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  #31  
Old 03-16-2021, 02:13 PM
Howard Emerson Howard Emerson is offline
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Originally Posted by Twiddle Dee View Post
Ok thank you but I want to be clear why I find this particular variation so appealing.

First off I'm an old (66) blues fingerpicker. My first attempt at open tunings was back in the late 60's when I was trying to learn to play Police Dog Blues in open D. I think we can agree that most songs played in open tunings are in the key of that tuning ie. songs in dropped D are usually in D, however; I learned to play Eric Bibb's version of "Going Down Slow" from a video he did in which he played it in the key of A in dropped D tuning. This makes the D the bass for the IV chord instead of the I. Same applies for this variation but your are still playing in G in an open G tuning and the bass for the V chord is available 2 frets up. Ok I hope I haven't confused anyone with this but I don't know how else to describe it. BTW Twiddle Dee was poor choice for a screen name but too late now.

Tom
Tom,
What you’re basically describing is ‘cross tuning’.

I play in open G in 4 different positions. Open, open as the IV chord, open as the V chord and off the IImi7.

I play in open D normally and off the V chord as my root.

Dropped D as D and as the V or IV as well.

Been doing it, and teaching it since 1970.

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  #32  
Old 03-17-2021, 12:48 PM
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ljguitar ljguitar is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Twiddle Dee View Post
Ok thank you but I want to be clear why I find this particular variation so appealing.

First off I'm an old (66) blues fingerpicker. My first attempt at open tunings was back in the late 60's when I was trying to learn to play Police Dog Blues in open D. I think we can agree that most songs played in open tunings are in the key of that tuning ie. songs in dropped D are usually in D, however; I learned to play Eric Bibb's version of "Going Down Slow" from a video he did in which he played it in the key of A in dropped D tuning. This makes the D the bass for the IV chord instead of the I. Same applies for this variation but your are still playing in G in an open G tuning and the bass for the V chord is available 2 frets up. Ok I hope I haven't confused anyone with this but I don't know how else to describe it. BTW Twiddle Dee was poor choice for a screen name but too late now.

Tom
Tom
There is some merit to the suggestion that the bass note often defines the key of open tunings. So let's talk of differences between open and alternate tunings.

Open G (DGDGBD), where the root is the open 5th string, works well for me because I often choose to play in Key of A in standard tuning. And the A string (5th) is low enough to serve as a bass note for the root, especially with the V chord is the open 6th string.

Key of A in standard shares the same kind of bass displacement as Open G. Open tunings often share chord fingerings (which may be found on a different three strings from each other).

Alternate tunings often make chording awkward or unmanageable for strumming, but they work in chordal fashion with fingerpicking where one can selectively play only 3-4 strings thus forming chords/inversions.

Unlike Open Tunings, which are usually chord driven, I use alternate tunings to write or play more melody driven (I play solo fingerstyle) songs.

I once saw a chord chart titled "A thousand chords in DADGAD" and thought why? I don't play chords very often in DADGAD unless I'm doing a drone passage.

Irishy playing works well with DADGAD when one is bounding through the song mixing partial chords and inversions connected together by running lines…similar to the way a bass player will walk from one bass note to the next.

Could one play DADGAD in chord fashion? Sure, but as a solo fingerstyle player, it would be easier to accomplish in standard tuning, by using a 3 string cut-capo at the second fret (covering strings 3-4-5). Then you can easily mix chorded playing with the Irish flavor of DADGAD.

It's a mixture of Faux-DADGAD and conventional fingerings and normal chord shapes.




