7-string guitar: tuning, history, design and game features

According to the musicians, the Russian seven-string classical guitar is the most romantic instrument that has a rich history. This article will introduce the reader to this truly charismatic tool.

It should be noted right away that there are four types of seven-string classical guitar:

1. Classical Contains the usual tuning with extra bass for note B (s). Oddly enough, its only advantage is the extension of the bass range. A seven-string electric guitar also falls here.
2. Mexican. This is a guitar with two vultures and, accordingly, 14 strings. Each string group can be tuned differently, this is the advantage of the Mexican guitar. However, its production almost completely stopped.
3. The Brazilian guitar is almost no different from the classical one, with the exception of small design innovations.
4. Russian. The most popular type of seven-string guitar. Hundreds of professional musicians from around the world (including such masters as Paul McCartney and Bulat Okudzhava) appreciated her peculiar character. This guitar will be the subject of this article.

A brief history of the Russian seven-string guitar

The father of the Russian seven-stringed guitar is considered to be Andrei Sikhra - the founder of Russian guitar music, the author of more than a thousand compositions. The debut of the Russian seven-stringer took place in Vilnius in 1793.

Guitar design

It is worth mentioning that the Russian seven-string classical guitar is almost completely different from the usual acoustic. Despite the obvious one small difference, the designers radically redesigned its device. A 7-string guitar, the tuning and playing of which is a little specific, will require advanced skills from the musician (barre, for example, will be more difficult to take).

• Firstly, the tuning on the Russian guitar is completely different - D (the thickest string), G, H, d, g, h, d1 (where there are notes with a small letter, this means that the note is an octave higher than the one written with big). There are other systems, but this is information for enthusiasts, because they are rarely used.
• Secondly, in the Russian guitar only metal strings are used. No nylon.
• Thirdly, the neck is attached to the body with a screw that determines the angle of the neck.
• And fourthly, a different arrangement of strips inside the case.

As you can see, the structural difference is quite large, but the classical instrument is no more complicated than a 7-string guitar, the tuning of which has never been a problem for guitarists. Even novice musicians easily managed to get used to the new design.

Guitar tuning and playing on it

Can a 7-string guitar, the tuning of which is so linear and simple, cause problems for beginners? Of course not! A classic set of instruments is used for tuning : tuning fork, tuner and hearing (you can use all together).

When tuning a seven-string guitar by ear, it is easiest to first set up the very first string (D note) according to the standard (it can be the fourth string on a regular guitar, piano key or audio recording from the Internet). You can also use the Internet tuner.

Now you can tune the rest of the strings relative to the already tuned first. Here is a step-by-step mini-instruction that describes how to tune the first guitar string, and then all the rest:

1. The second string on the third fret should sound like an open first.
2. The third string in the fourth fret is like the second open.
3. The fourth in the fifth fret is like the third.
4. Fifth in the third fret - like a fourth.
5. The sixth in the fourth fret is like the fifth.
6. The seventh in the fifth fret is like the sixth.

It’s worth doing this without even having experience, for tuning the guitar is the guitarist’s gray routine. By the way, it is absolutely easy for residents of big cities to get the strings for a 7-string guitar - you can always find a couple of sets in music stores, but those who live in small towns will have to order them in an online store.

What to play on a seven-string guitar?

The range of covered genres on the Russian seven-string guitar is even smaller than on the classical one. She categorically is not suitable for most genres. Her genres are folk ballads, romances, plays and bardic melodies. The melodies of Vladimir Vysotsky are great for learning - they are relatively simple and recognizable (there will be something to brag about in the company). Tabs should also be "seven-stringed."

Yes, by the way, it is not easy - a 7-string guitar, tuning will be required not only for strings, but also for hands. You have to completely relearn to clamp chords on such an instrument. The technique of pressing will remain completely the same, and the water position of the fingers will be different, even in the same chords.

In addition, iron strings will require more exposure from the fingers than nylon. Some time will have to torment until working corns are formed.

In general, the period of getting used to by middle-level guitarists takes about a month.