Monday, January 30, 2012

DADGAD Tuning is a beautiful thing

I had recently heard about DADGAD tuning through various avenues and sources. Well, my curiosity got the best of me and I decided to try it out. It was simple enough to tune down to DADGAD, just drop the low E to a D, the B to an A, and the high E to a D. Now, what the heck do I play on this?

>Google searching<...ah, here we go, easy songs to play in DADGAD tuning. Hey! I didn't know Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" was played in DADGAD tuning! Wow, that song is super easy! And fun.

Currently I have that Zep song and an alternate rendition of Amazing Grace in DADGAD under my belt. Last night I had to tune my guitar back to standard EADGBE tuning to play worship. Somehow my guitar sounded sad. Seriously, that DADGAD tuning is so beautiful. I now want to become a Celtic player!

Anyway, I used to be scared of alternate tunings, but now I can say with authority that I am hooked!

3 comments:

Benjamin Blue said...

I know what you mean about alternate tunings. I have been playing them for years. Though I have not played with DADGAD very much. I am totally hooked on CGCFCE.

Check out this chord chart on DADGAD. you may be able to play worship using this chord chart?? http://www.gtdb.org/tuner/dadgad/#Guitar_Tuner

Check out CGCFCE on the same site, give it a listen and then try some of the chords at the bottom of the chart... they are priceless sounding!

Guitar Man said...

Thanks Benjamin! Good stuff. I'm excited because now when I hit a plateau, I know I can get out of that funk easily by trying out alternate tunings.

What is it about CGCFCE that hooked you?

Benjamin Blue said...

I guess it was the fact that I played a lot of Nick Drake music with it. Playing in an open tuning for few months opens up some pretty cool doors for originality. You pick a few chords shapes up here and there by accident. Worth getting a second guitar just for that. I used to have a few guitar tuned different. But I only play my martin now. though I could do with another one!