Ralph Patt
| Ralph Oliver Patt | |
|---|---|
Ralph Patt invented major-thirds tuning, which he played on eight-string guitars.
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Ralph Patt |
| Born |
5 December 1929 Kittanning, Pennsylvania |
| Died | 6 October 2010 (aged 80) Canby, Oregon |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Instruments | archtop hollow-body guitar (6-, 7-, and 8-strings), six- and eight-string classical guitar, 12-string guitar, 6-string bass guitar, eight-string mandolin, banjo, and oud |
| Years active | 1950s–2010 |
| Associated acts | Neal Hefti, Frankie Carle, Les Elgart, Benny Goodman, Richard Maltby, Glenn Miller Orchestra |
| Website | http://www.ralphpatt.com |
| Notable instruments | |
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archtop hollow-body guitars modified with wide necks for 7–8 strings: 8-string Gibson ES-150 modified by Vincent "Jimmy" DiSerio (c. 1965) and several (1938 Gibson Cromwell, Sears Silvertone, c. 1922 Mango archtop, 1951 Gibson L-50, 1932 Epiphone Broadway) by Saul Koll; 7-string by José Rubio (1967) 8-string classical guitar by diSerio (1968) 8-string mandolin |
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Ralph Oliver Patt (5 December 1929 – 6 October 2010) was an American jazz-guitarist who introduced major-thirds tuning. Patt's tuning simplified the learning of the fretboard and chords by beginners and improvisation by advanced guitarists. He invented major-thirds tuning under the inspiration of first the atonal music of Arnold Schoenberg and second the jazz of John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman.
He graduated with a degree in geology from the University of Pittsburgh. After his career as a guitarist, he worked as a geologist and as a hydrologist, often consulting on projects related to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Patt was born in Kittanning, Pennsylvania on 5 December 1929 and studied geology at the University of Pittsburgh.
While in Pittsburgh, Patt studied guitar under Joe Negri. Patt played rhythm guitar in the style of Freddie Green, who played a Stromberg in the Count Basie Orchestra. Having earned his baccalaureate degree, he joined the United States Army and played guitar in an Army band. Following his 1955 discharge from the Army, Patt played with touring bands, for example, Neal Hefti, Frankie Carle, Les Elgart, Benny Goodman, Richard Maltby, and The Glenn Miller Orchestra.
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