My intro to open tunings: - Scottish band The Corries (Roy Williamson) - Bert Jansch (and Davy Graham and John Renbourne) - Incredible String Band - Joni Mitchell - Martin Carthy - some of the blues players, promoted by Stephan Grossman - Stephan Grossman’s ragtime guitar series (which was/is just incredible for any fingerstyle guitar picker) That’s probably enough. Incidentally, my two main guitars and my bouzouki were made by a hugely unsung hero of guitar making: Roger Bucknall and his Fylde Guitars workshop. Fantastic work.
I started guitar in 1961 when I was nine years old I just turned seventy and I still play. 'Suite Judy Blue Eyes' by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young turned me on to open tunings. Also some songs by Pink Floyd gave me other ideas. To this day open 'D' and 'D' modal are favorites. I've even written a few instrumentals in open 'D.' Very cool video, thank you.
This episode just changed my 2021! I've known about open tunings for years but only dabbled in them. Tony, the way you showed these tunings changed my guitar into a new instrument for me, especially in relation to songwriting. Thank you!
Anji by Davy Graham and Bert Janch & Misty Mountain Hop - Zeppelin. I grew up with Zeppelin - saw them once at Earl's Court Olympia London. Later I saw Rush, very influential on my early playing style and I built a Peart kind of kit. I think more drummers need to play guitar and guitarist need to learn drums - learning to help the song is so important to playing in the studio and live. I went back to Davy graham and Janch learning alternative tunings and finger picking folk styles, although both gents would call themselves British Blues artists. I think I hear a lot of them in JImmy Page and Roy Harper too.
Thanks Tony for your clear, concise, informative style. I'm a rookie at the guitar, but have been a musician all of my life ( drums 48 yrs.) Peace brother !
Now that I'm learning to play "dobro", (square neck resonator), open tunings are a must. I resisted them for too long. Thanks for all the videos and cheers!
Only just found your page, this is the first video I have seen of yours, I've gotta say I really enjoyed watching and hearing Dani's story.. I've been dabbling for a little over a year and am still not very good, but I continue to practice for the love of guitar
Thanks for the tips on these tunings; you've removed some of the anxiety from them. As a beginner, however, I should probably focus on standard EADGAD.
Peter Frampton with Penny for your thoughts was my intro musical piece with alternative tuning. and I think Wings of change. i could never figure out that song.
Davy actually hitched to Morocco, but he got the idea of adapting guitar for oud/tar music from Steve Benbow a good guitarist who had seen service in north Africa in WW2.Steve had a guitar with him and played/learned from local players.It was a short step from open D tot DADGAD. The adaptation referred to early in the video is actually 'she moved through the fair' to White Summer'.
Great lesson. I finally got into open or alternative tunes and wished I had done it years ago. For new users, do open G first! Easiest and like a banjo. Basically, Keith Richards from Honky Tonk women through Sticky Fingers & Exile on Main Street and so on. Zeppelin also used it. Next do Open D. If you capo on second fret, you get Open E or Dylan on Blood on the Tracks. DADGAD, Led Zeppelin Going to California. Then Open E, but watch the string gage or you will break strings. Duane Allman, Derek Truck slide guitar! Ron Wood’s Stay with Me! Keith Richard used it until he moved to Open G. Stephen Stills does amazing tunings worth seeing. Joni Mitchell and Nick Drake are the masters of alternative tunings!!!
I am a COVID player. I am disabled...I used to build drones for a hobby. One day my drone flew away forever. It had 3D parts and a GoPro on it. $500 just gone. I had about a dozen drones. I also had an old Aria acoustic. I have spinal injuries and limited mobility. Losing more drones seemed DUMB, so I picked up a slide and tuned my guitar to OPEN E. I sold all of my drones and bought cheap guitars. I BUILT A STRATOCASTER for less than the cost of 2 drones. I learned how to intonate them and set them up. I have totally changed my lifestyle because music is THAT IMPORTANT to me. I don't have any drones now. I have sold 4 of my homemade guitars. I also have a pickup winder and have become quite good at building. My next project is an AMMO Can Resonator with a Gold Foil Pup using a banjo neck and the resonator from a mandolin
Initially trying to figure out Richie Havens in the 70s with vinyl on a turntable and ear-tuning (microtonally off due to the turntable speed) Later while experimenting, I tuned to DADDAD, loved the Native-American vibe, and thought it to be cosmic intervention, since my firstborn had just begun calling me Dad Dad. I composed a piece and played it publicly many times on a 12-string and always received a lot of praise for it. I was on a Michael Hedges binge. He was new to the scene at the time, and I fortuitously played a wedding gig sans rehearsal with a sax player who’d played with Hedges. I egotistically thought I had created the DADDAD tuning but ate some humble pie upon buying a guitar mag on alternate tuning and finding it in a list with “classic Stephen Stills” listed beside it. The timing was perfect, since I was mega-binging on the recently released acoustic album “Stills Alone.”
@@CaptainDynamite110 That is one of the best. I also really like Kensington Blues by Jack Rose. The second tune I learned in open C. I hope to master it. Some day. 😂
No mention of Bert Jansch. He really brought the DADGAD tuning into the light. It was his arrangement of "Black Waterside" that directly influenced Jimmy page when it came to him 'writing' "Black Mountainside". The two are so similar it's practically a cover version.
