Been playing the guitar in different kinds of trad music for decades..I´m always again surprised by this tuning aspect in ITM: what´s wrong with playing in standard tuning (by the way, dropped D is always a good idea!) ? Look what the average bluegrass guitar play can do in standard tuning !! All these open tunings where you just move the capo up and around the fingerboard: musically in my opinion lazy and somehow the easy way out..the only kind of music for open tunings is bottleneck blues, I think. Just recently I began experimenting around, flatpicking reels and jigs on the guitar, and I found it amazing what you can do in standard tuning - and you get drones and double stops, whatever .. get to know your fingerboard !!
I agree with you. I'm not opposed to DADGAD, and it does sound very nice, but standard tuning seems to have more versatility. And, as posted already, if you want a good D drone, drop D works just fine.
But it's all personal. I used to play with a fellow who played DADGAD wonderfully and would never ask him to change.
Standard tuning can be bad if attempted by a beginner who only knows first position chord shapes. All the standard tuning first position 6 string chords contain a third or two. while in DADGAD very few do. The third has to be used carefully and with intention, not just be along for the ride. for example in a D mixolydian tune. an A major chord (the dominant for D major) containing a c#, the third of the A major chord would not work. Alternatively an A minor chord doesn't really work that well either. what you need is an A chord containing only A notes and E notes. DADGAD tuning will force you to default to ambiguous chords which can be used much faster than the time it takes to decide if you want to play a major or minor chord. It's not musically lazy, it's musically appropriate. I have heard guitarists play ITM in standard and even do it myself once in a while, but those players have worked through the tunes for long enough they know what chords to avoid. In the hands of a beginner a standard tuned guitar is dangerous, I know from having to deal with one who comes to some of the local sessions. Every D mixolydian tune turns into D major. Nevermind the fact that those tunes are usually started by the piper. Of course the guitar player has to pay attention to the moving value of the C note in a piping tune...of course!
Here is a tuning I invented for melody playing on the guitar
DAEEBE which is then capoed on the 5th fret to produce
GDAAEA. this gives you a fiddle type tuning. This gives you two A strings in the middle sounding in unison, and an extra high A string, whic can also be tuned to a B or F# without the capo. I prefer not to put that kind of tension on it though.
If you want to play chords, Earl has given some good advice. If you want to play single-string melody, tenor banjo style, I use D, GDAED' where the topstring is tuned lower than the second string. and the second string is substituted with the first. If that makes sense. The lower topstring makes reaching for the b and c easier, once you get the hang of it being lower in pitch.
For melody playing, I can't see that there's anything better than standard or drop D. For accompaniment, this works for me as well, although I've listened to enough players to know that someone who thinks in DADGAD can make some pretty good sounds.
DADGAD for melody playing is awkward, to me, since the adjacent strings making a whole tone forces a lot of string skipping, and the low first string means that there's far too much closed position work for me.
If you're looking for new tunings, my advice would be to try to think of what it is you need, and find the tuning that gets you there. What works for me probably won't work for you, so why waste your time trying to do it my way? The number of tunings possible with a medium-gauge set of strings is mind-boggling, you'll never find what you're looking for without some intention in the search.
Standard tuning can stink in the wrong hands, so can DADGAD, and so can any other tuning, For every standard tuned guitarist who is stuck in the first position with simple chord shapes, there is a DADGAD guitarist who only knows a few shapes, and has to slide a capo to change keys.
There are things each tuning can do, but the key is to master whatever tuning you pick.
And on this website, when we discuss accompaniment, I think we tend to focus more on chords and tuning, when rhythm is probably the most important element.
I am lying at home sick with bronchitis so pardon me if I am playing the curmedgeon today.
