frankb Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 Hi, I know that alternate tunings can help expand your guitar abilities, but I was just wondering what the main advantages of them are. For instance, I know that the open G tuning, you can play chords by just barring the strings straight down so that it can be very good for slide, but I'm just looking for some other advantages/interesting things that come from things like drop D, open C etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Death Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 Hi, I know that alternate tunings can help expand your guitar abilities, but I was just wondering what the main advantages of them are. For instance, I know that the open G tuning, you can play chords by just barring the strings straight down so that it can be very good for slide, but I'm just looking for some other advantages/interesting things that come from things like drop D, open C etc. First and foremost... I think it's great you want to learn about alternate tunings. However, don't feel you just have to stick with Open chords or drop D. They're great, but dive into some of Jimmy's tunings... DADGAD - CACGCE - DGCGCD These are some of the tunings he has used for classics like Kashmir - Midnight Moonlight - Bron-Yr-Aur - Rain Song These tunings really force you to try new chord shapes and one of the benefits is you get a beautiful sound with relative ease. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankb Posted April 6, 2009 Author Share Posted April 6, 2009 Ya I just mentioned those two because they were the first ones that came to me off the top of my head. You also answered another question that I had, which was what are some other interesting tunings. So basically, as you mentioned at the end, one of the main advantages is getting some really great sounding chords/sounds using very basic shapes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Death Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Ya I just mentioned those two because they were the first ones that came to me off the top of my head. You also answered another question that I had, which was what are some other interesting tunings. So basically, as you mentioned at the end, one of the main advantages is getting some really great sounding chords/sounds using very basic shapes? Basic shapes... much easier shapes... some of the chords you can get in Jimmy's tunings there's just no way you could achieve them in standard tuning. The three tunings of Jimmy's I mentioned are tunings I've been using since the early 1980's, and I have written 15-20 songs using those. His tuning for Rain Song... I remember I would re-tune the guitar to play that song and it was such a drag because that was the only song I knew of in that tuning. So I started messing around with chord ideas and ended up writing a song in that tuning, which makes it so much better now, because I have two songs to play in that tuning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bouncing~ship Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Hi, I know that alternate tunings can help expand your guitar abilities, but I was just wondering what the main advantages of them are. For instance, I know that the open G tuning, you can play chords by just barring the strings straight down so that it can be very good for slide, but I'm just looking for some other advantages/interesting things that come from things like drop D, open C etc. This guy has some amazing advice...Just remember to keep a free mind roll'n and be prepared for frustration...lots of it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankb Posted April 9, 2009 Author Share Posted April 9, 2009 What kind of chords are you talking about that you cant play in standard? I've only been playing a little less than a year, so I'm not sure what chords there are besides the ones I've read in books or online (don't have the money yet to take lessons). I know how to play power/major/minor/6th/7th/9th/13th/inversion, etc chords but those shapes can all be done in standard tuning. I know there are an unreal amount of chords, just not sure which ones you can make by changing tunings. Thanks for your help btw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Death Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 What kind of chords are you talking about that you cant play in standard? I've only been playing a little less than a year, so I'm not sure what chords there are besides the ones I've read in books or online (don't have the money yet to take lessons). I know how to play power/major/minor/6th/7th/9th/13th/inversion, etc chords but those shapes can all be done in standard tuning. I know there are an unreal amount of chords, just not sure which ones you can make by changing tunings. Thanks for your help btw. Without sitting down with you, guitar in hand to show you, the best way I can explain it is if you play The Rain Song in standard tuning, the song sounds pretty crappy. But in the tuning Page employed, it comes alive. There are only twelve notes in music, as you know. Yet with an open tuning, you get some of the most difficult chords played with relative ease, and... because of the tuning, the chords ring out with a clarity and beauty that would be otherwise unattainable in standard tuning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marmorek Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 I know very little guitar, but I tried DADGAD and really liked it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankb Posted April 11, 2009 Author Share Posted April 11, 2009 Ok, makes sense. I guess I'll give Rain Song a try and then go from there..thanks for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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