You mentioned Davey Graham playing Black Waterside . I can’t find this anywhere . Did you mean Bert Jansch? Davey Graham played She moved through the fair which Jimmy Page lifted for “White Summer” in Dadgad
I'm a stubborn standard tuning player of about 40 years for my own amazement mainly but double drop D and a fairly recent song by Damien Dempsey called It's All Good turned me around.
Yeees, double drop D is an extremely cool sounding to. Then, one still has all the inner four strings as usual for the soloing, if any, or just regular chord shapes skipping the outer D's, in cases were they'd be harming the chord voicing
Awsome info on the tunings!! I started my string journey on mountain dulcimers which now I have 9 and they are open tunings I just transferred it to the acoustic guitar! Thanks have a good week
My introduction to DADGAD began with the aforementioned Davy Graham and his song "Angi" - I then went on a magical mystery tour - man - of other songs by Davy and other folkies and of course there's always Jimmy Page and Frank Zappa. Danny - Brother in time, all the best to you.
Slide guitar. Open D. Now I've learned multiple tuning. It has expanded my music theory far beyond what I thought. Simply going down like you said strumming the scale. Love this video!
Guitarist Pierre Bensusan uses DADGAD tuning all the time. It's the only tuning he uses as far as I know. Great video which has inspired me to explore some open tunings I've not used before. Thanks so much!
This is a really amazing presentation! Thanks so much! It can get pretty boring just playing in standard tuning constantly. This should really become a path to creativity! Thanks for broadening my tiny little simple mind!
Sure Joni Mitchell offered access to alternate tunings in my music life, but David Wilcox (from Asheville, NC not Canada) really opened them up for me. Listen to Hurricane in C. He even sings songs about cars (Johnny's Camaro or Rusty Ole American Dream) and Guitar Shopping, I would love to hear a show with you two as you have similar spirits.
I'd have to say "Cello Song" by Nick Drake. I've seen James Taylor do some of his own alternate tunings as well. Also, I might be incorrect, but the DADGAD I think comes from different Celtic regions, but I'm not too sure.
Coming from drop D on electric, DADGAD was a natural progression for me. Fun tidbit, when I took my son to see Casper Babypants (the lead singer and guitarist from the Presidents of the United States of America) I asked him what he tuned his 3 string guitar to and his reply was "Dad, of course." :)
My favorite alternate tuning is sometimes called "orkney tuning," and is a sort of modified DADGAD. Low to high, it's: CGDGAD . So if you lower the two lowest strings in DADGAD, you get Orkney. Or whatever this is called. Check out Dave Evans, whose stunning arrangements of O'Carolan's beautiful harp pieces make use of this tuning. The album is "Irish Reels, Jigs, Hornpipes, and Airs." Some other guitarists are featured on this record.
Davy Graham gettin' some rare love. I digg it! Davy really did some great stuff with DADGAD and really brought people around to that sound. But he just still seems so unknown. Led Zeppelin doesnt hurt for sure though kasmir was released in 1975. Still a few years after Davy had recorded a bunch of albums(Folk, blues and beyond in 1965, Midnight Man in 1966, large as life and twice as natural in 1968 and hatin 1969) using DADGAD all over the place on those albums. And yes there are covers all over those albums but they are also loaded with his own original stuff. Regardless, Davy doesnt often get the love and appreciation that he deserves. At least I think so. He had some personal problems that really he never overcame and it's sad because he could have even done so much more. But what we did get, when he was there and he was on, he was great and doing things many had never heard done in that way before. It shocks me how few acoustic guitar players know who Davy actually even is, theyve never even heard of him. They have heard of or know of DADGAD tuning, but theyve never heard of Davy. That's just sad, because he should absolutely be known and remembered. It's also funny how someone like Nick Drake goes from being a complete unknown to a more than well known folk guitarist because of one very short but very well placed song of his that was chosen to be in this volkswagon ad/commercial. When I saw that commercial all those years ago I went out and bought every album of his. So for me in a moment Nick Drake went from someone I had never heard of to someone I loved, who I listened to every day, who was suddenly one of my favorite acoustic artists.
"South City Midnight Lady" - Doobie Brothers "Honky Tonk Women," "You Can't Always Get What You Want," & "Start Me Up" - Stones "Can't Get Enough" - Bad Company The Doobies' "Black Water" is in Double Drop D. Does that count?
Fun seeing Mark Agnesi again. I've been watching re-runs of the Johnny Cash Show - this last weekend he was playing that Grey-Burst Grammer! I'd highly recommend fellow guitar geeks checking out this older TV show (ran from ~1969-1971) - incredible list of guest stars from all genre's: Joni Mitchell, Eric Clapton, Linda Ronstadt, Louis Armstrong, The Monkees, Gordon Lightfoot, Neil Young, George Jones, Jerry Reed, Pete Seeger, and so many more.
Late to the party on this one but it was when I purchased a weissenborn guitar that I started working with alternate tuning, starting with DADGAD. Weissenborn is a lot of fun and lends itself well to alternate tunings since it is played mostly using a slide. BTW: cool pinball machine! Did you get one? My dad had a pinball machine in his house for decades. I think it was like a Happy Days one (the old TV show).
