[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Andyrondack

My experience with both of these is not enough to make a meaningfull comparison between the two but my early impressions are that CGDGCD produces the more impressive tone but I strugle more with fingering harmonies under the melody but with CGDGAD my fingers seem to find it easier to locate the small chords bellow a melody line but the overall tone is not so impressive somehow.
I would be interested if anyone is familiar with both of these tunings and what would make you choose one over the other if you had to choose only one tuning?
Many thanks for any comments.

Andy-etc

I suggest getting the digital download of David Wilcox's "Secrets of Open Tunings and Song Accompaniment" CliCk from Homespun.com

It DOES NOT directly answer your question, but he spends 80 minutes wandering though alternate tunings. He promises 3 open tunings, and delivers so much more. It's an old recording (from the 1990s) ported over to digital, and well worth the time invested if you are going to be using alternate tunings on a regular basis.

He, Al Petteway, and others have had a strong influence on my alternate tuning playing. I seldom used DADGAD or CGCGCD these days, but a three string cut capo lives in all my cases.

I've adapted many songs I learned, arranged or wrote in alternate tunings to standard tuning using the cut capo.

And I'll still retune to Open G or Open D for the beauty of the tunings.

I'm not even sure he'd answer your questions on this recording, but he raised as many possibilities as he answered my questions in it. I've also attended a live workshop by him on the same topic.

Hope this adds to the discussion…