So I just discovered Drop D...

[Jim Owen]

First time I used it was when learning James Taylor's "Country Road." I then listened to Steve Stills, who used it a lot.

Blind Blake's "Chump Man" is a cool drop D tune.

It's a very versatile tuning. I use it several times a night.

[Jambi]

Drop D was my standard tuning for many years. It does many things to alter how you look at the fretboard.
For one, it opens up one finger power chords, allowing more freedom to develop melodies with the available fingers.
It also works well with stuff in the key of G, complimenting your open B,G and other D.
Let's you use that Low E string when playing a D chord. Awesome.

Detuning is addictive. As others have said, tune to DADGAD and be prepared to have your mind blown.

[YamahaGuy]

Originally Posted by 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!

"Shine" by Collective Soul

[Bob from Brooklyn]

Originally Posted by YamahaGuy

"Shine" by Collective Soul

Right you are and forgive me if I've missed this but I don't think anyone's mentioned that another cool bi-product of dropped D are the nasty 3-string barre chords you get to play on the 4-5-6 strings.

[1neeto]

As for songs in drop D well there's just a whole lot. Tool plays everything in drop D so if you dig Tool, then there's some cool and easy drop D riffs to learn there.

Here's one of my all-time favorite songs to play in drop D.

https://youtu.be/Yh9osYZNilU

[GuitarBite0414]

How about Greg Lake and his J-200, doing a ton of stuff in drop D with Emerson, Lake and Palmer. I maybe just a young buck in my mid 30's, but that stuff is timeless! "Still You Turn Me On"....amazing!

[reeve21]

As for Neil Young, not sure if anyone has mentioned Long May You Run or Powderfinger. I don't know how Neil plays them, but I sometimes use drop D playing LMUR in the key of D and Powderfinger in G.

After reading this thread I tried leaving the bottom string alone and putting the capo on fret 2 on strings 1-5. Brilliant!

[s2y]

I spend most of my time in dropped D. I have trouble going back because a D chord sounds so amazing and full when you add A and the dropped D. After that, a "standard" D chord sounds so anemic. Agreed that it's convenient since flipping between standard tuning and dropped D is lightning fast.

[drive-south]

I play drop-E with a partial capo at the second fret a lot. If you really need drop-D you can tune all 6 strings down a whole tone (d-d) and partial capo 2nd fret.

[Al Acuff]

Here's a good one by RJE in double drop D (both E strings tuned down to D).

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

And another song this one by Dave Van Ronk in standard drop D.

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

[mattyc71]

Steve Winwood plays this one in Drop-C (6th string down to C, everything else drops a whole step). Sounds way better than any version I've heard in standard tuning.

I also think the fireplace adds a little "something", yes?

https://youtu.be/eoSn2Y-b6wI

[Jimmy Recard]

Originally Posted by mattyc71

Steve Winwood plays this one in Drop-C (6th string down to C, everything else drops a whole step). Sounds way better than any version I've heard in standard tuning.

I also think the fireplace adds a little "something", yes?

https://youtu.be/eoSn2Y-b6wI

That guitar sounds amazing with that low c.

I play a lot in open D - dadf#ad, crossnote - dadfad, and DADGAD. I love that I only need to move one string, the G string, up or down half a step to effect such a change.