Love open tunings, First discovered DADGAD back in the 70's learning to play Stan Rogers music. Love Nick Drake but really fell in love with open C (just straight open C) listening to the Tragically Hip's "Ahead by a Century." If you haven't listened to that tune, it makes some of the most beautiful sound I've ever heard come out of a guitar, look it up. BTW, this channel is awesome, so glad I found it.
What got me into open tunings was messing around with the 5 string banjo. The most common tuning is open G on banjo. Open D and mountain Minor next. Realized early on that it was easy to transfer to guitar . Though I first found open D while Messing with DADGAD. Couldn’t really get my head around it. Then I decided to tune the G string to an F# and life got easy. I love finger picking in those keys. Use them most on my baritone guitar. Another tuning I use on my 6 string banjo is capo 2nd fret. GADADG. great for pickin Irish. Old time and folk tunes. Two finger chords. Fun.
I first learned alternate tunings with Stephen Still "4+20" - it's tuned in DADDAD (I think). Side note - I never knew LZ's Rain Song was in an alternate tuning (I learned it from "Led Zeppelin Complete" songbook)! Tom Sands is AWESOME! I'm always learning something from just the offhand comments he makes. Looking forward to him making a special guitar for someone in Montana this year! BTW: He drinks Whisky (no e)!
A couple of months ago I got myself a resonator. One of the things I always wanted to try was the old song Sleepwalk by Johnny and Santo. I soon learned that standard tuning wasn't going to do it, not at my level of playing anyway. So it wasn't long before I discovered open D tuning and and it worked! A couple of sliding barre chords and I actually sounded like I knew what I was doing!
@@danbgt Wow! I knew it was a weird tuning. it's the first song on "4 Way Street". Deja Vu is another one of my favorite albums. Neil added a unique sound to them, but they were great by themselves. "Southern Cross" is another one of my favorites. There are so many. What's scary is I bought those albums when they came out. Showing my age. lol
My first alternate tunings were by the band Radiohead : Nice Dream, with a modified B string (EADGaE) and The Tourist with a modified D string, up to an E (EAEGBE). I didn't hear any other songs using these simple, yet great tunings.
Tony, this is probably the most interesting video you've made, Bravo! My experimentation started with Uriah Heep's The Wizard (dropped D) and - many years later - the Celtic traditional song, Shady Grove (DADGAD).
Funny that you mention "She Talks To Angels." About a year ago, I couldn't get that song out of my head so I looked up the music. This was shortly after your New Year's Resolution or Goals show where you mentioned exploring alternate tunings as a goal. I tuned my beater guitar and gave it a try. Gonna have to give D minor tuning a try after listening to today's show. That sounded pretty damn cool.
I am a British Army vetran I was in the Royal Irish Regiment from formation to 2002 when I retired we have Sevastapol on our battle honours our Ancestor Regiment the Enniskillen Fusiliers were there as were the Royal Irish Regiment 18th Regiment of foot which is not related to the present day Regiment But as that tuning was used then we in our Regimentsl folk band used Sevastapol tuning as part of our battle honours, which is fantastic
Just saw your nice Video!! My song would be crosses by Jose Gonzalez. Even though i changed my acoustic guitar tuning to DADGAD, without knowing that it actually is a used tuning. I just thougt it sounds great back than and until today, my acoustic is in that tuning.
As noted by Richard Albers, Black Mountain side was a direct lift by Led Zep from Bert Jansch's version of the traditional song Blackwaterside, which he in turn learnt from Annie Briggs. Bert used DADGAD a lot, but interestingly, not for this tune, which he played in dropped D. However, his contemporary, Al Stewart, thought it was in DADGAD, learnt it in that tuning and taught it to Jimmy Page. It is a simplified imitation of Bert's version.The Bert Jansch Foundation is dedicated to Bert's music, which it furthers through grants to young musicians, workshops and transcriptions.
Davey Graham She Moved Through the Fair . He claimed that that tune and Irish Folk music got its roots from Chinese Music. I began open tuning in E to play Duane Allman . Little Martha to start. And Black Crow’s She Talks to Angels. Open G to play Stones tunes. DADGAD to play Zeppelin Kashmir. I will absolutely be trying these other tunings you display here. Very cool. Thank you. Liked and Subscribed
Black Water side , also played by one of the adepts of Graham, the late Bert Jansch. Who really is one who influenced the more modern rock/pop-bands back in the days. Also The Pentangle (Bert Jansch and John Renbourn on guitar)is a great band to listen to, if you want get into more british folk-rock music!
The acoustic Tuesday show has brought new meaning and excitement to Tuesdays! It doesn’t rank up there higher than Friday or the Weekend, but Tuesday is now a favorite day for guitar learning!
Started listening to John Butler and Xavier Rudd a long time ago, which introduced me to the wonderful world of alternate tunings. I haven’t ever really stuck with it, but this video has inspired me to give it a go again. Thanks
I mess around with alternate tunings. The Drake tuning is new to me. Close to CGCGCE which works for blues but also folk and Celtic sounding tunes. I guess Stephen Stills used a lot of odd tunings, maybe all Es and a high B was one? Thanks.
