DADGAD fans? - Page 3

Westy · #31 06-22-2014, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fceltia63

Doug Young and Simon Fox have an abundance of DADGAD knowledge. Check out there web sites!!

Thanks for that, been on Simon Fox's for the past hour or so. Lots to absorb.

Westy · #32 06-24-2014, 01:39 AM

Ok I've spent about 15 hours playing time trying to learn DADGAD. So far it's been enjoyable and frustrating at the same time. Managed a passable rendition of Angie and a scratchy Grapevine plus some 12 bar blues in D of course. Also learning some Celtic style licks which I have never played before.

I can get a lot of drive using this whilst being mindful of keeping the drone to a minimum.
Concentrating on D and C scales for the moment.

This tuning seems to have brought out the best in my Bourgeois and me for that matter.

Cheers

MissouriPicker · #33 06-24-2014, 01:48 AM

To me, even an elementary understanding of a couple of open tunings is very beneficial. It opens more doors in the music world. It will make you a better guitar player.

Michael Watts · #34 06-24-2014, 05:02 AM

DADGAD has been my standard tuning for around 10 years now since I first studied with John Renbourn. I continued with it via studies with Pierre Bensusan and I can honestly say that it has been a very important tool for me.

The only other tuning I use is "Evil DADGAD" (DA#DGAD) on La Tolita

philjs · #35 06-24-2014, 05:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissouriPicker

To me, even an elementary understanding of a couple of open tunings is very beneficial. It opens more doors in the music world. It will make you a better guitar player.

By this logic, if I drive different models of cars then it will make me a better driver? I don't think so...

Phil

geordie · #36 06-24-2014, 05:54 AM

let's get very 'modal'

heres a guy 'studying' with a 'tuningsmith'

smpetty · #37 06-24-2014, 06:17 AM

I've been playing almost exclusively in DADGAD, dropped D, and open G for the last 10 years or so after 25 years in standard. It's a blast and I've been surprised that even after months away from standard tuning, when I play in standard it all comes back immediately. Kind of like riding a bike.

Here's a sampler of alternate tunings and some songs that I enjoy playing in those tunings...

Dropped D (DADGBE)

Man of Constant Sorrow (capo 3rd fret) (The Soggy Bottom Boys)
Out of the Picture (Son Volt)
Stupid Boy (capo 1st fret) (Keith Urban)
The Search (Son Volt)
World on a String (Neil Young)
Don't Fade on Me (Tom Petty)
The Month of January (all down one step - CGCFAD)(John Doyle)
Lila's Healing (Billy McLaughlin)

Double Dropped D (DADGBD)

Albuquerque (Neil Young)
Way Down Watson (Son Volt)
Seven Swans (Al Petteway)

DADGCD

10 Second News (Son Volt)

DADGAD

Coging’s Glory (Adrian Legg)
Sligo Creek (Al Petteway)
Whitewater (Al Petteway)
Glenn Tipton (capo 3rd fret) (Sun Kil Moon/Mark Kozelek)
Si, Paloma (capo 3rd fret) (Sun Kil Moon/Mark Kozelek)
If You Want Blood (capo 3rd fret) (AC-DC/Mark Kozelek)
Around and Around (Mark Kozelek)
Priest Alley Song (all tuned ½ step down)(Red House Painters/Mark Kozelek)
Reflections (Ben Powell) (capo 1st fret)
Nightwalking Monteverde (Ben Powell)
(some Jim Earp piece(s)... capo 2nd fret)

Open D (DADF#AD)

Little Martha (capo 2nd fret) (Duane Allman)
She Talks to Angels (capo 2nd fret) (The Black Crowes)

Open G (DGDGBD)

Both Sides Now (Randy Scruggs’ version of Joni Mitchell’s song)
Penny for Your Thoughts (Peter Frampton)
Criminals (Uncle Tupelo)
The Roads Scholar (Bill Mize)

Open G (CGDGBD)

My Parents Reared Me Tenderly (John Doyle (traditional))
Tiofaidh An Samhradh (Summer Will Come) (Altan)

CGCGCD

The Sleeping Tune (capo 2nd fret) (Tony McManus)

DGCGCD

The Rain Song (Led Zeppelin)

CGCGCC

Don’t Let it Bring You Down (Neil Young)

mc1 · #38 06-24-2014, 06:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mc1

standard tuning isn't a prison, it's a compromise.

Quote:

Originally Posted by philjs

Although it seems a shame that so many are locked in...willingly!

Phil

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissouriPicker

To me, even an elementary understanding of a couple of open tunings is very beneficial. It opens more doors in the music world. It will make you a better guitar player.

