
  • 🎸 The first 4 letters (EADG) also give the bass guitar and double bass tuning
  • 🎻 Taking the first 4 letters backwards (GDAE) gives the violin tuning
  • 🎻 Go down a 5th from violin tuning to get the viola tuning (CGDA)
  • 🎻 Go down an octave from viola to get the cello tuning (CGDA)
  • 🎵 So the mnemonic helps remember many common string tunings
  • 👍 Particularly useful if you're not a string player but writing for strings
  • 🧠 A handy way to memorize these tunings
  • ☺️ Enjoy getting to know how Reckless Eric can help with string tunings!
Q & A

  • What is the purpose of introducing Reckless Eric in the video?

    -To help remember the tuning of the strings for various instruments like guitar, bass, violin, viola and cello.

  • What does the phrase 'Eric ate dynamite good bye Eric' represent?

    -The first letters of that phrase (EADGBE) give the standard guitar tuning.

  • What is the tuning of a bass guitar?

    -The first four letters of the phrase - EADG, which is E A D G.

  • How can you remember violin string tuning?

    -Take the first four letters of the phrase and reverse them - Good Dynamite Ate Eric, which gives GDAE.

  • How do you get viola string tuning from violin tuning?

    -Go down a fifth from violin tuning GDAE, which gives CGDA.

  • How do you get cello string tuning?

    -Go down an octave from the viola tuning CGDA, which gives CGDA an octave lower.

  • Why is Reckless Eric a useful friend?

    -His name helps memorize the standard tunings for several string instruments like guitar, bass, violin, viola and cello.

  • What are the violin strings tuned to?

    -G, D, A, E

  • What are the guitar strings tuned to from bottom to top?

    -E, A, D, G, B, E

  • What are the cello strings tuned to?

    -C, G, D, A

Outlines
00:00
😀 Remembering String Tunings with Reckless Eric

Paragraph 1 introduces Reckless Eric as a mnemonic device to remember the standard tunings of various string instruments. It gives the phrase "Eric ate dynamite good bye Eric" and shows how the first letters correspond to the guitar strings EADGBE. It also shows how taking just the first 4 letters gives the bass guitar/double bass tuning, taking the first 4 letters backwards gives the violin tuning, going down a 5th from violin gives viola, and down an octave from viola gives cello.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡strings
Strings refer to the strings on musical instruments like guitar, bass, violin, viola and cello. The video talks about remembering how these strings are tuned, which is useful for musicians and composers.
💡tuning
Tuning refers to the pitches that the strings on instruments like guitar or violin are set to. The video introduces a memory device to help remember the standard tuning of the strings on these instruments.
💡Reckless Eric
Reckless Eric is a character used in the video to help remember string tunings. The phrase 'Eric ate dynamite, goodbye Eric' can be used to remember the standard guitar tuning of EADGBE.
💡guitar
Guitar is used as an example instrument to demonstrate how Reckless Eric can help remember string tunings. The standard guitar tuning is given by the phrase as EADGBE.
💡bass guitar
Bass guitar tuning can be remembered by taking the first four letters of the Reckless Eric phrase, which gives EADG, the standard bass guitar tuning.
💡violin
The violin tuning can be remembered by taking the first four letters of the Reckless Eric phrase backwards, which gives GDAE, the standard violin tuning.
💡viola
The viola tuning is explained as going down a fifth from the violin tuning, which gives CGDA. This demonstrates how these memory techniques can be adapted.
💡cello
The cello tuning is given as going down an octave from the viola tuning, which gives CGDG. This shows how interrelationships work between instrument tunings.
💡memory device
The entire Reckless Eric phrase is introduced as a memory device to help recall the different string instrument tunings. Mnemonics like this can aid learning and recall.
💡composers
Remembering tuning pitches is said to be useful not only for string players, but also composers writing for strings, who may not have the tunings readily memorized.
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Transcripts

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