Hey, Tony. Regarding alternate tunings...For me, it was Cinnamon Girl from a Decade songbook (both E's dropped to D). We're talking pre-pre-internet ;) .
Tony, Nice lesson. 2 things. When talking DADGAD a good mention would be Pierre Bensusan. Second if you have a chance listen to David Wilcox, a modern Master of Alternate Tunings. PS: I love that you inspire guitarists. Keep up good work.
Hea Tony. very nice thanx. i got into alt. tunings when i started playing slide, it was a must. And my lightning will be in Chicago tomorrow good luck. your friend Guy B.in Tampa.
I've been playing for almost 30 years and was always afraid to do anything other than standard or drop D tuning. I also could never defeat that using a tuner felt like cheating. I just started experimenting with alternate tunings not because of any songs, but to help understand chord structure. It's like a whole new world has opened up! And I get to teach it to my young kids so they don't limit themselves the way I did.
I was first introduced to alternate tunings listening to Mumford and Sons. “Not with Haste” was played at my wedding and I began being obsessed with the potential alternate tunings give you!
I echo the black crows “she talks to angels”....but I was too young to know how bad it was for my guitar to be tuned up to open E. That was the first time I needed a bridge repair!
Freaking legend you are man. JUST when i thought I couldn't be any blown away by instruments, you come along and blow my mind again while giving so much knowledge. my guitar has saved my life because for once I can create something beautiful...and it's all thanks to you Sensei. 😌
Once you get used to changing to them it's takes less than a minute to go back and forth. That's not an exaggeration. Open G for instance you are only re-tuning 3 strings....the 6th or low E, the 5th or A string, and the 1st or e string. The E you tune down to a D. The A string down to a G. The high e string down to a D. Of course, other tunings are also requiring only 3 strings to be re-tuned. Then there are those that require less than 3 strings. Drop D for instance.....6th string down to D (some folks tune both E strings to D). Anyway, I hope I haven't come across as a do*che because it's not like you asked for an explanation or even needed this explained as you may be well aware of this and know of more alternate tunings than I do. But I just wanted to make that point (point being that it's not as torturous of an experience having to tune back and forth between alt tunings and standard) because over the years I have talked to so many people that I KNOW WOULDNT ATTEMPT AN ALTERNATE TUNING UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE. They are comfortable with standard and by golly you aren't interesting them whatsoever when talking about alternate tunings no matter how thick one attempts to lay down a coat of persuasion, and then another and another. It's a paradigm shift that a lot of players aren't willing to go through. I guess I am attempting to make a point that it's SO EASY TO TUNE TO ALTERNATE TUNINGS especially once one has a particular tuning that is often used or at least used here and there. It becomes second nature even if only occasionally used. It's really like having another instrument when going into another tuning and can help with those that are plateauing, needing fresh ideas for progressions etc., and for actual new song titles/lyrics because new sounds inspire new ideas for songs and new emotions.
My intro to open tunings:
- Scottish band The Corries (Roy Williamson)
- Bert Jansch (and Davy Graham and John Renbourne)
- Incredible String Band
- Joni Mitchell
- Martin Carthy
- some of the blues players, promoted by Stephan Grossman
- Stephan Grossman’s ragtime guitar series (which was/is just incredible for any fingerstyle guitar picker)
That’s probably enough.
Incidentally, my two main guitars and my bouzouki were made by a hugely unsung hero of guitar making: Roger Bucknall and his Fylde Guitars workshop. Fantastic work.
Tony, DADGAD is also called the Celtic Tuning. It's great for Irish music and sounds beautiful when fingerpicking
I started guitar in 1961 when I was nine years old I just turned seventy and I still play. 'Suite Judy Blue Eyes' by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young turned me on to open tunings. Also some songs by Pink Floyd gave me other ideas. To this day open 'D' and 'D' modal are favorites. I've even written a few instrumentals in open 'D.' Very cool video, thank you.
This episode just changed my 2021! I've known about open tunings for years but only dabbled in them. Tony, the way you showed these tunings changed my guitar into a new instrument for me, especially in relation to songwriting. Thank you!
Big Yellow Taxi (in Open G) by Joni Mitchell. On a 12-string.
Anji by Davy Graham and Bert Janch & Misty Mountain Hop - Zeppelin. I grew up with Zeppelin - saw them once at Earl's Court Olympia London. Later I saw Rush, very influential on my early playing style and I built a Peart kind of kit. I think more drummers need to play guitar and guitarist need to learn drums - learning to help the song is so important to playing in the studio and live. I went back to Davy graham and Janch learning alternative tunings and finger picking folk styles, although both gents would call themselves British Blues artists. I think I hear a lot of them in JImmy Page and Roy Harper too.
Thanks Tony for your clear, concise, informative style. I'm a rookie at the guitar, but have been a musician all of my life ( drums 48 yrs.) Peace brother !
Now that I'm learning to play "dobro", (square neck resonator), open tunings are a must. I resisted them for too long. Thanks for all the videos and cheers!
