DADGAD tuning

Subject: DADGAD tuning
From: Magpie
Date: 22 Sep 99 - 03:00 AM

Could any of you possibly help me out with some hints on DADGAD tuning? Like chords, books on the subject etc? I've been trying for ages, but I can't seem to get the hang of it. I have Sarah McQuaid's book, but there are just too many versions of the same chord, I got lost! Please help me find my way home!

Magpie

Subject: RE: DADGAD tuning
From:
Date: 22 Sep 99 - 03:42 AM

There is a great DADGAD site: http://www.ice.el.utwente.nl/~han/dadgad. It has an extensive table of chord positions for the tuning, info on "theory", and links to other sites.

There is also a book called "The Irish DADGAD Book", by Sarah McQuaid. She plays in an Celtic band and contains a lot of the info in the site above plus a number of arrangements. The arrangements tend to be a melody with the occasional bass note and I suspect they are imitations of bazouki style. It is published in Ireland and Elderly's sells it for about $15. There is a cassette that comes with it for another $8 or so.

I haven't had the time to really explore the tuning yet; but I think it sounds great wit Celtic music and I hope you get into it more efficiently than I am doing.

Murray

Subject: RE: DADGAD tuning
From: Magpie
Date: 22 Sep 99 - 04:04 AM

Gee, thanks Murray!

I can't wait to try it out! Maybe this was what I needed to get it going.

I knew this was a deadly site!

Magpie

Subject: RE: DADGAD tuning
From:
Date: 22 Sep 99 - 04:07 AM

Sorry, Magpie. I didn't read your posting carefully :-(. You know about the McQuaid book. The chord chart in the site I mentioned will give you the same problem, I think. Unfortunately a friend has my copy of the book, so I can't make any comments; but for the chord chart at the web site, the first chord shown under any letter is the "open" chord for that note and should probably be learned first and used when that chord is called for. Also, do read the "theory" because a lot of the chord progressions we are used to with blues and popular music are not applicable to Celtic music.

Some of the other sites that the one I mention is linked to might give you more info.

There is a video lesson put out by Homespun tapes (http://www.homespuntapes.com/) called "Celtic Instrumentals for Fingerstyle Guitar" by Al Petteway which is devoted to playing in DADGAD tuning. I haven't seen it, so I don't know how good it is; but the description sounds good.

Murray

Subject: RE: DADGAD tuning
From: Magpie
Date: 22 Sep 99 - 07:45 AM

Thanks Murray

You know, I didn't really mean to sound so sarcastic, I was actually happy to learn about the web site. And I do mean it, it might just be what I need to get the DADGAD granite glider off the ground.

Thanks again

Magpie

Subject: RE: DADGAD tuning
From: Ted from Australia
Date: 22 Sep 99 - 08:49 AM

G'day Magpie.
I found that one way to get your head and ear around alternate tunings like DADGAD is to find a song or tune that is played in that tuning that you REALLY want to learn and then stick at it 'till you get it
One that works for me is Stan Rogers' Lock Keeper. I have set it out below (hope I have the breaks right joe) Regards Ted. Lock Keeper

THE LOCK-KEEPER: (Stan Rogers)
(DADGAD tuning - Capo on 2 - Key of E)

DADGAD CHORDS (Capo on 2)

E C#min C#min/B A
000200 024400 004400 550400

A (alternate) B B (Alternate)
020000 002002 770600

F#min Esus4 E2 E3
222000 005000 002000 004000


(riff is on the middle "D" string and goes 5-4-0-5-4-0)


INTRO: E (Riff) C#min A B Esus4 E2 E3 E

E
You say "Well met again, Lock-keeper!
C#m C#m/B A
We're laden even deeper then the time before.
F#m B E (Riff)
Oriental oils and teas brought down from Singapore!"
E
As we wait for my lock to cycle
C#m C#m/B A
I say "My wife has just given me a son."
F#m B E
"A son!" you cry, "Is that all that you've done?"

She wears bouganvillia blossoms.
You pluck 'em from her hair and toss them in the tide,
Sweep her in your arms and carry her inside,

Her sighs catch on your shoulder,
Her moonlit eyes grow cold and wiser through her tears,
And I say, "How could you stand to leave her for a year?"

A
"Then come with me" you say,
F#m
"To where the Southern Cross
B E
Rides high upon your shoulder..."
C#m C#m/B
"Come with me" you cry,
A F#m Bsus4 B
Each day you tend this lock, you're one day older,
C#m C#m/B A B
While your blood grows colder..."
E
But that anchor chain's a fetter,
C#m C#m/B A
And with it you are tethered to the foam,
F#m B E
And I wouldn't trade your life for one hour of home..

Sure I'm stuck here on the Seaway
While you compensate for leeway through the trades,
And you shoot the stars to see the miles you've made,
And you laugh at hearts you've riven,
But which of them has given us more love or life,
You, your tropic maids, or me, my wife...

"Then come with me" you say,
"To where the Southern Cross
Rides high upon your shoulder..."
"Ah come with me" you cry,
"Each day you tend this lock, you're one day older,
While your blood grows colder..."
But that anchor chain's a fetter,
And with it you are tethered to the foam,
And I wouldn't trade your life for one hour of home..
But your anchor chain's a fetter,
And with it you are tethered to the foam,
And I wouldn't trade your whole life for
one hour of home..

Subject: RE: DADGAD tuning
From: Ted from Australia
Date: 22 Sep 99 - 08:52 AM

Buggerit. Did not work and I used Aerial too. I do not know hpw to fix it either. Joe, Help!

Subject: RE: DADGAD tuning
From: catspaw49
Date: 22 Sep 99 - 09:00 AM

Hey Magpie....I didn't think it was too sarcastic, you just didn't have the right equipment. This is a 3-D tuning and you need the special glasses..........(sorry,old joke)

Spaw

Subject: RE: DADGAD tuning
From: Magpie
Date: 22 Sep 99 - 02:42 PM

G'day Ted

I don't know the tune, but the chords sound deadly. Maybe I can find some use for them in other songs I know.

(Jaysus, this is going to take time, my fingers just won't obey.)

Thanks, Magpie

Subject: RE: DADGAD tuning
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 22 Sep 99 - 02:48 PM

I have an excellent resource for chords in ANY tuning. It's called Nut Chord, and I found it at a sight called Angelfire (www.angelfire.com/nc/nutchords). It's a freeware program, developed by a Finnish gentleman. It will show you the chord in any position on the neck for over a dozen tunings, including our beloved DADGAD. I do recommend it.

Here's the contact info copied from the text file:

CONTACT ME -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

email: [e-mail]

www: www.helsinki.fi/~saarnio www.angelfire.com/nc/nutchords

mail: Sami Saarnio Puolaharju 24 c 00930 Helsinki Finland

fax: 358 - 9 - 336 710

Send greets, feedback, questions, fun mail!

Subject: RE: DADGAD tuning
From: Allan C.
Date: 22 Sep 99 - 03:19 PM

Here's the link for Nut Chords

Subject: RE: DADGAD tuning
From: Jack (Who is called Jack)
Date: 22 Sep 99 - 03:37 PM

WOW! I can hardly wait to get it on my home PC and try it out.

Subject: RE: DADGAD tuning
From:
Date: 23 Sep 99 - 08:26 AM

Magpie: I posted my second post before I saw yours. We must have posted at about the same time. So I was criticising myself rather than responding to what I thought you said.

Ted's idea is a good one; but geez Ted they are obscure chords. Are they the chords resulting from the capo or are they the chords shapes you actually finger?

Murray