REENTRANT TUNING Meaning and
Definition
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Reentrant tuning, also known as high G tuning or linear tuning, is a specific type of tuning employed in stringed musical instruments such as the ukulele or the four-stringed tenor guitar. It involves the arrangement of the strings in such a way that the melody or the highest tone of the instrument is not placed on the highest-pitched string, which is conventionally the first-string (the one closest to the ground in playing position). Instead, the melody is played on the second-string, while the first-string is tuned one octave higher to create a reentry into the pitch range with the lower string set.
The reentrant tuning creates a distinctive sound and offers a unique versatility to the instrument, allowing players to produce a more melodic and harmonically rich music. For instance, in ukuleles, reentrant tuning is typically employed, with the third-string tuned higher than the second-string, and the fourth-string tuned lower than the third-string.
The main advantage of reentrant tuning is that it allows players to utilize a wider tonal range while still maintaining the typical chordal structure of the instrument. It facilitates the playing of more complex melodies and harmonies, as well as the execution of chord inversions and fingerpicking techniques. However, it should be noted that reentrant tuning may require players to adapt their fingering and chord shapes to accommodate the unique string configuration.
Overall, reentrant tuning is a specific tuning technique that places a higher-pitched string next to a lower-pitched string, allowing for enhanced melodic capabilities, harmonic options, and tonal versatility in stringed musical instruments like ukuleles and tenor guitars.
Etymology of REENTRANT TUNING
The term "reentrant tuning" in music refers to a tuning system where one or more strings are tuned higher than the string adjacent to it, even though they are intended to be played in sequence. The etymology of the word "reentrant" comes from the French word "rentrer", meaning "to return" or "to go back". It was borrowed from French and adopted into music terminology to describe the particular tuning practice of having a string "return" or "reenter" the pitch range after reaching a higher pitch. This term is commonly used in various stringed instruments like the ukulele, banjo, and some guitar variants.