Only just found your page, this is the first video I have seen of yours, I've gotta say I really enjoyed watching and hearing Dani's story.. I've been dabbling for a little over a year and am still not very good, but I continue to practice for the love of guitar
John Fahey recorded a couple of tunes in DADgad, around 1963
The movie of once with Glen Hansard, its amazing how the sounds of the guitar can change so much
Thanks for the tips on these tunings; you've removed some of the anxiety from them. As a beginner, however, I should probably focus on standard EADGAD.
EADGBE
My introduction to alternate tunings was 'The Rain Song' by Led Zeppelin.
Same here. What is the tuning for this song? Been a long time since I tried to play it!
It’s been a long 2 years my friend. DGCGCD
Peter Frampton with Penny for your thoughts was my intro musical piece with alternative tuning.
and I think Wings of change. i could never figure out that song.
"Stumbled upon" Led Zepellin & yeah Joni Mitchell; got into DADGAD & others including a few of my own
Davy actually hitched to Morocco, but he got the idea of adapting guitar for oud/tar music from Steve Benbow a good guitarist who had seen service in north Africa in WW2.Steve had a guitar with him and played/learned from local players.It was a short step from open D tot DADGAD. The adaptation referred to early in the video is actually 'she moved through the fair' to White Summer'.
Great lesson. I finally got into open or alternative tunes and wished I had done it years ago. For new users, do open G first! Easiest and like a banjo. Basically, Keith Richards from Honky Tonk women through Sticky Fingers & Exile on Main Street and so on. Zeppelin also used it. Next do Open D. If you capo on second fret, you get Open E or Dylan on Blood on the Tracks. DADGAD, Led Zeppelin Going to California. Then Open E, but watch the string gage or you will break strings. Duane Allman, Derek Truck slide guitar! Ron Wood’s Stay with Me! Keith Richard used it until he moved to Open G. Stephen Stills does amazing tunings worth seeing. Joni Mitchell and Nick Drake are the masters of alternative tunings!!!
I am a COVID player. I am disabled...I used to build drones for a hobby. One day my drone flew away forever. It had 3D parts and a GoPro on it. $500 just gone. I had about a dozen drones. I also had an old Aria acoustic. I have spinal injuries and limited mobility. Losing more drones seemed DUMB, so I picked up a slide and tuned my guitar to OPEN E. I sold all of my drones and bought cheap guitars. I BUILT A STRATOCASTER for less than the cost of 2 drones. I learned how to intonate them and set them up. I have totally changed my lifestyle because music is THAT IMPORTANT to me. I don't have any drones now. I have sold 4 of my homemade guitars. I also have a pickup winder and have become quite good at building. My next project is an AMMO Can Resonator with a Gold Foil Pup using a banjo neck and the resonator from a mandolin
Initially trying to figure out Richie Havens in the 70s with vinyl on a turntable and ear-tuning (microtonally off due to the turntable speed)
Later while experimenting, I tuned to DADDAD, loved the Native-American vibe, and thought it to be cosmic intervention, since my firstborn had just begun calling me Dad Dad. I composed a piece and played it publicly many times on a 12-string and always received a lot of praise for it. I was on a Michael Hedges binge. He was new to the scene at the time, and I fortuitously played a wedding gig sans rehearsal with a sax player who’d played with Hedges. I egotistically thought I had created the DADDAD tuning but ate some humble pie upon buying a guitar mag on alternate tuning and finding it in a list with “classic Stephen Stills” listed beside it. The timing was perfect, since I was mega-binging on the recently released acoustic album “Stills Alone.”
You left out open “C”. One of John Fahey’s favorites. That’s what turned me on to open tunings. Sunflower River Blues in particular.
yes missed that too
Funeral song for Mississippi John Hurt is my personal favorite open C song!
@@CaptainDynamite110 That is one of the best. I also really like Kensington Blues by Jack Rose. The second tune I learned in open C. I hope to master it. Some day. 😂
Make a video then.
No mention of Bert Jansch. He really brought the DADGAD tuning into the light. It was his arrangement of "Black Waterside" that directly influenced Jimmy page when it came to him 'writing' "Black Mountainside". The two are so similar it's practically a cover version.
No mention of Davy Graham !
You mentioned Davey Graham playing Black Waterside . I can’t find this anywhere . Did you mean Bert Jansch? Davey Graham played She moved through the fair which Jimmy Page lifted for “White Summer” in Dadgad
Pretty cool! Especially if you have fretting hand issues or injuries. You can still play single finger chords.
I'm a stubborn standard tuning player of about 40 years for my own amazement mainly but double drop D and a fairly recent song by Damien Dempsey called It's All Good turned me around.
Yeees, double drop D is an extremely cool sounding to. Then, one still has all the inner four strings as usual for the soloing, if any, or just regular chord shapes skipping the outer D's, in cases were they'd be harming the chord voicing
Awsome info on the tunings!! I started my string journey on mountain dulcimers which now I have 9 and they are open tunings I just transferred it to the acoustic guitar! Thanks have a good week
My introduction to DADGAD began with the aforementioned Davy Graham and his song "Angi" - I then went on a magical mystery tour - man - of other songs by Davy and other folkies and of course there's always Jimmy Page and Frank Zappa. Danny - Brother in time, all the best to you.
Aerial Boundaries, Micheal Hedges
Kashmir as well in my case, cool video , thanks for sharing
Slide guitar. Open D. Now I've learned multiple tuning. It has expanded my music theory far beyond what I thought. Simply going down like you said strumming the scale.
