Which is the Open G Tuning?
 

In one music book for lap steel the Open G Tuning is played using D G D G B D. Other players say that G B D G B D is Open G Tuning. I understand that they both produce a G Triad. However, which one is the real Open G and what is the other called?

DGDgbd is sometimes called "Spanish", and is the one used in blues and rock. I don't know if the other one has a name, I think of it as "bluegrass dobro G". They're both real enough, which you choose will depend to a large extent on genre.

FWIW, I play folk and country blues, and mostly use open D or open E for both Spanish-position slide and lap steel

GBDGBD is the standard tuning for dobros and is not uncommon for lap steel guitars -- guitars that are played horizontally, that is, in front of the player with the front of the guitar facing upward.

DGDGBD is mostly used by players -- mostly bottleneck players -- who play the guitar in the usual position (back of the guitar against the player's body). Although it is sometimes used by dobro/lap steel players it is not generally regarded as the standard tuning for that instrument.

They are both called "Open G" tuning.

Except for Hawaiian lap steel, I believe.

I also mostly use Open D on both Roundneck and Squareneck. But I do play some things in DGDGBD. Hard to play the Stones without it.

That's correct about the Hawaiian style. The dobro version creates a LOT of tension... I use DGDGBD (also called Taro Patch in some circles) on my Weissenborn sometimes, though I stick with Vestapol (open D) most of the time.

I play Hawaiian slack-key in Open G / taro patch / DGDGBD / Spanish tuning on a regular guitar. A key element of slack-key style is the alternating bass between strings 6-4 and 5-4, depending on the chord, with the melody on top.

As I understand it, GDGDBD is the most common Dobro tuning used, followed by Open D. I asked an accomplished player why the G on the bottom last year, and he said that it gives you the root / fifth in two places, so more flexible. The Dobro is usually not responsible for holding the beat like a bass.

GBGDBD is also used a lot because it gives the same intervals between each three string group. But that is a LOT of string tension, and why many of those guitars are square necked with a very high nut.

Hawaiian steel guitar is whole different animal in many ways, using several 6th tunings. I don't play that at all, but I've been in a couple of workshops that discussed it.

GBDGBD is the standard, and by far the most common, tuning for dobros.

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