Ralph Patt

Ralph Oliver Patt
Ralph Patt invented major-thirds tuning, which he played on eight-string guitars.
Background information
Also known as	Ralph Patt
Born	(1929-12-05)5 December 1929 Kittanning, Pennsylvania
Died	6 October 2010(2010-10-06) (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.