Love this video!
Guitarist Pierre Bensusan uses DADGAD tuning all the time. It's the only tuning he uses as far as I know. Great video which has inspired me to explore some open tunings I've not used before. Thanks so much!
Listen to John Fahey's records, on Takoma.
This is a really amazing presentation! Thanks so much! It can get pretty boring just playing in standard tuning constantly. This should really become a path to creativity! Thanks for broadening my tiny little simple mind!
Sure Joni Mitchell offered access to alternate tunings in my music life, but David Wilcox (from Asheville, NC not Canada) really opened them up for me. Listen to Hurricane in C. He even sings songs about cars (Johnny's Camaro or Rusty Ole American Dream) and Guitar Shopping, I would love to hear a show with you two as you have similar spirits.
I'd have to say "Cello Song" by Nick Drake. I've seen James Taylor do some of his own alternate tunings as well. Also, I might be incorrect, but the DADGAD I think comes from different Celtic regions, but I'm not too sure.
Great show Tony, my first experience with open tuning was Hawaiian "slack key". Keaola Beamer's first album in the 1970's.
This is pure gold
Coming from drop D on electric, DADGAD was a natural progression for me.
Fun tidbit, when I took my son to see Casper Babypants (the lead singer and guitarist from the Presidents of the United States of America) I asked him what he tuned his 3 string guitar to and his reply was "Dad, of course." :)
I really appreciate Danny's story. Thank you for sharing. Truly inspirational. Cheers!
My favorite alternate tuning is sometimes called "orkney tuning," and is a sort of modified DADGAD. Low to high, it's: CGDGAD . So if you lower the two lowest strings in DADGAD, you get Orkney. Or whatever this is called. Check out Dave Evans, whose stunning arrangements of O'Carolan's beautiful harp pieces make use of this tuning. The album is "Irish Reels, Jigs, Hornpipes, and Airs." Some other guitarists are featured on this record.
Davy Graham gettin' some rare love. I digg it! Davy really did some great stuff with DADGAD and really brought people around to that sound. But he just still seems so unknown. Led Zeppelin doesnt hurt for sure though kasmir was released in 1975. Still a few years after Davy had recorded a bunch of albums(Folk, blues and beyond in 1965, Midnight Man in 1966, large as life and twice as natural in 1968 and hatin 1969) using DADGAD all over the place on those albums. And yes there are covers all over those albums but they are also loaded with his own original stuff. Regardless, Davy doesnt often get the love and appreciation that he deserves. At least I think so. He had some personal problems that really he never overcame and it's sad because he could have even done so much more. But what we did get, when he was there and he was on, he was great and doing things many had never heard done in that way before. It shocks me how few acoustic guitar players know who Davy actually even is, theyve never even heard of him. They have heard of or know of DADGAD tuning, but theyve never heard of Davy. That's just sad, because he should absolutely be known and remembered.
It's also funny how someone like Nick Drake goes from being a complete unknown to a more than well known folk guitarist because of one very short but very well placed song of his that was chosen to be in this volkswagon ad/commercial. When I saw that commercial all those years ago I went out and bought every album of his. So for me in a moment Nick Drake went from someone I had never heard of to someone I loved, who I listened to every day, who was suddenly one of my favorite acoustic artists.
I thought I stumbled on the DAD#FAD tuning on accident, back 4 yrs ago. My classical guitar has been stuck on that ever since. Love it!!
"South City Midnight Lady" - Doobie Brothers
"Honky Tonk Women," "You Can't Always Get What You Want," & "Start Me Up" - Stones
"Can't Get Enough" - Bad Company
The Doobies' "Black Water" is in Double Drop D. Does that count?
Thank you so much for being an awesome dude and teaching us about guitar🔥
awesome episode! Thank you, Tony
Fun seeing Mark Agnesi again. I've been watching re-runs of the Johnny Cash Show - this last weekend he was playing that Grey-Burst Grammer! I'd highly recommend fellow guitar geeks checking out this older TV show (ran from ~1969-1971) - incredible list of guest stars from all genre's: Joni Mitchell, Eric Clapton, Linda Ronstadt, Louis Armstrong, The Monkees, Gordon Lightfoot, Neil Young, George Jones, Jerry Reed, Pete Seeger, and so many more.
Late to the party on this one but it was when I purchased a weissenborn guitar that I started working with alternate tuning, starting with DADGAD. Weissenborn is a lot of fun and lends itself well to alternate tunings since it is played mostly using a slide. BTW: cool pinball machine! Did you get one? My dad had a pinball machine in his house for decades. I think it was like a Happy Days one (the old TV show).
Great video, I’ll get a lot of use out of this one. Thanks.
Love open tunings, First discovered DADGAD back in the 70's learning to play Stan Rogers music. Love Nick Drake but really fell in love with open C (just straight open C) listening to the Tragically Hip's "Ahead by a Century." If you haven't listened to that tune, it makes some of the most beautiful sound I've ever heard come out of a guitar, look it up. BTW, this channel is awesome, so glad I found it.
Thank you Mhan!
