Chord Req: Good Open Tunings

Subject: Chord Req: Good Open Tunings
From: DriveForever
Date: 08 Jan 07 - 11:59 PM

Hi !

I am trying to find some good open tunings for acoustic guitar.
One I use commonly is DGDGBD (low -> Hi), but I know there
must be good alternative open tunings for different keys.

                  - Dave

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Good Open Tunings
From: Cluin
Date: 09 Jan 07 - 12:32 AM

That's an open G Tuning you're using, DF.

There's Open D: DADF#AD

And DADGAD (which is actually an open Dsus4 tuning) a nice modal one used a lot for Celtic music

There's a nice crosstuning I use a lot: An open Em tuning EBEGBE (which I call EebieJeebie tuning) but it requires tuning two strings up a full tone, usually considered a no-no, but I do it anyway (but I don't leave the guitar that way for long. It's good for bluesy stuff.

And EADEAE, sort of the DADGAD equivalent for the key of A. Again, modal and good for Celtic. I do Mingulay Boat Song in that tuning. Nice bagpipey flavour.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Good Open Tunings
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 09 Jan 07 - 12:32 AM

On the Mudcat manin page, go to the little box that says "filter" and type in "open tunings". Then set the "date" to "all" and click "Refresh". You'll find several older discussions on this topic.

Have fun.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Good Open Tunings
From: GUEST,Reggie Miles
Date: 09 Jan 07 - 12:45 AM

Cluin'

I've been using that pattern you've described as open D for years. I've tuned it as high up as open G#, but I have to use a custom set of light gauge strings for that reach or the strings break from the tension. I've also tuned it down to as low as open Bb, but again you must use a custom set of lower than normal gauge strings to keep your tension from responding like limp noodles. I've played a lot of bottleneck blues in this tuning.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Good Open Tunings
From: catspaw49
Date: 09 Jan 07 - 12:46 AM

You have to be very careful using those tunings with three D's in them unless you have the special glasses.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Good Open Tunings
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 09 Jan 07 - 01:19 AM

I'm particularly fond of open C tuning: CGCGCE

I usually capo up two frets so I'm really playing in D. It works very well for a variety of D fiddle tunes such as "Arkansas Taveler", "Angeline the Baker", "Soldier's Joy", etc. It can even be capoed up to the seventh fret to play in the key of G, which makes a nice counter to someone else playing in standard tuning or open G.

The same tuning works well on banjo (without the two bass strings, of course).

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Good Open Tunings
From: GUEST,Grimmy
Date: 09 Jan 07 - 07:04 AM

I'm a 'C monster' myself:

C G C G C D (or D#) (or E)
C G D G C D (or D#) (or E)

as used by Martin Simpson, Nic Jones et al.

IMHO they give you loads more possibilities than the '3 D' tunings (DADF#AD, DADGAD, DGDGBD). The annoying thing is that it took me 35 years to find out.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Good Open Tunings
From: Mooh
Date: 09 Jan 07 - 07:38 AM

Spaw...I had a mouth full of Shreddies when I read that. That's not playing fair! LOL!

Open D minor, DADFAD, is one I like, besides open G, DADGAD, and others mentioned. Once in a while I tune the baritone to CFCFCF, or CGCGCG, but usually only when there are lots of oddball string guages left over from jobs to make up the weird sets required.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Good Open Tunings
From: alanabit
Date: 09 Jan 07 - 07:50 AM

I use a DGCGCD tuning, which Paul Downes kindly showed me about twenty five years ago. It enables me to play very simple chord patterns in C, but get some easy riffs and basslines. It is a smashing way of cheating, but it is not much use to me at gigs, as you need an exceptionally good ear to be able to retune quickly into more flexible tunings.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Good Open Tunings
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 09 Jan 07 - 10:09 AM

By the way, if you map out the interval relationships of the open strings of the three commonly used major open tunings (D, G and C) they look like this:

Open D (DADF#AD) = 151351
Open G (DGDGBD) = 515135
Open C (CGCGCE) = 151513

You can see that there's a "513" pattern in all three of them, and it's within that three-string cluster that the basis for most chord shapes will be found. And, once a chord shape is learned in one of them, the same shape moved to wherever that "513" cluster is in any other will give you the equivalent chord for that key. For example, say you have a shape fingered on strings 1, 2 & 3 in C tuning that gives you a G chord. Finger that same shape on strings 2, 3 & 4 in G tuning and you have a D chord. Finger it on strings 3, 4 & 5 in D tuning and you have an A chord.

