Little bit on rare Cajun tunings.  

I particularly like the tune (no name?) that has the E string tuned down to B - starts at 6 minutes into the video!

Here's general info on Cajun tuning.

- Emily

I just wanted to cross reference some threads here - just for fun! 

From "Cape Breton Strathsbeys and Reels" thread, this was originally written as a Strathsbey by Paul Cranford, "The Open Door" - cross tuned AEAE.

From "Anyone Interested in a Scandinavian Fiddle Genre?" thread, typical Swedish and Norwegian "Fiddle" tunings. 

Keep an eye out for Cross Tuning in all Genres!  Isn't there even some "Classical" music written with violins that were cross tuned?

- Emily

@Fiddlerman -

I had thought along those lines even before your post.

How could you NOT be messed up if you know where your fingers are supposed to go when you hear/perceive to hear (in your head) the notes - and suddenly everything's changed around? 

So, is it REALLY that difficult?

• It can't be!  There are many fiddlers who play folk music in different tunings (scordatura) - not just a freaky few prodigies. 
• Folk songs are memorized & played repeatedly, year after year... after year.  Once a tune is memorized and reinforced in this way, I'm not so sure it really matters what ANY of the strings are - as long as everyone you play with does the same! 
• Some scordatura are not a far stretch to understand if we think it normal to play in different "positions" with "interval" patterns.  These tunings would just move all the strings up/down an interval (or 2) in unison.
• More emphasis on memorizing song-specific finger patterns and groupings or "blocks" of patterns would make learning easier. 
  • A "Block" - group of songs/tunes with similar finger patterns - all played in the same key/same tuning.
  •  Example: "Block A" would be "Songs A Type" - related tunes all in key of A dorian, possibly different rhythms but all learned/memorized in "Tuning #1" (best chosen tuning to help play "A" tunes).  "Block B" might be tunes in Dm with a different tuning to best play them with, etc...
• Scordatura seem designed to make it physically easier to play FAST tunes for extended periods. 
  • Since most traditional folk music is "dance" music, it makes sense to me that many similar tunes would be learned together to easily play for a lengthy time.  A long time to dance - who wouldn't want that?  
  • Seems ANY way this, somewhat repetitive, music could be made physically less taxing on a player - would be a Godsend! 
  • Example: an Open string tuning could mean more dronings available or moving a droning string closer for convenience. 
  • Example: a Cross tuning would make it easiest to play the same 2-string tune finger pattern next door, down 1 octave - instead of in another key. 
•  Other motivation for scordatura - more open strings used in a song also means more projection and better sounding pizzicato - before instruments were amplified electrically.

Different tunings on different fiddles? 

"MAKING PLAYING EASIER" seems to be the key motivating factor for scordatura in folk music!

NOW... WHY DID MOZART DO IT? 

Sorry @AndrewH - didn't see your post in time.  I really appreciate all that info.

Hard to believe composers would go to all the trouble to use scordatura for just parts of a Classical piece!  Seems like diminished returns... or, did Classical composers do it just to show it could be done?

- Emily

...my brain just exploded.

I considered the term "Sets" in here, but "Set" tunes aren't always chosen for the same key or even have the same rhythm.

*Edit Note: since the time of these posts, I've learned that A=415 Hz is 'Baroque' tuning and equal to tuning down all the strings a half step/tone!  ...and sounds GREAT!

@ABitRusty - Thanx! 

That's really quite interesting! 

I remember reading/hearing about "Flat" or "Flatted" tuning, where I thought all the strings were flatted, but I hadn't heard of altering the frequency of just one string. 

Unfortunately, I can't remember if I heard about it somewhere in Cajun music, in the Cross Tuning history video (1st post here) or maybe in the thread about influences on Old Time music (crammed too much info into my brain, lately).

...why aren't my cats this talented?

- Emily

Mardi Gras is only a week away, with similar festivals around the World and I found a few Cajun tunes specifically for Mardi Gras!   

Mitch Reed describes and plays these tuned down in "Cajun Tuning", all strings 1 whole step down - from EADG to DGCF.  Check out all of Mitch Reed's tunes & tips on YouTube.

I want to give them a try - pretty cool! 

- Emily