Ralph Oliver Patt | |
|---|---|
 Patt invented major-thirds tuning, which he played on eight-string guitars. | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Ralph Patt |
| Born | 5 December 1929 Kittanning, Pennsylvania |
| Died | 6 October 2010 (aged 80) Canby, Oregon |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Instrument(s) | 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, oud, lute, and bazuki |
| Years active | 1950s–2010 |
| Website | http://www.ralphpatt.com |
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.