EXPAND Your Drop D Chord Vocabulary! This Is Why You Suck At Guitar: You Suck at Drop D Tuning!

Downloadable practice tracks, bonus guitar lessons, and MORE here: / benellerguitars
This week, ALL my Patrons get access to an extra bonus lesson to go along with this one, showing you how to expand your Drop D chord vocabulary with some jazzy Major 7, Minor 7, Dominant 7, AND MORE shapes! $1 a month, get access plus SO MUCH more!
Grab last week's practice tracks at a variety of tempos, plus the midi tracks so you can build your OWN workout, PLUS the downloadable TABs here! / 50395556
How about a treasure trove of drone tracks that i made!? 12 root notes, 12 major chords, and 12 minor chords, for a total of 36 super long drone tracks! Its everything you need to learn all your scales in every key! Here's the direct link you need: / 49828461
Wanna learn ALL the notes and master the board? Here's the lesson you need: / 45181774
The BEST Half Hour of Alternate Picking Practice EVER: / 33563344
The secrets of note targeting revealed: / 38535524
My followup to my Ditch the CAGED System video: / 40492155
Get sweet deals on all the nice things i use here: imp.i114863.net/jxdA0
Hey kids! Its your good buddy Uncle Ben Eller back with a brand new installment of This is Why You Suck at Guitar!!!
In episode 25, we're going to dive deep into getting the most out of your Drop D tuning playing!!! Are you tired of playing one finger power chords and thats ALL?! Do you wanna know how to expand into Major, Minor, Sus2, and inversion shapes?! Do you wanna know where to put them in every key to make them sound COOL?!?!?!? Of course you do!!!! Good thing you're watching this video, cause you're gonna learn ALL that stuff!
Playing my Suhr Modern T and Kemper Profiler for maximum impact.
What do you suck at?!?! Let me know in the comments and we will dive in next!

[@BenEller]

Thanks for watching and expanding your drop d tuning chord vocabulary!!! What do you wanna learn next?

[@SRC1022]

Most people have lessons on soloing over chord changes. How about a lesson on soloing/writing melodies over metal guitar riffs? Maybe even ones that dont stick to a specific key

[@Bad.Rabbit]

This is why you suck at guitar: you're not rhythmically interesting

[@dntinker]

Major and minor scales in drop tunings?

[@dntinker]

I ask this because I’m trying to get my coguitarist to get a little theory knowledge and see if that helps us both write more interesting stuff

[@nemrac2883]

Back seat of a Volkswagen…..dude thats from Mallrats! Lol

[@tonyfondacaro1980]

When I was 12 I tuned my guitar to drop D for the first time. That summer my parents sent me to Bible Camp.

[@DonnyZofChaos]

Drop D sus2 is such a Hum thing and now I know why I love it so much

[@billyhughes9776]

Yeah, I'm a total sucker for the DropD sus2.

[@alphanumeric1529]

Listen to it, it's a bit more of a whine. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

[@SixString_J5]

Bonus tip.... always keep in mind that the 4th and 6th string are perfect octaves. You can flip your 3 string cord shapes and have an easy peasy inversion.

[@TheArtofGuitar]

Nice concept man.

[@Kweesh]

He sure is

[@Mariooo57]

Billy Talent made me expand my Drop D playing skills. They have an unique way of playing around uncommon riffs and chords for their genre.

[@Fireguy65]

I agree, Ian D’sa has such creative riffs. Try Honesty is a great one with interesting drop chords

[@PNWGuitar]

THIS. Fallen leaves is always my go to drop D song along with a bunch or rage against the machine.

[@roymenke1909]

This was awesome. I feel like less of a step-dad and more of a real dad with a troubled relationship with his kids.

[@vethwynwetfeather]

There's a reason other players like Ola Englund mentions Uncle Ben so often. He's found a way to communicate theory to us everyday day git-fiddlers and makes us more betterlier. Thank Unc! #Skankbanger 🤘#MissingTheGrungePedal

[@BenEller]

Thank you buddy

[@cpeplinski]

Sus2, Dim and the inversions (1st and 2nd) are the spice of life for drop tuning.

[@RizoftheDead]

I was constantly going back and forth with myself between "Ok I like to write in Drop C" and "screw drop tuning I'm going back to standard!" but after I discovered these chord shapes I realized how much more expression I could get out of drop tunings.

[@coryjackson8409]

Man, Mark Tremonti is seriously one of the best at this!!! His alternate tuning voicings are amazing. Plus I hear he’s an Uncle Ben fan 😉

[@BenEller]

Mark rules!!!

