For many years now I have always had at least one guitar in the shop set up in Nashville Tuning. I have no idea when or how I learned about this, it seems to be something I picked up about around the time the Stones came out with “Wild Horses”. It is that “Wild Horses” tuning, and for lots of things,(in addition to the afore mentioned song), it sounds great! It is a great complement to instruments being played in standard tuning or banjos or mandolins or most anything else.
Consummate, singer, songwriter, recording artist and good friend, Carol Noonan uses that tuning on both her Baby Taylor and six string banjo. (Carol tunes her instruments one half tone sharp.)
Here is all you need to do. First, replace your low “E” sting with something like a wound .027 and tune it one octave higher than normal. Replace the “A” with a .018 plain steel string and tune that one an octave higher as well. Replace the “D” with a .012 and again tune it one octave higher. Finally, replace your “G” with a .009 and tune that an octave higher also making that the highest note on your guitar when strings are played open. The “B” and high “E” leave alone.
Now play all your chords as you would normally. This sounds great for playing finger style playing or picking and strumming. Try it with finger picks. Go ahead now, play “Wild Horses” and tell me what you think.