Peruvian & South American Guitar Tunings

This page is basically an over-glorified reference chart for Peruvian guitar tunings and some basic theory behind these tunings. These guitar tunings are played throughout Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Northern Argentina, Northern Chile and Paraguay as well as in other areas of South America including Brazil. Respectively these guitar tunings are associated with the genres of music to which they are played in, for example, Vaulin, Taquirari, Galopos, Amazonas, Wailija, and Diablo and so on. The use of alternate guitar tunings in the Andean regions in South America has a very rich history. Many of the melodies arranged in these tunings and the tunings themselves emphasize the thumb picking or "bourdon" on the bass E-string. We may know them as Open D or Open G. Often Carnival music is played in open tunings though this does depend on where the melody originates

There are some rare tunings for example my teacher Rene calls a "half-way capo tuning" is done through adding the capo half way hence the name on the E-A-D strings on the second fret. I am not certain as to the origins of this tuning or where it is currently used I will ask soon for information on this. However I do know it’s present and known to some guitarists in Peru. This tuning in although it’s limited with an open E minor chord and C-major chord it does create a very haunting minor chord and is wonderful for playing in open notes.

Peruvian & South American Guitar Tunings
Name of or Genre	Location	Pitch	Tuning
Galopos	Paraguay		E-A-D-f#-b-e
Setime Dulce	Peru		E-A-D-g-b-d
	Cajamarca. Peru		E-A-D-a-c#-e
	Cajamarca, Peru		E-A-D-g-b-g
	Cajamarca, Peru	Open C7th	C-G-C-g-b-e
Wailija	Peru		E-A-D flat-g-b-e
		Open G6	E-G-D-g-b-e
	Araquipa, Peru		E-G-C-g-b-e
Cow Tuning			E-B-G-c#-a-e
Diablo	Cusco, Peru		E-A-C#-f#-b-b flat
Vaulin	Cusco, Peru		F-A-D-g-b-e
Huayños			F-B-D-g-b-e
Huayños	Ayacucho, Peru	G Minor	F-Bb-D-g-b-e
	Pasco / Huamaco, Peru	G Major	F-Bb-D-g-c-e
	Iquitos, Peru	Drop D	D-A-D-g-b-e
	Iquitos, Peru		D-A-D-f#-b-e
Yaravi			D-A-D-g#-b-e
Carnival		Open D	D-A-D-F#-a-d
Yaravi			D-B-D-g-b-e
Tuning of the Sun		Dropped D/G	D-G-D-g-b-e
		Open G	D-G-D-g-b-d
Diablo	Peru		F#-A-C#-f-#-b-f#
	Ecuador	F# Minor	F#-A-C#-g-b-e

Ayacuchano Tunings: These tunings in use for the guitar do come from the Ayacucho region of Peru.

Drop D: Used as one of the most common alternate tunings from, folk, blues, rock, heavy metal and so on. In Peruvian guitar this tuning is found in the Amazonian region.

Half-Way Capo Tuning: This tuning is very unique and rare I learnt this tuning from my teacher Rene H. Sanchez. In which one drops the E-string to D as you would tuning the guitar into DADgbe (Drop D). The major difference between the two tunings is that "on the top three strings D-A-D upon the second fret a capo is placed the end result thus becomes "EBEgbe" an open E chord. Mostly open notes are used on the bottom string although some chords are played to add texture.

The Diablo Tunings: The diablo tunings are a series of open tunings in who are referenced to the "devil" hence the name "Diablo" in Spanish. One theory suggests that its believed a drunken musician could not tune his instrument at the time, in doing so he discovered his own tunings later named diablo [citation needed].

Yaravi Tuning: Yaravi tunings are specific to the yaravi repetoire as alternate tunings they are dropped such as Open G6.

"The Cow Tunings": There are a number of infinate repertoires from around the world in whose melodies are sung, told and written in admiration of many species of animals. There is a genre of music in which these tunings are associated with.

The Wailija Tunings: In the case of the tuning presented on my chart, its quite reminecent of the "lute tuning although you could look at it [in reverse]". The tuning "EAD flat-gbe" is similar to the EAD-F#-b-e guitar tuning or who is commonly as the "lute" tuning or sometimes called "Galopos" tuning.

The Galopos Tuning: This tuning EADg#-b-e is often refered to as the lute tuning, occassionally songs are arranged in this tuning when playing Galopos music on guitar. Galopos is popular in the farming communities of rural Argentina and in Paraguay.

Citations: Rene Hugo Sanchez > Guitarachilena.cl (Articles on Huayno, Tonada and Cueca in Spanish) >