Play Most Any Song in Open D Tuning | Tom Strahle | Pro Guitar Secrets

[@drSUPERGREG]

I will be 73 next month and started playing guitar when I was about 16. I would like to think that I am fairly competent but this lesson has just shown me how artists play chords that I couldn't even think about. I have lost many decades without knowing open D tuning and although I have no idea how many, if any decades I have left, they will include this tuning and these chords into much of my playing. I will also share this lesson with my 16 year old granddaughter who has been playing guitar for 2 years now-( I haven't seen MY Ibanez electric for some months now) Her playing blows me away and she is not daunted by anything. if she wants to play Nirvana or Stone Roses, she looks up the tabs or a video and the next thing I know, she can play it! Many thanks for your excellent tutorial and I will look up many others as I have subscribed. Regards from Cheshire, England.

[@seenonyt2210]

So nice that your granddaughter is also playing and that you share this hobby. How's it been going with Open D for you? I have just started out on it but haven't gotten the hang of it yet

[@Jadeddoxy]

Hope things go well for you man

[@Gang-zy7lq]

Brilliant

[@JetWintzer]

Stone Roses! She has excellent taste Grandpa. You've taught her well👍

[@lewiepostalone8776]

From nottingham england. Keep it up. Im 28 and 12 years into my guitar adventures. Ill try make up for your lost time and practice an extra 10 minutes a day in open D. May peace be upon you my english friend.

[@gabrieljuarez1000]

I’ve been playing for 11 years. And this just brought a new light to my life with guitar. Thank you!

[@TomStrahle]

Thanks Gabriel!

[@martyrsofsound]

Thank you. I’ve been struggling with open D and feeling limited in what I could do with it but I love the sound so much I kept looking for help. Thank you. Your way of teaching made it all finally make sense finally. In minutes I figured out how to play one of my favorite cover songs in D tuning and the new voicing is so beautiful it’s mind blowing. Thanks again. I’m going to check out your other videos

[@normandtherien9835]

Your lesson in open tunings is so awesome..im 64 and been playin a while,,but fooled around with open tunings ,,but now youve shown me in such an easy way the chords which i couldn't find..god bless you Tom...

[@tomkeefe2051]

Your video made my day.I've been playing guitar for over 50yrs and I'm always trying to push myself to learn something different, I've been playing around with open tunings and I've found it can really unlock your creativity. Your video helped me to understand the fundamentals of putting together open tuning chords to play any song. Thank you very much, you're a really good teacher.

[@kheetaimvithaya8330]

Thanks a lot++++

[@bryanmannoia8410]

very well taught, thank you. I have been playing in open tunings for 30 years and never even thought to transcribe a song into an open tuning that wasn't already written that way. what a great idea!

[@johndurning6609]

The best ever for me .I am 73yrs++++and fluttering (Scottish word) since aged 11yrs and yes I play lots of instruments and love them all but open D and G via your vidios just make the best of my 7 decades.You encapsulate all my forlorn hopes and give me a goal I can yet achieve! Ta again.p.j.

[@rvermilye]

John Durning was

[@joepancari3842]

Go you man, you’re awesome keep it up

[@walterkersting1362]

In my country, to flutter is to pass gas...

[@philliparmstrong776]

I wrote a song for my wife in this tuning but didn't know what the tuning was until i found your channel. Thanks! I called it These things I'll remember i posted it to you tube...

[@peterhinman]

This is either my first or second anniversary, maybe it's my first, to celebrate my desire learn how to play the instrument(guitar) as a music student and all enlightening stuff. You Tube and you teachers have made it funnnn and exciting and rewarding, and from browsing others' remarks, I think this is definitely the collective seekers sentiment of enjoyment, learning,inspiration, challenge from your learned contributions. Just wanted to applaud and thank you for your good teachings. Like a few of the others I am a little older than most.I'll be 77 in November, have had a stringed instrument since a teenager, but it never occurred to me to take it up seriously, on account of a lack of self confidence. Anyway, much thanks and appreciation for your genuine efforts to bring musical knowledge , skill, and confidence to a lot of happy folks.... Peace.😅

[@secretlifeist]

Never knew anything about open d tuning till now, great tutorial, thanks Tom

[@TheMisterMonkeyman]

Another great video. I've been playing guitar for way more years than I'd like to admit, and just recently got into using open tunings for playing and writing songs. One of your DADGAD videos helped to spark this new slant in my musical life. And now that I've been messing with open D, of course I find another of your informative and easy to follow videos. Thank you again. It's fun to have a newfound musical avenue to pursue. Keep up the great work. Peace.

