Phrygian Tunings

Ken Hulme
Ken Hulme
@ken-hulme
6 years ago
2,158 posts

Here's my article on dulcimer Modes and Modal tunings.  It has all the Modes, their traditional tuning, and the key of D equivalents.

I think your inquiry about Phrygian Mode is only the second or third I've seen in 40 years.  It's just not a Mode that anyone wrote or writes music in, in the last 200 years or more.  In that same 40 years of playing, I think I've tuned to Phrygian Mode perhaps twice; for the same reason -- No one has written any music in Phrygian that I have any interest in playing.

Open Aminor tuning --  No matter which way you go -- high or low Am -- you're going to have to change strings to tune to mthe key of A (Bass string is A or a).    AEE is the baritone Ionian tuning which could also be AmEmEm of course.  AEA is Mixolydian, so AmEmAm.   Same thing going to the high a.  

Jimmy Lamar
Jimmy Lamar
@jimmy-lamar
6 years ago
41 posts

Howdy,

I’m new to dulcimer playing, and I am beginning to experiment with different tunings. I was curious as to how some of you tune to the Phrygian mode.

Also, does anyone have a good open Am tuning, that is if such an animal exists?

JL


updated by @jimmy-lamar: 11/12/18 11:22:42AM