[@thekorben]

Ben, thank you so much for this video. It blew my mind! I've been playing bass for 20 years (only self-taught, for fun, no theory at all) and only recently fulfilled my midlife-crisis wish to get an electric guitar. Obviously, without any theoretical backround, it's a bit of a steep hike, so I tried to get by with my previous bass experience, a handful of more complicated chords and power cords. As I'm playing in Drop A, this video totally expanded my vocabulary and I can finally start to play the riffs that I have in my head so much more easily. Playing these minor, major and sus power chords is a total game changer for me. Finally feeling motivated to actually learn more theory and chords. Thanks again!

[@chuckheidle2420]

Love the "cheese pizza" analogy. That's a great way to picture the major scale!! Love what you do and the humor that you throw in. Thanks for the time and effort you put into it. It's appreciated.

[@juliafloridausa]

**sees the video title** Me: Hello, I've waited here for you

[@kagenotatsumaki]

This entire video was an insane help but that Diminished chord substitution was actually mind blowing, that's legit bloody brilliant!

[@TheStrykerProject]

This may have been the best theory lesson I've ever had. I really needed this info, condensed into this one video!

[@BenEller]

Thanks dude!!

[@storageismyband]

Thank you for explaining in terms we can all understand! This is why you are the greatest Uncle Ben!

[@karlwiebe3806]

Literally the first Awesome Drop D specific lesson I've seen in such detail. So MORE BETTER!!!! Awesome lesson Ben. 👏

[@tychormthorp]

I live for phat sounding low effort techniques. Thanks Youngcle Ben!

[@rexfordhazelton7601]

The drop tunnings were the greatest thing I learned during my two guitar lessons in the mid 90s, that and how to read guitar tabs. That was all I needed.

[@ricopaxton]

More better... Well, that's all we waited for, man! Thx 👍

[@MittensOnly]

I seriously can't with Turkey What a cute little pooch, he melts me

[@Madchris8828]

I was looking for a video just like this. Actually experiencing the same issue only with Drop C which also works. Awesome!

[@TheCrimsonIdol987]

I took some of these ideas here and tried them out in the saddest of all keys, but then metalized, and gotta say, it sounds killer.

[@raakin-at]

This video is incredibly helpful! I would always avoid using the 6th string when making chords in drop tunings, but now I don't have to!

[@mikehartigan1694]

Just started learning some Trivium songs. They definitely use some of these techniques and take full advantage of the possibilities of drop tunings

[@israelr6636]

Another great video Uncle Ben, this was so educational and inspiration. Thank you Ben for this video. 🎸

[@lukefromtonight]

always like Ben's vids in advance. Thanks mate!

[@xagon7]

Excellent lesson Ben. Nailed it.

[@antimatter2380]

Thumbs up for the Mallrats reference!

[@darwinbeagle9394]

Brilliant explanation. So many ideas can be gleamed from this for songwriting.

[@ElvisPereira-ex9dy]

Loved this lesson Uncle Ben!! 🤘🏻🔥thanks man!! 💯

[@swooshjtb]

Great explanations! Loved it.

[@samstamos427]

Substituting the 7th chordal interval dim with the 1st inversion, where the III is the bass of the diminished, is an epiphany! Thank you!

[@crtinmanstudios]

That was an awesome video, it gave me a new angle to look at it. Ty!!

[@aeon7986]

I've been diddle fiddling around with the gat for years but really can't be fluffed learning theory. Your videos really inspire me to put in more better effort and I'm a even more betterer player because of it.Thanks Ben, ya bloody bastard.

[@BenEller]

Glad to help!

[@papakumo]

Thank you so much, this is the video that got me to understand triads and triad chord shapes, with the bonus of being in drop D. You're awesome!

[@Jeffmetal42]

My man dropping some serious D knowledge on us. 👍

[@3bandEQ]

Loved this video. Also if anyone is interested in extended shaped chords Page Hamilton gets into those extended Drop D chord voicings. Love his interviews on Rig Rundown. He talks a little bit about theory and shows a couple examples of those shapes on the fretboard. Thanks for the great video Youngcle Ben.

[@jasonmagyar1643]

Great Mallrats reference!!! And another great video Ben!!

[@GregWilson801]

Needed this one!

[@mehAudio]

Thanks! Great cookbook!

[@mackriffs93]

Ian D’sa from Billy Talent uses these sort of stacked powerchords in a really cool way. Simon Neil from biffy Clyro does some similar stuff as well. Great vid!

