DADGAD song suggestions with links to tabs or videos

[Methos1979]

Hello AGF!

I'm venturing down the DADGAD rabbit hole just a little bit. I already have Doug Young's DADGAD book and CD but what I'm looking for is suggestions for 'regular' songs that are popular (as in, I know them!) that I can learn. I have found over the years that a structured learning approach just does not work for me. I learn best by learning to play songs I know and love.

Right now I'm leaning a great song called 'Barton Hollow' by the awesome former duo called The Civil Wars and it's in DADGAD. We would like to perform this song at an open mic so I'm looking for a couple more songs to add to this one so I don't have to worry about re-tuning during an open mic as I hate adding too much time between songs.

Anyway, if you dabble in DADGAD and have some well-known popular songs that you have learned or converted yourself, let me know. Links to tab or video tutorials are most welcome and appreciated. Thanks!

[abn556]

Originally Posted by Methos1979

Hello AGF!

I'm venturing down the DADGAD rabbit hole just a little bit. I already have Doug Young's DADGAD book and CD but what I'm looking for is suggestions for 'regular' songs that are popular (as in, I know them!) that I can learn. I have found over the years that a structured learning approach just does not work for me. I learn best by learning to play songs I know and love.

Right now I'm leaning a great song called 'Barton Hollow' by the awesome former duo called The Civil Wars and it's in DADGAD. We would like to perform this song at an open mic so I'm looking for a couple more songs to add to this one so I don't have to worry about re-tuning during an open mic as I hate adding too much time between songs.

Anyway, if you dabble in DADGAD and have some well-known popular songs that you have learned or converted yourself, let me know. Links to tab or video tutorials are most welcome and appreciated. Thanks!

Vocals on the Civil Wars songs are good. Both singers had great range and the guitar playing was good too. Their Live in New Orleans video on Youtube is excellent.

Lots of songs in DADGAD and or Drop D. I use DADGAD for Zeppelin’s Kashmir, and the live version of CSN&Y’s Ohio. I use the capo 2 style Drop D (actually in E) for Norwegian Wood to get that big full sound on the song’s D and Dm. Another famous Drop D song is Fat Bottomed Girls by Queen.

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[Skip Ellis]

I think Stephen Wake has some DADGAD stuff along with his Orkney tuning things and he has TAB available - his entire collection is very reasonable and you get all the recordings, plus the TAB. Also Jim Tozier's book seems to be the 'go-to' for a lot of folks.
I'm struggling with it because I don't use TAB and learn other people's arrangements - I'm more used to (after 50 years) learning the basic tune then improvising the rest and that doesn't work in altered tunings as the notes are not in the right places anymore...LOL. I spend a lot of time looking for versions of tunes I like in standard tuning - I like the pretty Scotch and Irish airs and pretty melodies. Check out Ian Melrose's version of 'Danny Boy' - standard tuning but in the unusual key of G. Good luck chasing those bunnies - I won't be far behind! Also check out videos by the forum's own Phil Taylor (UKPhil) on the 'Show & Tell' section as well as his You Tube channel.

[TBman]

This one is fun to play.

Al Petteway. The notation/tab is on his website. He has a bunch of other tunes in DADGAD.

Sheep at the Door:

[canuck57]

Lawrence Juber's arrangement of Amazing Grace is a fave. Not too difficult.Working on Pink Floyd Wish you Were Here. Both tab available on Acoustic Guitar page.

[egordon99]

Here's a recent thread with some good ideas:

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=669887

[thegreatgumbino]

I'll throw out "Half of my mistakes" by Rodney Foster. I really enjoy playing/singing it. Gary Allan does a cover version of it in standard tuning that doesn't compare.

[Doug Young]

I have a fairly easy arrangement of Ashoken Farewell as a free download on my site. My Shenandoah arrangement is there, too:

https://dougyoungguitar.com/tabs

Pop songs often fit well in DADGAD for some reason, but tabs are harder to come by for many because of copyrights. I have a couple of Beatle tunes, and a few others. at Sheet Music Plus, the only way I can legally put them out. Links on that same page.

If you're not looking for fingerstyle instrumentals, but songs to sing while accompanying in DADGAD, it's not all that hard to just work out chords for any tune and play accompaniment in DADGAD. It tends to lend a different flavor to any song, which is kind of cool, as you get an instant "this is different" effect.

[egordon99]

Originally Posted by Doug Young

If you're not looking for fingerstyle instrumentals, but songs to sing while accompanying in DADGAD, it's not all that hard to just work out chords for any tune and play accompaniment in DADGAD. It tends to lend a different flavor to any song, which is kind of cool, as you get an instant "this is different" effect.

Yep, I do this all the time. You basically transpose the song to D (or G works too), then find a capo position that works for your voice.

Here's an "arrangement" I recently came up with...






And an older video from early 2020.