Main Forums => Technique & Playing => Topic started by: mike in lytle on January 15, 2020, 09:45:53 PM

Title: Alternate Tuning - what do you use?
Post by: mike in lytle on January 15, 2020, 09:45:53 PM
Just curious.
What, if any, alternate tuning do any of you use for playing guitar?
Maybe most of us use standard tuning, maybe dropped D, whatever.
Perhaps some answers could open us to new possibilities.
Mike
Title: Re: Alternate Tuning - what do you use?
Post by: ducktrapper on January 15, 2020, 09:57:54 PM
Let's see ... standard, Nashville, open G, drop and double drop D, open D and E on my lap steel, DADGAD, 12 string tuned down a whole step to D ... that's about it.     
Title: Re: Alternate Tuning - what do you use?
Post by: unclrob on January 15, 2020, 11:51:53 PM
drop D,double drop D,open D,DADDAD,DADGAD,open G and open Gminor,C6.
Title: Re: Alternate Tuning - what do you use?
Post by: Queequeg on January 16, 2020, 09:01:21 AM
My favorite tuning is CGDGBE.
It delivers the rich, low tones my ear craves from the guitar.
And this is the reason I love the baritone.
Also play several tunes in DGDGBE.
Open D is great for the blues.
I have a dozen or so I play in Drop D, too.
Title: Re: Alternate Tuning - what do you use?
Post by: Paraclete on January 16, 2020, 04:43:53 PM
I don't spend much time in alternate tunings.  I've messed around with open G and drop D.  The only alternate I use regularly is drop E capo.
Title: Re: Alternate Tuning - what do you use?
Post by: jpmist on January 16, 2020, 06:24:29 PM
[Am re-editing this out of pure embarrassment so the replies might not make sense].

I rarely do alternate tunings, happy enough that I've managed standard as much as I have,  but I occasionally run into a song I wanna figure out that has drop D.

I've worked out James Taylor's "Millworker's Daughter" which is in drop D (as I understand it, it's simply the bass E tuned down to D)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAeckYlluZ4

I recently stumbled on a nice song by Suzanne Vega called "Silver Lady." I think she plays it with a dropped D and capo on G. The deep bass on that song made me wonder if she was playing a baritone until I figured out the dropped D part.  I eventually worked it out without dropping the D which works fine for me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRhSOaY41f0

IMHO Vega is a very underated old folkie fingerstyle guitarist, I've gone thru most of her back catalog and she has quite a few tasty fingerstyle songs I've worked out and enjoyed.
Title: Re: Alternate Tuning - what do you use?
Post by: Queequeg on January 16, 2020, 07:53:10 PM
Quote from: jpmist on January 16, 2020, 06:24:29 PM
I rarely do alternate tunings, happy enough that I've managed standard as much as I have,  but I occasionally run into a song I wanna figure out that has drop G.

I've worked out James Taylor's "Millworker's Daughter" which is in drop G (as I understand it, it's simply the bass E tuned down to G)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAeckYlluZ4

I recently stumbled on a nice song by Suzanne Vega called "Silver Lady." I think she plays it with a dropped G and capo on G. The deep bass on that song made me wonder if she was playing a baritone until I figured out the dropped G part.  I eventually worked it out without dropping the G which works fine for me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRhSOaY41f0

IMHO Vega is a very underated old folkie fingerstyle guitarist, I've gone thru most of her back catalog and she has quite a few tasty fingerstyle songs I've worked out and enjoyed.

What gauge is your 6th string, anyway?
G is way the heck down there, considerably lower than a baritone.
(Listening to Millworker now from you link, the lowest note I'm hearing is a D, and the song is in the key of D.)
Title: Re: Alternate Tuning - what do you use?
Post by: jpmist on January 16, 2020, 08:38:54 PM
Quote from: Queequeg on January 16, 2020, 07:53:10 PM
What gauge is your 6th string, anyway?
G is way the heck down there, considerably lower than a baritone.
(Listening to Millworker now from you link, the lowest note I'm hearing is a D, and the song is in the key of D.)

Oops, sorry you had to check me.   :blush:

The bass E string is dropped down two steps to D

I'll see myself out . . .
Title: Re: Alternate Tuning - what do you use?
Post by: ducktrapper on January 17, 2020, 12:47:54 PM
Of course, I have this theory that standard tuning is an open tuning, as well. If you play all six strings, open, on the off beat, leading to another chord, it will always work. Best for first position chords. It doesn't work as well playing barre chords, say in Bb, but it still works. 
Title: Re: Alternate Tuning - what do you use?
Post by: mike in lytle on January 17, 2020, 01:14:45 PM
These answers are pretty cool, and I have some new stuff to try.
One tuning that I now keep one guitar in is the dobro open-G, tuned down a step, this is FACFAC.
It works well with my fingerpicking, which is more of a substitute for strumming with a pick.
Lot's of chords available.
Another one I use a lot is a small change from drop-D, and it is DADF#BE.
The 12 string is always in open G.

Ducks comment about playing strings open as a pass-thru chord is also useful in drop-D.
Mike

Title: Re: Alternate Tuning - what do you use?
Post by: Melodeous on January 18, 2020, 07:22:12 AM
DADf#ad, EAEac#e and EBEabe. The 2nd tuning is the open A chord, 1st position, using a Shubb half capo. The 3rd tuning moves that half capo across the A, D and g strings, same fret. I play Little Martha and a bunch of my own stuff in EADf#ad.