You'll usually need to work out what to do with the other strings outside of the "513" cluster to make the chord sound right (damp them, play them open, or finger them) but the basic shapes within the cluster remain constant.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Good Open Tunings
From: Mooh
Date: 09 Jan 07 - 10:19 AM

BWL...That's an intelligent way of putting it, and it's what got me out of standard to G to banjo and beyond, so many years ago. The "51" & "13" intervals are there in your examples too (obviously) and make nice convenient double-stops (dyads) under the fingers.

Funny, it was slide that got me started down that road.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Good Open Tunings
From: Scrump
Date: 09 Jan 07 - 11:25 AM

I like to tune my guitar ABCDEF.

It sounds bloody terrible, but it's kinda neat, don't you think?

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Good Open Tunings
From: GUEST,Captain Colin.
Date: 09 Jan 07 - 12:40 PM

The Iraqui tuning's very good for middle eastern music- BAGDAD.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Good Open Tunings
From: Midchuck
Date: 09 Jan 07 - 01:13 PM

My children used to tell me I should keep mine tuned to BADDAD, but I ignored them.

Peter.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Good Open Tunings
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 09 Jan 07 - 11:25 PM

I have fond memories of playing Mooh's baritone guitar tuned in the lower equivalent of open G. Open tunings put limitations on what you can do, but I like working around the limitations. Nothing else to add to what has been mentioned above. Keep at it and have a good time.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Good Open Tunings
From: Scrump
Date: 10 Jan 07 - 06:09 AM

I like to tune my banjo ADGE for playing "Scrumpy and Western" music :-)

Or how about CABbAGE - good for vegetarian guitarists.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Good Open Tunings
From: PaulS
Date: 10 Jan 07 - 02:16 PM

Worth also mentioning open minor tunings - I use open Gm (DGDGBbD)and open Dm (DADFAD) - some amazing chords available there. As a somewhat disabled guitarist (now only 2 good fingers and partial use of a third on my fretting hand) I can get some surprisingly complex-sounding accompaniments out of these tunings.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Good Open Tunings
From: alanabit
Date: 10 Jan 07 - 02:36 PM

I found that DADFAD tuning the answer to an arrangement problem on my last album. I could not really keep the bass rolling and play chords at the same time. I was able to keep the song going by playing no chords at all and playing simple sliding riffs up and down the neck over an alternating bass line. It sounds sophisticated, but believe me, if alanabit can do it, it's not difficult at all!

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Good Open Tunings
From: GUEST,harryrages
Date: 10 Jan 07 - 03:02 PM

I once played a place and went down like a lead brick so I changed to GAGGED tuning.

LIke many I've tinkered with many over the years and now stick to three for sanity but I did try a Gordon Giltrap tuning recently one which was interesting to tinker with:
DADGBC
Gordon plays a fast riff based piece called Magpie Rag with it.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Good Open Tunings
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 10 Jan 07 - 05:07 PM

Mooh mentioned playing his baritone tuned CGCGCG. I keep one of my guitars in that tuning all the time. It does require some string gauge customization (a lighter 1st string at least) so it's probably best to consign one guitar to that tuning and not plan on using it for much else.

It's very similar to ADAD tuning on Irish bouzouki (the same droniness and, obviously, the same fingering), but with the advantage of having an additional string both above and below the 'zouk's range. Not having the third on an open string makes it neither major nor minor, so it works equally well for major or minor tunes. And it's easy to learn a tune in one octave and then be able to do it an octave higher or lower by just starting on a different string, instead of having to learn an entirely different fingering pattern.

Its principle disadvantage is that since I use it mainly for playing fiddle tunes, and since there aren't many fiddle tunes in the key of C, I almost always have a capo on the guitar so the first two frets are pretty much wasted real estate. I've considered having the guitar's builder, Abe Wechter, build me a short-scale neck so I can actually tune the instrument DADADA.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Good Open Tunings
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 10 Jan 07 - 05:41 PM

If you want to see a truly inspirational piece of guitar playing in open tuning, try Chris Proctor playing Huckleberry Hornpipe in Open G.

You'll have to wait until 10.30 minutes into the video to see it (it's a twenty minute video ) but it's well worth the wait, believe me.

Actually the whole video will repay watching, the man is a real master of his art.