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  #33  
Old 03-17-2021, 02:21 PM
Steve Hamill Steve Hamill is offline
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Default I love open C

As suggested earlier open C is really nice. Another variation is CGCGAD. Listen to Keola Beamers version of Eku’u Morning Dew. Open D for Emilia by Joni Mitchell,
Buckets of Rain Bob Dylan, Little Martha.
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  #34  
Old 03-18-2021, 06:14 AM
terryj47 terryj47 is offline
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The Kyser DADGAD cut capo is fun. It is different than "true" DADGAD in that 1) Notes fretted above the capo are at their normal pitch and 2) Assuming the guitar is tuned to concert pitch the open strings with the capo are actually EBEABE.
Try playing D,G,andA-shaped chords. Stay away from E-major. It is dissonent.
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  #35  
Old 03-19-2021, 03:09 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ljguitar View Post
[size=2]
Then you are only two tweaks away from CGCGCD
Yep Chuck Cannon is fan of CGCGCD. And regardless of what some may claim I doubt one can really get there in standard tuning (maybe a pale simulation but I would imagine lacks the , feel, power and tension)

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Last edited by KevWind; 03-19-2021 at 03:32 PM.
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  #36  
Old 05-05-2021, 04:42 PM
fumei fumei is offline
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Originally Posted by ljguitar View Post
Hi T-Dee

Then you are only two tweaks away from CGCGCD


When you lower the three bass strings and the top string a full step each, the 2nd string (B) moves the ½ step up to C very easily without increasing tension on it.

This is one of my favorite tunings. I attended the Mendocino Guitar Festival (2015) and Tony McManus used it a lot. Try google "tony mcmanus cgcgcd" and you get a few videos. He also has books and DVD with it.

Watching him play "Shallow Brown" from 2 feet away made me weep. I have been trying to play it ever since. I am no Tony McManus.
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  #37  
Old 05-05-2021, 10:13 PM
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Another vote for Open G. Rock? Check. Blues? Check. Slack Key? Double Check!

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  #38  
Old 05-06-2021, 03:19 AM
Andy Howell Andy Howell is offline
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I play almost exclusively in alternative tunings these days. Playing solo — I think — it makes it easier to present a variety of different sounds to audiences. Mainly I use:

DADGAD
C sus 2 — CGCGCD
G sus 4 — DGDGCD or CGDGCG

But if I was looking for a new one to explore I would try Csus4sus9 — CGCFCD. This tuning seems to be able to cope with most styles and is a little less forward as Csus2. It is very close — though subtly different — to DADGAD but a tone lower obviously — it is pretty easy to transcribe tunes between the two.

This tuning gives you a first, third, first on the bass strings which are the same intervals as Dropped D — so you shiuld be able to anchor your tune easily.

I did produce this for some friends a few years ago!

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  #39  
Old 05-06-2021, 03:20 AM
Andy Howell Andy Howell is offline
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I play almost exclusively in alternative tunings these days. Playing solo — I think — it makes it easier to present a variety of different sounds to audiences. Mainly I use:

DADGAD
C sus 2 — CGCGCD
G sus 4 — DGDGCD or CGDGCG

But if I was looking for a new one to explore I would try Csus4sus9 — CGCFCD. This tuning seems to be able to cope with most styles and is a little less forward as Csus2. It is very close — though subtly different — to DADGAD but a tone lower obviously — it is pretty easy to transcribe tunes between the two.

This tuning gives you a first, third, first on the bass strings which are the same intervals as Dropped D — so you shiuld be able to anchor your tune easily.

I did produce this for some friends a few years ago!

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  #40  
Old 05-06-2021, 06:32 AM
zenkensho zenkensho is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brucebubs View Post
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.

For the love of all that is holy! I have been toying with the idea of dabbling in a different tuning. Which is why I'm reading the thread. As far as guitar goes I've never played anything other than standard tuning. I play mountain dulcimer also which is usually DADD so I "think" I may understand it a bit and then I see this post. This is totally new to me and very interesting. Great, just great... Now I've gotta go buy strings. Seriously though... Thanks for this. I'm excited to try it
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  #41  
Old 05-06-2021, 01:07 PM
k_russell k_russell is offline
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I have thought about making up my own alternate tuning but have never actually tried it. Find 6 different pitches that work for open strings on your guitar and see what you can make of it.

I will try it on my Alvarez later today. I'm staying away from home without a lot of extra strings to substitute. A complete experiment will have to wait for at least a week.
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