[@Krullmatic]

Yay! Some more valuable guitar, and life lessons, from my favorite Uncle, Ben and his faithful, but tired sidekick, Turkey (who's adorable BTW)!

[@rjdom]

Good way to show how to break out of dead Drop "D" sounding. And those are called inversions, but Uncle Ben has that in another video, rock on Unc Eller!

[@mikebu01]

Great lesson, one thing I like to do with Drop D is play songs that aren't in Drop D and then adjust all the E string notes on the fly two steps up...

[@edwardglyons]

Wonderful! Thanks Ben.

[@mikeolsen9450]

Amazing video man thanks

[@pirri5512]

Another great informative video. Thanks Uncle Ben

[@natejackman7705]

Very helpful. Gonna try this in Open C.

[@ampersandmcvinegar5681]

Thanks so much, Uncle. I'm terrible coping with math. You make learning fun! 👍

[@DaveonDrums]

I know very little about theory, and this is the first video I've seen that was both interesting and helped it all make more sense. I loved the everlong reference. That was super helpful

[@mikedwiles]

Thanks Uncle Ben! You've inspired me to give drop D tuning a try.

[@alexiahuntermusic]

very helpful! thank you!

[@e_eulogy942]

I learned some new chords from this. Thanks.

[@mateuszbok4466]

Those minor and sus2 (or as I call them, 5-9) chords are THE reason to play drop tuning, great stuff :)

[@eddiecancelmusic]

This lesson is absolute gold!

[@BenEller]

Thank you!

[@kevinp_25]

This is great stuff. Maybe part 2 with 7th and 9th chords? The chords of modern prog? (Plini, Sithu Aye, Intervals, etc).

[@scottwheldon9992]

I learned a lot from this one. Thanks man.

[@ethanreed5815]

Learn the notes in any scale and just put your fingers on them till you find all the different chords. It’s lots of fun. For some reason I always gravitate towards 7sus4 chords.

[@jstrauss1927]

I love how that diminished chord sounds. And that’s what’s fundamentally wrong with me as a human.

[@Dicktoben]

Love how you mentioned silverchair Such a great band. Miss them a lot

[@t3hgir]

Awesome! I felt so silly messing around in Drop D and having a brain delay in visualizing scale shapes on the low D string with the other strings being tuned standard. Then I was like "DUH, its the same pattern as the other D string" which you and I hopefully already know lol.

[@papamurf7653]

Thank you!!🤘

[@N.E.U.R.O]

This just changed my understanding of music theory man, it makes a lot more sense now, it clicked

[@yohanonshine4664]

I love drop D tuning, I do a riff alternate picking lifting up the added note on the up stroke, so I can demolish in the back seat of a VW beetle if you know what I mean.

[@vicarious_cringe]

These types of in depth, useful videos are why you're my favorite KZbin uncle...

[@gunslinger80sguitars]

Great video thanks. Nice mallrats quote too

[@BenEller]

Haha glad you noticed!

[@sadhappy8860]

G: x D: 2 A: 3 D: 3 Is my favourite Drop D thing-a-ma-bob

[@BenEller]

1 5 7, kind of a major 7 vibe!

[@360.Tapestry]

i've been using these shapes. but i had no idea what they were. thanks

[@squidly2112]

I'm sick and tired of not having enough guitars for all the different tunings. I NEED MORE GUITARS!! .. pain in the rear to re-tune all the time.

[@brianbergmusic5288]

If you are stuck with a floating trem, you could try a tool call the Skyscraper. You can set intonation without loosening the string all the way. I use it all the time if I switch from Drop-D to E on my Charvel So-Cal. If you have the less expressive hardtail or ashtray bridge, then all you need is a tuner and MAYBE a thicker string.

[@aramaroian5831]

Thank you for the awesome lesson Ben! - I was actually considering going drop D for one of my things lately, mainly to rectify that mean stretch to the 9th. Also I think I've heard Plini talking about a similar concept - just taking your basic mom's basement chord progression, and embellishing it with spicier intervals.

[@jamesivoryasarella2109]

Thx u for the lesson bro. GBU

[@scottrichgolf]

I finally quit playing my drop tunings like a step dad!!! THANKS UNCLE BEN!!!

[@overthoughtmusik772]

Helmet is the first band I've thought of. They seem pretty based in that tuning but Paige Hamilton always finds some good fresh stuff to do with it.

