Alternate Guitar Tunings in Songwriting

Torfinn Mckenzie Juva

This master's thesis investigates the creative possibilities of alternate guitar tunings in the context of songwriting. I explore how each tuning affects the compositional structure and emotional expression of my work through employing repeated cycles of experimentation, songwriting, and reflection. Rooted in a practice-led approach, the study has me working as both researcher and practitioner producing original works while examining my creative process. My results suggest that different tunings not only expand the harmonic scene but also ignite musical ideas that might not arise using standard tuning by itself.

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