What got me into open tunings was messing around with the 5 string banjo. The most common tuning is open G on banjo. Open D and mountain Minor next. Realized early on that it was easy to transfer to guitar . Though I first found open D while
Messing with DADGAD. Couldn’t really get my head around it. Then I decided to tune the G string to an F# and life got easy. I love finger picking in those keys. Use them most on my baritone guitar. Another tuning I use on my 6 string banjo is capo 2nd fret.
GADADG. great for pickin Irish. Old time and folk tunes. Two finger chords. Fun.
I first learned alternate tunings with Stephen Still "4+20" - it's tuned in DADDAD (I think). Side note - I never knew LZ's Rain Song was in an alternate tuning (I learned it from "Led Zeppelin Complete" songbook)!
Tom Sands is AWESOME! I'm always learning something from just the offhand comments he makes. Looking forward to him making a special guitar for someone in Montana this year! BTW: He drinks Whisky (no e)!
A couple of months ago I got myself a resonator. One of the things I always wanted to try was the old song Sleepwalk by Johnny and Santo. I soon learned that standard tuning wasn't going to do it, not at my level of playing anyway. So it wasn't long before I discovered open D tuning and and it worked! A couple of sliding barre chords and I actually sounded like I knew what I was doing!
Stephen Stills "Tree Top Flyer" is a great alternate tuning song!
Stephen Stills is a master. Suite: Judy Blue Eyes. Tuning is EEEEBE!😳
@@danbgt Wow! I knew it was a weird tuning. it's the first song on "4 Way Street". Deja Vu is another one of my favorite albums. Neil added a unique sound to them, but they were great by themselves. "Southern Cross" is another one of my favorites. There are so many. What's scary is I bought those albums when they came out. Showing my age. lol
My first alternate tunings were by the band Radiohead : Nice Dream, with a modified B string (EADGaE) and The Tourist with a modified D string, up to an E (EAEGBE). I didn't hear any other songs using these simple, yet great tunings.
Tony, this is probably the most interesting video you've made, Bravo!
My experimentation started with Uriah Heep's The Wizard (dropped D) and - many years later - the Celtic traditional song, Shady Grove (DADGAD).
Vaseline Machine Gun-Leo Kottke and The Moon Shines Bright-John Renbourn
Thank you ! You are a great teacher
Funny that you mention "She Talks To Angels." About a year ago, I couldn't get that song out of my head so I looked up the music. This was shortly after your New Year's Resolution or Goals show where you mentioned exploring alternate tunings as a goal. I tuned my beater guitar and gave it a try. Gonna have to give D minor tuning a try after listening to today's show. That sounded pretty damn cool.
Mitch King Coming back Open C tuning, but I gravitate towards Open D, learning just the one alternate tuning for now
Absolutely fantastic video! Definitely gives me a lot of tools to add to the “toolbox”. Thanks!
Joni Mitchell had 57 different open tunings. She deserves a ton of credit for alternate tunings.
Joni’s open tunings sound so beautiful. Inspiring me to finally have a serious go at it myself
True....
No s..t
Wow 57 !!!
Self-taught genius, she!
I am a British Army vetran I was in the Royal Irish Regiment from formation to 2002 when I retired we have Sevastapol on our battle honours our Ancestor Regiment the Enniskillen Fusiliers were there as were the Royal Irish Regiment 18th Regiment of foot which is not related to the present day Regiment
But as that tuning was used then we in our Regimentsl folk band used Sevastapol tuning as part of our battle honours, which is fantastic
Svesa pk??? Tuning
Just saw your nice Video!!
My song would be crosses by Jose Gonzalez.
Even though i changed my acoustic guitar tuning to DADGAD, without knowing that it actually is a used tuning. I just thougt it sounds great back than and until today, my acoustic is in that tuning.
As noted by Richard Albers, Black Mountain side was a direct lift by Led Zep from Bert Jansch's version of the traditional song Blackwaterside, which he in turn learnt from Annie Briggs. Bert used DADGAD a lot, but interestingly, not for this tune, which he played in dropped D. However, his contemporary, Al Stewart, thought it was in DADGAD, learnt it in that tuning and taught it to Jimmy Page. It is a simplified imitation of Bert's version.The Bert Jansch Foundation is dedicated to Bert's music, which it furthers through grants to young musicians, workshops and transcriptions.
The fact that i watched the whole video even when he gave time stamps proves how cool this video is! Thanks for this mate! ❤️
Davey Graham She Moved Through the Fair . He claimed that that tune and Irish Folk music got its roots from Chinese Music.
I began open tuning in E to play Duane Allman . Little Martha to start. And Black Crow’s She Talks to Angels.
Open G to play Stones tunes.
DADGAD to play Zeppelin Kashmir.
I will absolutely be trying these other tunings you display here.
Very cool. Thank you. Liked and Subscribed
Black Water side , also played by one of the adepts of Graham, the late Bert Jansch. Who really is one who influenced the more modern rock/pop-bands back in the days. Also The Pentangle (Bert Jansch and John Renbourn on guitar)is a great band to listen to, if you want get into more british folk-rock music!
That song is so good.
No mention of the tuning?
i loved this episode! Thank you!
The acoustic Tuesday show has brought new meaning and excitement to Tuesdays! It doesn’t rank up there higher than Friday or the Weekend, but Tuesday is now a favorite day for guitar learning!
