Nashville tuning
techniquesNASH-vil TOO-ning
A guitar stringing method using only the high-octave strings from a twelve-string set on a six-string guitar.
Nashville tuning replaces the four lowest strings of a standard six-string guitar with their octave counterparts from a twelve-string set. The result is a guitar that sounds an octave higher on the low strings while the top two strings remain normal. This creates a bright, chiming quality that adds sparkle to recordings without the fullness of a twelve-string. Session guitarists in Nashville developed this technique to layer behind a standard guitar part, creating the lush acoustic sound heard on countless country and pop recordings.