[@sampeterson11]

Brother, I have been a drop D player from the very beginning… The first piece of music I ever learned on the guitar was, “Everlong.” And from there, I’ve been playing the different variance’s of drop D throughout my entire musical career. But I’ve never had anyone explain the drop D chord vocabulary in this manner. 👌 And I just wanted to say thank you!! Thank you very much, Ben!! This really helped me to visualize the theory behind the noises those “well-known” shapes make. I hope you are well, and still shredding my friend!!! 💪❤️‍🔥

[@superking208]

My favorite tuning is CGCFAD (if I just say "Drop C", some people will think I mean C Standard for some reason) and if you have a problem with that, take it up with Kurt Ballou!

[@cloneboy42]

Little known fact, he actually plays in CGCFG#C.

[@superking208]

@@cloneboy42 I responded earlier and my comment got deleted, I'm guessing because it had a URL in it. I found an interview that claims he uses CF#CF#CF# and calls it "open Slayer", neither of which checks out at all lol

[@louleone3447]

God damnit that Silverchair remark got me so good lmfao

[@gattigatozza]

You are once more confirmed as best guitar teacher on YT.

[@andrus108]

I liked your video, and I got my favourite number of 108!!! Also thanks for the lesson, was thinking of trying out a Drop D, but yeah, thought then if there's more than just power chords? It's as if the universe has heard my question, and you brought me the answer :-)

[@darrenwardell3079]

Brilliant. “ As uncomfortable as the back seat of a VW”🤘🏻

[@vonicrimson3619]

I like how you made a foo fighters song for the intro lol, I like how KZbin recommends me these videos like a year too late, like I already learned how to good at drop tuning and 7 string, I wish I saw these like like last year

[@KRayxKodessA]

THE DIMINISHED SWAP IS MY GO-TO! Wow, I never even realized WHY it sounded so good all these years... daaaaaaaaaaamn, I feel like a massive idiot.

[@AshleyRahnavardi]

you are an awesome guitar player!

[@noimspartacus4357]

Thanks, Nen.

[@rickrutledge7361]

Woohoo, Unkle Ben. Tasty video!

[@andreavezzoli2383]

Yellowcard has some really cool chords in drop especially in Southern Air and self titled album.

[@RobbieFitzgerald]

Funny that you mention Everlong. That was the first thing that came to mind because I heard you play that first chord. And Im also amused that you go back and forth between pizza and ice cream. Thanks Uncle Ben!

[@midomidomid]

17:43 Hey that sounds like "Where is my mind" by The Pixies! COOL!!

[@daviddrake9798]

You finally made an episode just for me brother!!!!! Now if I can stop from being so intimidated by David Davidson I might be able to learn something

[@dntinker]

I think I’ll be a patron supporter tomorrow. It is pay day.

[@BenEller]

Thanks Daniel! Looooots of exclusive goodies over there and a LOT of cool people.

[@dylank6191]

Drop D is stepdad stuff. My uncle and me only play in Drop C and lower. He also likes to drop my pants in front of my girlfriend.

[@BenEller]

That’s ok, all these shapes work in drop C too! Now let’s get that man a belt!

[@TheBfutgreg]

@@BenEller Or even better, some suspenders for some superior Granddad energy

[@timothyvaher2421]

Never trust a guitar player that wears both a belt And suspenders: If he can't trust his own pants?...

[@SamBrockmann]

You know what's really great? 1) These chords all work in Drop C. 2) The real step-dad stuff is playing in any tuning without a 7th string. Get an extended range guitar already, grandpa!

[@yourmomlovespenis]

😮

[@jconner3891]

Thanks 🙏

[@Rvezz28]

This is a f'n game changer

[@TwelveSticks]

How have I got this far without seeing that dim7 replacement thing before!? Nice!

[@aviolentpurple9925]

Dude you’re a great teacher

[@garrettpartain7771]

I guess I’ll be exploring drop D again soon! I feel silly not knowing some of this! Haha!

[@michaeledwards1097]

very cool !!

[@evilash570]

Helmut, Corrosion of Conformity, Alice n Chains, and Down put the “D” in drop D!

[@t3hgir]

Lamb of God has some great Drop D riffs too.

[@jeremyswalley8625]

Suspended chords do sound awesome!! I use A-D-A-D-G-B-E tuning omg the possibilities are amazing!!

[@DontJinxItYet]

there's a, band called loathe who uses a similar tuning to yours, they use E-A-E-A-D-F#-B, it has the double octave idea