Love the D minor tuning ❤
This is a great video. It and the story has been an inspiration.
Started listening to John Butler and Xavier Rudd a long time ago, which introduced me to the wonderful world of alternate tunings. I haven’t ever really stuck with it, but this video has inspired me to give it a go again. Thanks
Open D was popularised by Stefan Grossman.
Great stuff!💚Could you show the tuning to Coyote by Joni Mitchell?
I mess around with alternate tunings. The Drake tuning is new to me. Close to CGCGCE which works for blues but also folk and Celtic sounding tunes. I guess Stephen Stills used a lot of odd tunings, maybe all Es and a high B was one? Thanks.
Hey, Tony. Regarding alternate tunings...For me, it was Cinnamon Girl from a Decade songbook (both E's dropped to D). We're talking pre-pre-internet ;) .
“If I Laugh” by Cat Stevens. Played in Open E.
Nice cover story on Denny, inspiring for sure. The world is a better place when that happens.
An episode that starts quoting Nick Drake name and with a beautiful Bourgeois at screen is for me. Thanks for this very pedagogic video.
Excellent show, Tony. Awesome alternate tunings lesson.
dude, you make it look so easy, i get demoralized by how much i suck when i try to make something simple sound cool
Romeo and Juliet by Mark Knopfler introduced me to open G tuning.
DADF#AD USED FOR SAILING
If you haven’t yet, would love to see an episode dedicated to Townes Van Zandt!! Love the content btw!!
Open G, is this the tuning Chris Cornell used on Seasons from the Singles soundtrack? Those chord shapes look very familiar.
Tony, Nice lesson. 2 things. When talking DADGAD a good mention would be Pierre Bensusan. Second if you have a chance listen to David Wilcox, a modern Master of Alternate Tunings. PS: I love that you inspire guitarists. Keep up good work.
Thanks 🤙🤙
Hea Tony. very nice thanx. i got into alt. tunings when i started playing slide, it was a must. And my lightning will be in Chicago tomorrow good luck. your friend Guy B.in Tampa.
I've been playing for almost 30 years and was always afraid to do anything other than standard or drop D tuning. I also could never defeat that using a tuner felt like cheating. I just started experimenting with alternate tunings not because of any songs, but to help understand chord structure. It's like a whole new world has opened up! And I get to teach it to my young kids so they don't limit themselves the way I did.
What about Leo Kottke c tuning? Busted bycycle?
I was first introduced to alternate tunings listening to Mumford and Sons. “Not with Haste” was played at my wedding and I began being obsessed with the potential alternate tunings give you!
Hello Tony!
Saying hello from New York here while on quarantine here :)
I echo the black crows “she talks to angels”....but I was too young to know how bad it was for my guitar to be tuned up to open E. That was the first time I needed a bridge repair!
Very helpful video! Thank you.
LED Zeppelin definitely. Kashmir and Rain Song! Both very beautiful songs on guitar! Thanx for the video!
Open G - was used (and is until now) on the russian seven string guitar (D2 G2 B2 D3 G3 B3 D4) developed end 18th century.
Freaking legend you are man. JUST when i thought I couldn't be any blown away by instruments, you come along and blow my mind again while giving so much knowledge. my guitar has saved my life because for once I can create something beautiful...and it's all thanks to you Sensei. 😌
A Pillow of Winds - Pink Floyd - Open E (Yeah, I'm that old :-) )
Out on the Western Plain - Rory Gallagher - DADGAD
I like the options alt tunings give but I can't be bothered changing the tunings - so I write lots of tunes with partial capos instead :)
Once you get used to changing to them it's takes less than a minute to go back and forth. That's not an exaggeration. Open G for instance you are only re-tuning 3 strings....the 6th or low E, the 5th or A string, and the 1st or e string. The E you tune down to a D. The A string down to a G. The high e string down to a D. Of course, other tunings are also requiring only 3 strings to be re-tuned. Then there are those that require less than 3 strings. Drop D for instance.....6th string down to D (some folks tune both E strings to D). Anyway, I hope I haven't come across as a do*che because it's not like you asked for an explanation or even needed this explained as you may be well aware of this and know of more alternate tunings than I do. But I just wanted to make that point (point being that it's not as torturous of an experience having to tune back and forth between alt tunings and standard) because over the years I have talked to so many people that I KNOW WOULDNT ATTEMPT AN ALTERNATE TUNING UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE. They are comfortable with standard and by golly you aren't interesting them whatsoever when talking about alternate tunings no matter how thick one attempts to lay down a coat of persuasion, and then another and another. It's a paradigm shift that a lot of players aren't willing to go through. I guess I am attempting to make a point that it's SO EASY TO TUNE TO ALTERNATE TUNINGS especially once one has a particular tuning that is often used or at least used here and there. It becomes second nature even if only occasionally used. It's really like having another instrument when going into another tuning and can help with those that are plateauing, needing fresh ideas for progressions etc., and for actual new song titles/lyrics because new sounds inspire new ideas for songs and new emotions.
Joni Mitchell's guitar tech wrote a book of the more than 20 alternate tunings she used.
Alex De Grassi deserves an honorable mention here. He is THE master of open alternate tunings.