The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > PLAY and Write

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 10-22-2021, 08:05 PM
Hoodster Hoodster is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 30
Default Drop D - The Gateway Drug of Alternate Tunings

Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 10-23-2021, 06:02 AM
JonPR JonPR is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 6,450
Default

Indeed. (More comments over on TheGearPage...)
__________________
"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." - Leonard Cohen.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 10-23-2021, 10:50 AM
ljguitar's Avatar
ljguitar ljguitar is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: wyoming
Posts: 42,556
Default

Hi Hoodster…

A very easy-to-follow-and-absorb way to begin learning D-A-D-G-A-D or Open D (D-A-D-F#-A-D) is to learn Dropped D, then spend a week or two in Double Dropped D (D-A-D-G-B-D)

From there you are only one string from DADGAD or one more string retuned D-A-D-F#-A-D (Open D which is a chord when you strum through the entire string bed).

When I taught, the first alternate tuning they learned was Dropped D, then Double Dropped D, then Open D, and land squarely in DADGAD.

Not only is it fun, it begins to open players up to potential slide playing (Open D), Irish/Celtic (DADGAD), Blues (Dropped D and Double Dropped D) and other styles of music which share closely related tunings, but encompass a wide variety of styles.

Then…once you get to Open D then you might as well learn Open G (D-G-D-G-B-D).

And by that time arrives, you are away from shore, and not anchored to standard tuning all the time! It's a Gateway tuning, not a drug!




__________________

Baby #1.1
Baby #1.2
Baby #02
Baby #03
Baby #04
Baby #05

Larry's songs...

…Just because you've argued someone into silence doesn't mean you have convinced them…

Last edited by ljguitar; 10-23-2021 at 10:59 AM. Reason: added a thought
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 10-27-2021, 08:42 PM
Hoodster Hoodster is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 30
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by ljguitar View Post
Hi Hoodster…

A very easy-to-follow-and-absorb way to begin learning D-A-D-G-A-D or Open D (D-A-D-F#-A-D) is to learn Dropped D, then spend a week or two in Double Dropped D (D-A-D-G-B-D)

From there you are only one string from DADGAD or one more string retuned D-A-D-F#-A-D (Open D which is a chord when you strum through the entire string bed).

When I taught, the first alternate tuning they learned was Dropped D, then Double Dropped D, then Open D, and land squarely in DADGAD.

Not only is it fun, it begins to open players up to potential slide playing (Open D), Irish/Celtic (DADGAD), Blues (Dropped D and Double Dropped D) and other styles of music which share closely related tunings, but encompass a wide variety of styles.

Then…once you get to Open D then you might as well learn Open G (D-G-D-G-B-D).

And by that time arrives, you are away from shore, and not anchored to standard tuning all the time! It's a Gateway tuning, not a drug!


Great stuff, Larry - thanks!
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 10-28-2021, 07:22 PM
dnf777's Avatar
dnf777 dnf777 is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: NW Pennsylvania
Posts: 3,655
Default

For me, it was tuning down a half step. Wasnt scared, because I didnt have to change any chord shapes, and help was just a capo away…. But then came dropped D, double dropped D, and so on
__________________
Dave F
*************
Martins
Guilds
Gibsons
A few others
2020 macbook pro i5 8GB
Scarlett 18i20
Reaper 7
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 10-28-2021, 08:31 PM
Mycroft Mycroft is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Seattle
Posts: 7,163
Default

And to riff off of Larry's astute and learned post, keep in mind that if you look at the 2nd, 3rd and first strings in standard, they are the same as they will be in Open G. For example, the three make up an A triad at the second fret. (an inversion) Tune the 1st and 6th down to D and the 5th to B, and that second fret will still be an "A" across all the strings in Open G.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 10-28-2021, 08:55 PM
Nymuso Nymuso is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 2,133
Default

I use a LOT of Drop D, some Double Drop, but that’s as far as I go. I don’t want to bore the audience with extensive retuning and am way too lazy to carry a second guitar. So that B string and the others stay safely where they belong.
__________________
Some Acoustic Videos
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 10-29-2021, 06:32 PM
Elder Gail Elder Gail is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: Gresham OR
Posts: 32
Default What standard tuning? I Like to experiment with each stringcurrent EGDFAC what is th

Standard tuning is a guideline, I like trying different combinations on each string, last tried EGDFAC and its fun must be e/suss something that could be a mode? I don't know.
Gail.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ljguitar View Post
Hi Hoodster…

A very easy-to-follow-and-absorb way to begin learning D-A-D-G-A-D or Open D (D-A-D-F#-A-D) is to learn Dropped D, then spend a week or two in Double Dropped D (D-A-D-G-B-D)

From there you are only one string from DADGAD or one more string retuned D-A-D-F#-A-D (Open D which is a chord when you strum through the entire string bed).

When I tau ght, the first alternate tuning they learned was Dropped D, then Double Dropped D, then Open D, and land squarely in DADGAD.

Not only is it fun, it begins to open players up to potential slide playing (Open D), Irish/Celtic (DADGAD), Blues (Dropped D and Double Dropped D) and other styles of music which share closely related tunings, but encompass a wide variety of styles.

Then…once you get to Open D then you might as well learn Open G (D-G-D-G-B-D).

And by that time arrives, you are away from shore, and not anchored to standard tuning all the time! It's a Gateway tuning, not a drug!




__________________
Elder Gail
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > PLAY and Write

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 06:11 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=