Which alternate tuning should I try next?

[Rosewood99]

I’ve done a lot of drop D and a few dadgad. I’m starting to do open D tuning, but other than little Martha, there seem to be very few songs that I could find in that tuning. At least ones that had tutorials. Are there some other alternate tunings that I should consider that have plenty of songs and tutorials?

[Quickstep192]

Wild Horses in (D)GDGBD is fun and a gateway tuning to other Stones songs. You can tune the 6th to D, or omit it. Keith uses only 5 strings

EBDGAD will get you to Guinevere and Deja Vu by Crosby.

[TRose]

The old Irish folk song My Lagan’s Love is also in DGDGBD.

[coopman]

Two fav's of mine after DADGAD are:

DGDGBD (aka Open G)

and

CGDGCD (aka Csus2 - no third)

First thing I do with any open tuning is figure all the basic chords (and ideally a few different voicings) from there - lot's of tunes in both these tunings, and don't be afraid to make stuff up too ;-)

Have fun!

[Bob from Brooklyn]

Open G and go crazy on classic era Stones.

[Brucebubs]

Have you tried 'Nashville' or 'High Strung' tuning?
Basically a standard 1E and 2B unwound string then the 3G,4D,5A and 6E strings are the lightweight octave strings from a 12-string guitar and tuned that way too.
Only the 6E is wound.
It's surprisingly addictive.

D'Addario, Martin and GHS all make suitable string sets - I like the GHS myself.

[Quickstep192]

You can play Graham Nash's Wounded Bird in Open D.

[Quickstep192]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

Have you tried 'Nashville' or 'High Strung' tuning?
Basically a standard 1E and 2B unwound string then the 3G,4D,5A and 6E strings are the lightweight octave strings from a 12-string guitar and tuned that way too.
Only the 6E is wound.
It's surprisingly addictive.

D'Addario, Martin and GHS all make suitable string sets - I like the GHS myself.

Now you're going to make me need another guitar!!!

[Archemi]

Try lute tuning - EADF#BE.

In some ways I actually prefer it to standard because it allows open voicings you can’t do otherwise, especially when playing in D, B or A major.

It’s simple enough to adjust to it since the only difference is the G string notes are moved up a fret.

Plus you can use the same chord shapes just moved down a string, like the D major shape being used for an open A major, or the open A major shape being used for an open E major.

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by paulzoom

IÂ’ve done a lot of drop D and a few dadgad. IÂ’m starting to do open D tuning, but other than little Martha, there seem to be very few songs that I could find in that tuning. At least ones that had tutorials. Are there some other alternate tunings that I should consider that have plenty of songs and tutorials?

Not sure what you mean by tutorials (Books? Tab? Youtube videos?) but there is a boatload of songs in Open D. Blues like "Dust My Broom," "Feeling Bad Blues," or Vigilante Man" (Cooder," "Terraplane Blues," (Hooker), "Statesboro Blues," (McTell)"Echoing Giliwitz" (Kottke)' "Hard Time Killing Floor" and "I'm So Glad." are in Open Dm. Speaking The Stones, they didn't just use Open G. "Prodigal Son," and "Salt of the Earth" and "You Got The Silver" are in Open D. They did "You Got To Move" in Open C, although McDowell originally did it in Open D. But Open C is worth looking at too. Peter Case based a career on Open C tunes. "And Why Not" by our own Howard Emerson. "Foxglove" by Cockburn. "Sunflower River Blues," (Fahey).

And from there it is only a short step to Open C6, and Bron-Yr-Aur.

Have fun...

[pegleghowell]

Blind Willie McTell played"Statesboro Blues"out of dropped D.

[Howard Emerson]

Originally Posted by paulzoom

I’ve done a lot of drop D and a few dadgad. I’m starting to do open D tuning, but other than little Martha, there seem to be very few songs that I could find in that tuning. At least ones that had tutorials. Are there some other alternate tunings that I should consider that have plenty of songs and tutorials?

Here's an easy one in open D, and it's very slow:



You'll have it down in no time.

Regards,
Howard Emerson

[Rosewood99]

Originally Posted by Howard Emerson

Here's an easy one in open D, and it's very slow:



You'll have it down in no time.

Regards,
Howard Emerson

Are there any tabs for that?

[EZYPIKINS]

E,E,E,E,B,E Finally Suite Judy Blue Eyes sounds correct.

[mawmow]

Well Open G, DGDGBD.

Stephan Grossman edited some great songbooks
where I discovered many alternate tunings, especially
Celtic/Irish pieces arrangements by reknowned players.

Open D, was used quite more by early Delta Blues players,
like iconic Robert Johnson, Son House, etc. to slide on strings.
Grossman also edited some Blues books on this repertoire.