5 Alternate Tunings that Changed Acoustic Guitar ★ Acoustic Tuesday 169

[@WhereTheBASShasNoName]

Tony, DADGAD is also called the Celtic Tuning. It's great for Irish music and sounds beautiful when fingerpicking

[@sandywatson5144]

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.

[@leftwrite]

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!

[@jimvandemoter6961]

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.

[@AIainMConnachie]

"Stumbled upon" Led Zepellin & yeah Joni Mitchell; got into DADGAD & others including a few of my own

[@robsmart1999]

Big Yellow Taxi (in Open G) by Joni Mitchell. On a 12-string.

[@petergoddard1960]

My introduction to alternate tunings was 'The Rain Song' by Led Zeppelin.

[@daleschimpf]

Same here. What is the tuning for this song? Been a long time since I tried to play it!

[@thenewertruth5745]

Thank you Mhan!

[@Markplaysmusic]

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.

[@jamesmorrison2063]

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!

[@chipiturk90strend]

Laura Marling taught me different tunning options :)

[@acousticexplorer108]

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

[@rhyswilliamson6343]

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

[@Googelbeast]

Kashmir as well in my case, cool video , thanks for sharing

[@ronnance]

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.”

[@stammina52]

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 !

[@AlfredGoosen]

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.

[@mjohnkirton]

John Fahey recorded a couple of tunes in DADgad, around 1963

[@justcallmesando]

This is pure gold

[@margita951]

Love the D minor tuning ❤

[@touchthesun2448]

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

[@maxcuthbert100]

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'.

[@marksadventures3889]

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.

[@texhaines9957]

Pretty cool! Especially if you have fretting hand issues or injuries. You can still play single finger chords.

[@skentmar105]

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.

[@nakana_212]

EADGBE

[@GaryBook]

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!!!

[@Vboost7000rpm]

DADF#AD USED FOR SAILING

[@TheDanielthauby]

Listen to John Fahey's records, on Takoma.

[@AnthonyMonaghan]

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.

[@maxcuthbert100]

No mention of Davy Graham !

[@gnawbabygnaw]

Thanks 🤙🤙

[@danbgt]

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.

[@ostfreesland-q7m]

yes missed that too

[@CaptainDynamite110]

Funeral song for Mississippi John Hurt is my personal favorite open C song!

[@danbgt]

@@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. 😂

[@DaveTaste]

Make a video then.

[@rubenpv]

The movie of once with Glen Hansard, its amazing how the sounds of the guitar can change so much

[@zunkrock]

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.

[@funkyfishcloneloverofmusic3825]

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

[@Gwyhir]

Open D was popularised by Stefan Grossman.

[@harry9392]

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

[@JohnTimothy-m8x]

Svesa pk??? Tuning

[@ryansutter4291]

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.

[@garymiller7597]

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.

[@ishgumi44]

Alex De Grassi deserves an honorable mention here. He is THE master of open alternate tunings.

[@markstrain8989]

awesome episode! Thank you, Tony

[@glennmichaelthompson4112]

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!

[@maxcuthbert100]

The Bedmaking. DADEAE . Martin Carthy.

[@danross146]

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!

[@thomdushane]

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." :)

[@TheGermanRL]

“If I Laugh” by Cat Stevens. Played in Open E.

[@yeoldfart8762]

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.

[@belascialoja4812]

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.

[@darkwolf6704]

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!

[@martyrdanielson]

"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?

[@sbolfing]

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)!

[@profcormier7894]

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.

[@JuanMartinez-rw7bm]

Thank you so much for being an awesome dude and teaching us about guitar🔥

[@alanjones2067]

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!

[@sbolfing]

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.

[@mrs.abbott6969]

I really appreciate Danny's story. Thank you for sharing. Truly inspirational. Cheers!

[@bordenatorx]

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!!

[@douglasbensch2428]

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.

[@SophiaAphrodite]

Joni Mitchell had 57 different open tunings. She deserves a ton of credit for alternate tunings.

[@SandraBonney]

Joni’s open tunings sound so beautiful. Inspiring me to finally have a serious go at it myself

[@AnthonyMonaghan]

True....

[@tonyrandazzoe8210]

No s..t

[@giannibiancocircus]

Wow 57 !!!

[@margaretmcglynn5077]

Self-taught genius, she!

[@karenbaldwin-porter7295]

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.

[@Rada6ast]

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!

[@PeterJames143]

That song is so good.

[@QuantumLeap89]

No mention of the tuning?

[@kimr45]

Aerial Boundaries, Micheal Hedges

[@beavis408]

Romeo and Juliet by Mark Knopfler introduced me to open G tuning.

[@robertnewell5057]

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.