Standard: E A D G B E
Drop D: D A D G B E
Drop D: D A D G B D
DADGAD: D A D G A D
Fourths: E A D G C F
Lute: E A D F# B E
1/2-Step Down: Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb
Full-Step Down: D G C F A D
Open: D D A D F# A D
Big City: D A D F# A A
D Wahine: D A D F# B D
D Minor: D A D F A D
D Modal: D A D D A D
G 6: D G D G B E
Open: G D G D G B D
G Minor: D G D G Bb D
Open C: C G C G C E
C 6: C G C G A E
Baritone: B E A D F# B
Baritone: A D G C E A
Old Spanish: D G D G A E
Lute: E A D F# A E
D Modal: D A D G A D
Open: E E B E A B E
Bron Y Aur: C A C G C E
Parvardigar: C G C G C D
BP Modal: E B E E B E
New Standard: C G D A E G
Low C: C G D G A D
Shifted: E G# C# F# B E
Dropped: C C G C F A D
Slipknot: B F# B E G# C#
Wow McKnowall - that is a very big list, but not all very suited to Irish tunes, and I'm surprised it ignores DADEAE (known as Irish tuning, but invented by Martin Carthy, I believe), that allows some nice chords in D major and D minor, A major and minor, E minor and G major, and for me is also great for playing tunes since D, A, E is as fiddle/mando, and extra E on 3rd string avoids 5th fret by combining 3rd & 4th strings (ie open D on the 4th string & E,F G on 3rd string)
As previously mentioned, see http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/274/comments#comment3745 for details of book Irish Guitar, by Paul De Grae and other comments under previous posts
an other way
an other way
I need a we bit of help again.Im trying to find an other tuning for the guitar which would be suitable for trad music.
# Posted on January 5th 2010 by trad man
There is another way
Dadgad. Good luck!
# Posted on January 5th 2010 by matti
Re: an other way
CGCGCD (open C sus 2) as lisaniska always recommends. Always sounds pretty good to me.
# Posted on January 5th 2010 by sashiko calico
Re: an other way
You could drop the bass "E" string to "D"—all other strings kept in standard tuning. Give you a decent drone.
# Posted on January 5th 2010 by NEW Pure Drop® Ear Canal Oil
Re: an other way
This forum might be of use. I found it in an old discussion
http://celticguitartalk.com/phpBB/
I can't vouch for it myself, being a fiddler
# Posted on January 5th 2010 by sashiko calico
Re: an other way
Been playing the guitar in different kinds of trad music for decades..I´m always again surprised by this tuning aspect in ITM: what´s wrong with playing in standard tuning (by the way, dropped D is always a good idea!) ? Look what the average bluegrass guitar play can do in standard tuning !! All these open tunings where you just move the capo up and around the fingerboard: musically in my opinion lazy and somehow the easy way out..the only kind of music for open tunings is bottleneck blues, I think. Just recently I began experimenting around, flatpicking reels and jigs on the guitar, and I found it amazing what you can do in standard tuning - and you get drones and double stops, whatever .. get to know your fingerboard !!
# Posted on January 5th 2010 by alexweger
Re: an other way
alexweger -
I agree with you. I'm not opposed to DADGAD, and it does sound very nice, but standard tuning seems to have more versatility. And, as posted already, if you want a good D drone, drop D works just fine.
But it's all personal. I used to play with a fellow who played DADGAD wonderfully and would never ask him to change.
# Posted on January 5th 2010 by Jimmy B
Re: an other way
Standard tuning can be bad if attempted by a beginner who only knows first position chord shapes. All the standard tuning first position 6 string chords contain a third or two. while in DADGAD very few do. The third has to be used carefully and with intention, not just be along for the ride. for example in a D mixolydian tune. an A major chord (the dominant for D major) containing a c#, the third of the A major chord would not work. Alternatively an A minor chord doesn't really work that well either. what you need is an A chord containing only A notes and E notes. DADGAD tuning will force you to default to ambiguous chords which can be used much faster than the time it takes to decide if you want to play a major or minor chord. It's not musically lazy, it's musically appropriate. I have heard guitarists play ITM in standard and even do it myself once in a while, but those players have worked through the tunes for long enough they know what chords to avoid. In the hands of a beginner a standard tuned guitar is dangerous, I know from having to deal with one who comes to some of the local sessions. Every D mixolydian tune turns into D major. Nevermind the fact that those tunes are usually started by the piper. Of course the guitar player has to pay attention to the moving value of the C note in a piping tune...of course!