Quote:

Originally Posted by philjs

By this logic, if I drive different models of cars then it will make me a better driver? I don't think so...

Phil

i can't seem to reconcile these two statements of yours. please help me understand.

philjs · #39 06-24-2014, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mc1

i can't seem to reconcile these two statements of yours. please help me understand.

What's hard to understand? No-one should be "locked" into a specific tuning (it's a big big world) but to suggest that just playing in multiple tunings automatically makes you a better player is ludicrous...just because I can drive a stick, a compact, a convertible and an SUV does not make me a better driver.

Phil

Westy · #40 06-24-2014, 08:34 AM

Thanks Smpetty, i'd have a crack at Sligo Creek I think. Just listened to about 10 different renditions on YouTube now my phone's flat, at work.

I was thinking Copperhead Rd would be perfect to play in DADGAD yes ?

Cheers

smpetty · #41 06-24-2014, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Westy

Thanks Smpetty, i'ok have a crack at Sligo Creek I think. Just listened to about 10 different renditions on YouTube now my phone's flat, at work.

I was thinking Copperhead Rd would be perfect to play in DADGAD yes ?

Cheers

You're very welcome! Al Petteway has some great DADGAD tutorials. He is a really gifted teacher as well as a great guitarist. Look here...

http://www.homespuntapes.com/Instructors/al-petteway

I always played Copperhead Road in dropped D. I love Steve Earle... Homespun has him too...

http://www.homespuntapes.com/Instruc...of-steve-earle

Take care,

Scott

mc1 · #42 06-24-2014, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by philjs

What's hard to understand? No-one should be "locked" into a specific tuning (it's a big big world) but to suggest that just playing in multiple tunings automatically makes you a better player is ludicrous...just because I can drive a stick, a compact, a convertible and an SUV does not make me a better driver.

Phil

i still don't quite get your reasoning for what's wrong with willingly only playing in one tuning.

and i would tend to think that driving multiple cars would make you a better driver. the first time i drove a standard transmission it wasn't pretty.

anyway, i wasn't trying to be argumentative, i just wasn't following and wanted to get your point.

Doug Young · #43 06-24-2014, 12:16 PM

I don't think there's anything wrong with sticking to one tuning and learning it well. Interestingly several players associated with alternate tunings only use one! Pierre Bensusan only uses DADGAD, while Peter Finger plays only in EBEGAD, for example. Both of them know their respective tunings so well, because they play in them exclusively and have seriously studied them, that they can play just about anything in any key, improvise, etc. That's tough to do if you only dabble with a lot of tunings. Both Peter and Pierre used a lot of tunings early on and decided that they needed to focus on one. If for you, that one tuning is standard, that's great - you have lots of good company.

But I also know what people mean when they say experimenting with different tunings will make you a better player, even in standard. Really learning an alternate tuning - finding chords, scales, arranging or writing tunes - tends to involve lots of listening, lots of chord construction, lots of understanding relationships between strings. Everyone's different, but I found that I think about standard tuning differently after getting somewhat proficient in a few other tunings, and to me that's a benefit. It's probably a bit like learning another language, you may very well end up seeing your native language in a slightly different light once you've experienced another.

DCannon · #44 06-24-2014, 12:17 PM

I play mostly Irish/Celtic and related music (Cape Breton, Shetland, Uist) in DADGAD but have learned to use it effectively in many different genres of music, including accompanying classical violinists... Bach's Ave Maria, Jesus Joy of Man's Desiring, as well as English Country Dance tunes, Americana, Bluegrass, etc. Each tuning has its merits and limitations and I find it inspiring to experiment. Just for the fun....or should I say challenge... of it, try playing Scarborough Fair the way Simon plays it note-for-note in DADGAD.

DC

philjs · #45 06-24-2014, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mc1

i still don't quite get your reasoning for what's wrong with willingly only playing in one tuning.

and i would tend to think that driving multiple cars would make you a better driver. the first time i drove a standard transmission it wasn't pretty.

anyway, i wasn't trying to be argumentative, i just wasn't following and wanted to get your point.

There's nothing wrong with playing in any one tuning...my quip was aimed at those who think that standard tuning is all there is. I agree with you that standard tuning is a compromise but too many players are afraid to leave it, effectively locking themselves into a prison that is not of their own choosing. I play almost entirely in DADGAD but I chose my prison myself.

Practice makes me a better driver (or a better guitar player) not the car I drive (or the tuning I play in). My point was that merely playing in multiple tunings (or driving various cars) does not, in itself, make one a better player or driver. It's the practice that counts and it doesn't matter if it's one car/guitar/tuning or many.

Phil