So I just discovered Drop D...

[KFP55]

....while learning Jason Isbell's "Cover Me Up" and am really intrigued. I have no music theory background whatsoever but I'm curious to know simply "why this tuning works". Also, are you able to hear this tuning when listening to a song? Curious bc I play a lot by ear and would hate to give up on a song like this because of the tuning.

While we're at it, are there many other noteworthy songs in this tuning worth trying out?

Thanks!

[lkingston]

I play nothing but drop-d. Not just me, but jazz greats Mundell Lowe and Johnny Smith both played drop-d almost exclusively. It lets me do three inversions anywhere on the neck and helps immensely when you do jazzy solo arrangements or accompany a vocalist.

[HHP]

Its popular as it gives you a low bass note in the key of D. There's also an element of sympathetic vibration when you play other D notes.Not hard to play G,Em and other keys in that tuning. I have one guitar that stays in Drop D.

[TBman]

Wait til you try DADGAD.

BTW you can throw a capo on the 2nd fret and not put it all the way across (just from the A string to e string) and you won't have to keep tuning the E string down.

[1neeto]

I love drop D for teh metalz. [emoji23] if you like music like Alice In Chains (drop Db for the most part), Tool, Soundgarden and the like... also other non metal styles like Neil Young and some jazz musicians like others mentioned.

[Blunote]

For 'Cover Me Up' I tune both top and bottom strings down a step to d and D respectively (double drop D).

Give that a try for this one. It makes it a lot easier to do the hammer on b note over a d chord without having to hold f# on the first string.

Other songs like Cinnamon Girl use that tuning too.

[1neeto]

Originally Posted by Blunote

For 'Cover Me Up' I tune both top and bottom strings down a step to d and D respectively (double drop D).

Give that a try for this one. It makes it a lot easier to do the hammer on b note over a d chord without having to hold f# on the first string.

Other songs like Cinnamon Girl use that tuning too.

The Neil Young tuning. [emoji4]

[Sasquatchman]

"why this tuning works" is that the d major scale is: d e f# g a b and c# so if your guitar is tuned with strings ringing (in order) d a d g b e, essentially the guitar is tuned to a d major.

The low e to a ratio is root/fifth, the so-called power chord setup. So you can just drag that crap all over the place with a single finger across both strings.

Drop your D and hit all kinds of fun stuff....



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvJNROkbx1Q

[gfa]

Drop D is fun. It's good. Retune that one string and you've got a canon in your hands.

[SalFromChatham]

Neil... old laughing lady. Harvest Moon.

Jason Isbell... flagship. Songs she sang in the shower.

Stapleton. Whiskey and you.

LaMontagne. Be here now.

Tom waits. Heart of Saturday night

Steel Drivers. It's a long way down.

Stills. 4 and 20



My favorite tuning.

[reeve21]

Another Isbell--speed trap town
Your Bright Baby Blues, Jackson B.

[ALBD]

Midnight Rider

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CismuSu99t4

Man of Constant Sorrow is another good 'un

[Bob from Brooklyn]

Everlong - Foo Fighters
Dear Prudence - those guys

[Matt McGriff]

Another Isbell, and my favorite to play, is "Relatively Easy", drop D capo 4.

[HHP]

Lest we forget...

The Floating Crowbar

Jig of Slurs