# Posted on January 5th 2010 by Earl Cameron
Re: an other way
Here is a tuning I invented for melody playing on the guitar
DAEEBE which is then capoed on the 5th fret to produce
GDAAEA. this gives you a fiddle type tuning. This gives you two A strings in the middle sounding in unison, and an extra high A string, whic can also be tuned to a B or F# without the capo. I prefer not to put that kind of tension on it though.
# Posted on January 5th 2010 by Earl Cameron
Re: an other way
If you want to play chords, Earl has given some good advice. If you want to play single-string melody, tenor banjo style, I use D, GDAED' where the topstring is tuned lower than the second string. and the second string is substituted with the first. If that makes sense. The lower topstring makes reaching for the b and c easier, once you get the hang of it being lower in pitch.
# Posted on January 5th 2010 by gam
Re: an other way
For melody playing, I can't see that there's anything better than standard or drop D. For accompaniment, this works for me as well, although I've listened to enough players to know that someone who thinks in DADGAD can make some pretty good sounds.
DADGAD for melody playing is awkward, to me, since the adjacent strings making a whole tone forces a lot of string skipping, and the low first string means that there's far too much closed position work for me.
If you're looking for new tunings, my advice would be to try to think of what it is you need, and find the tuning that gets you there. What works for me probably won't work for you, so why waste your time trying to do it my way? The number of tunings possible with a medium-gauge set of strings is mind-boggling, you'll never find what you're looking for without some intention in the search.
# Posted on January 5th 2010 by Jon Kiparsky
Re: an other way
Standard tuning can stink in the wrong hands, so can DADGAD, and so can any other tuning, For every standard tuned guitarist who is stuck in the first position with simple chord shapes, there is a DADGAD guitarist who only knows a few shapes, and has to slide a capo to change keys.
There are things each tuning can do, but the key is to master whatever tuning you pick.
And on this website, when we discuss accompaniment, I think we tend to focus more on chords and tuning, when rhythm is probably the most important element.
I am lying at home sick with bronchitis so pardon me if I am playing the curmedgeon today.
# Posted on January 6th 2010 by AlBrown
Re: an other way
Hi
Give DADEAE a try (see my comments under much earlier thread http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/274/comments#comment3745
It is very versatile tuning for Irish style
# Posted on January 6th 2010 by Enob
Re: an other way
Standard: E A D G B E
Drop D: D A D G B E
Drop D: D A D G B D
DADGAD: D A D G A D
Fourths: E A D G C F
Lute: E A D F# B E
1/2-Step Down: Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb
Full-Step Down: D G C F A D
Open: D D A D F# A D
Big City: D A D F# A A
D Wahine: D A D F# B D
D Minor: D A D F A D
D Modal: D A D D A D
G 6: D G D G B E
Open: G D G D G B D
G Minor: D G D G Bb D
Open C: C G C G C E
C 6: C G C G A E
Baritone: B E A D F# B
Baritone: A D G C E A
Old Spanish: D G D G A E
Lute: E A D F# A E
D Modal: D A D G A D
Open: E E B E A B E
Bron Y Aur: C A C G C E
Parvardigar: C G C G C D
BP Modal: E B E E B E
New Standard: C G D A E G
Low C: C G D G A D
Shifted: E G# C# F# B E
Dropped: C C G C F A D
Slipknot: B F# B E G# C#
# Posted on January 7th 2010 by mcknowall
Re: an other way
Wow McKnowall - that is a very big list, but not all very suited to Irish tunes, and I'm surprised it ignores DADEAE (known as Irish tuning, but invented by Martin Carthy, I believe), that allows some nice chords in D major and D minor, A major and minor, E minor and G major, and for me is also great for playing tunes since D, A, E is as fiddle/mando, and extra E on 3rd string avoids 5th fret by combining 3rd & 4th strings (ie open D on the 4th string & E,F G on 3rd string)
As previously mentioned, see http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/274/comments#comment3745 for details of book Irish Guitar, by Paul De Grae and other comments under previous posts
# Posted on January 7th 2010 by Enob
Re: an other way
thanks lads all great
# Posted on January 13th 2010 by trad man