[@stephenwhite5658]

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

[@WIMMYY]

The fact that i watched the whole video even when he gave time stamps proves how cool this video is! Thanks for this mate! ❤️

[@sawekziokowski7114]

i loved this episode! Thank you!

[@eezergoode8588]

For me it was Black Mountainside by Led Zeppelin. DADGAD baby!

[@richvancouver5212]

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!

[@Christian358Kane]

dude, you make it look so easy, i get demoralized by how much i suck when i try to make something simple sound cool

[@davinschreiber3123]

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.

[@michaellaverty1844]

Great video, I’ll get a lot of use out of this one. Thanks.

[@markknopflerisnot]

Richard Thompson and John Martyn are/were great proponents of using alternate tunings

[@DjNikGnashers]

Thumbs up for having the balls to actually say Page 'borrowed' DADGAD, and earlier music from people like Davey Graham, Burt Jansch etc, as real musicians know the truth (ie that Page was a complete thief). Double dropped D and dropped D tunings are excellent too imo, used by John Renbourn and Bert Jansch. John Martyn used alternate tunings to great success. Nick Drake tunings are just amazing, and he also used BEBEBE too. Cosby Still & Nash also used some odd tunings, like EEEEBE for example, lovely.

[@FBXL5]

Pagey just brought this to the masses and yes he did borrow them thank goodness.

[@FBXL5]

What song did they use eeeebe on?

[@DjNikGnashers]

@@FBXL5 Suite Judy blue Eyes. It was actually EBEEEE I made a mistake. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n4SrgXyNrNZseZY

[@practicerepobarrie]

Nice cover story on Denny, inspiring for sure. The world is a better place when that happens.

[@nicksilver_music]

Mitch King Coming back Open C tuning, but I gravitate towards Open D, learning just the one alternate tuning for now

[@leeharper8363]

Great show Tony, my first experience with open tuning was Hawaiian "slack key". Keaola Beamer's first album in the 1970's.

[@michaelpelham9699]

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

[@matttorrence2900]

I love Nick Drake

[@janeandthecoolcats5033]

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.

[@SoundHealer93]

This is a great video. It and the story has been an inspiration.

[@jamesmorrison2063]

Stephen Stills "Tree Top Flyer" is a great alternate tuning song!

[@danbgt]

Stephen Stills is a master. Suite: Judy Blue Eyes. Tuning is EEEEBE!😳

[@jamesmorrison2063]

@@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

[@billsmith5054]

I am just learning guitar. I was happy to discover OPEN G TUNING. Everything I play now sounds better. Now after watching this video I want to experiment with the other alternate tuning.

[@plumeetpixels7062]

An episode that starts quoting Nick Drake name and with a beautiful Bourgeois at screen is for me. Thanks for this very pedagogic video.

[@danielmoran9902]

I like this guy, wish he'd been around in 1987 when I started, instead of having to spend weeks learning stuff and driving myself around the bend. This is a good bloke to learn from, splendid stuff.

[@kylebattin]

A friend introduced me to Califone ca. 20 years ago. Dropped them strings and never looked back.

[@davidharms3562]

Absolutely fantastic video! Definitely gives me a lot of tools to add to the “toolbox”. Thanks!

[@andyknight240]

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!

[@brucedickson6019]

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).

[@andyc5392]

Vaseline Machine Gun-Leo Kottke and The Moon Shines Bright-John Renbourn

[@rayrodriguez8447]

Excellent show, Tony. Awesome alternate tunings lesson.

[@MisterRobert101]

LED Zeppelin definitely. Kashmir and Rain Song! Both very beautiful songs on guitar! Thanx for the video!

[@moehammondmedia]

Joni the 🐐

[@mattm9871]

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).

[@kristianwheat7476]

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

[@thegooddoctor8479]

Open G is the tuning for Pink Floyd's "Fearless". Open D for "Little Martha". "4&20" "The Water Song" to name a few.

[@egr9613]

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.

[@NØX-XVII]

I recently switched from standard to open tunings because of their simplicity and fullness. Now I struggle to play a guitar in standard. My introduction to open tunings was Even Flow by Pearl Jam

[@judwatkins9478]

Very helpful video! Thank you.

[@hellogreg1973]

Dude. This is great. Thank you.

[@mikec6947]

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 ;) .

[@geoffclarke1974]

A Pillow of Winds - Pink Floyd - Open E (Yeah, I'm that old :-) ) Out on the Western Plain - Rory Gallagher - DADGAD

[@paddyOdaddyO65]

Two songs have gotten me into alternate tunings. Songs I love to sing and noticed how the guitar player was strumming something different: “Sweet Afton” by Nickel Creek Learned DADGAD for that one. And “Watch Over You” by Myles Kennedy/Alter Bridge A beautiful, sad song he plays in Open G tuning.