[@GaryBook]

TheMisterMonkeyman Try Open G as Keith Richard uses.

[@ericbarrett3874]

​@@GaryBook yep

[@scottburns2345]

The more time I spend with Tom's lessons, well. . . it just seems like home! thanks for leaving the light on Tom!

[@colindeer9657]

Secrets of open tuning. Thank you. Much appreciated your teaching style and your help. Like another subscriber, this has been something I’ve always wanted to try and get my head around. Cheers.

[@christopheranderson1968]

I've been looking for a video on chords in open D for a couple of days. There are a few, but there's a problem with all of them. This is the first one that is really good and shows the strings and frets you should be playing.

[@roberthutfliess2015]

Thank you Tom....I love this style because it opens up your ability to play many songs so freely and with a big sound!

[@kschwendt]

Thanks for the help. I love Open D. This is just what I was looking for.

[@mwj5368]

Hi Tom! So nice of you to enlighten so many! I was fortunate to discover you several years ago. I first discovered open D DADF#AD but being 69 my vocal range is getting less but with more practice I think I can keep it up. I changed to open C with CGCEGC or the same as open D but a whole step down so the same chord shapes and have written about 7 original songs and three covers for my channel with more to come and have used an F, E, and C harmonicas with my songs so far, so this tuning has been a miracle and easier on my arthritic hands. Also working in open tunings for me it's like having a different instrument, quite an experience! I read Joni Mitchell worked in 44 different open tunings! I love your videos, thanks for your magnanimous deed! I've bookmarked your videos too and go back to them you're so talented and informative!

[@sam-jams6689]

Thanks a lot, you've given me hours of fun to look forward to! I've never really wished my acoustic was a cut away until now haha

[@Nomadahtous]

Thank you for your tutorials, it helps me immensely to watch how you are tuning and chords… been somewhat a struggle for me learning the open and drop down tunings but I’m getting it

[@richardpowell3259]

I played right with you following the chords you had on the screen. Great job. I'm really going to mess with this open D tuning. Thanks so much. You explained it so good even I could understand it . Thanks again..

[@cashflashtrash]

thank you so much! i have been looking for an easier-for-me-to-understand tutorial on open D tuning for forever! also, i love how you strum so hard. i play my dobro the same way because i am committed! haha! 😂

[@gregorylumpkin2128]

Cool man! Great timing, I just found this after tuning to open D for the first time and scratching me old head a lot...although I did figure out some of what you just did. But this is a great help. Thanks so much!!!

[@banacek60chord43]

Great lesson, thanks. Open tuning has always baffled me until now, [only been playing 50+years] So many wonderful sharers on the web! One comment/observation, beautiful Taylor guitar but I have noticed when I've had access to these high end [higher end than mine anyway] guitars, if you get too 'fierce' with them, when unplugged, they tend to shut down. I have cheaper. low end guitars that will stand a bit of 'bashing', try a Yamaha F or FG for a better reproduction when not amplified. For so long, I had no access to amplification but performed truly unplugged and noticed this phenomenon, when sitting between several thousand £'s worth of Taylors and both players were really impressed with the sound of my old Yamaha F310 ! It's true: money can't buy you love. Thanks again for the tutorial.

[@danphipps615]

Yeah..... This open chord playing is really cool. Thanks Tom.

[@alvinleedham2873]

Thank you for a greT lesson. I listened and watched you video on 7 bits of advice for older beginners. I'm not exactly a true beginner. I started plying for real when I was a boy of 14. But I had to give it up until much later ln life. Thanks again for th wonderful lesson.Alvin.

[@davidbrock4104]

I've watched this video several times & as a beginning player it's a lot of fun.

[@QuikdethDeviantart]

How do you feel now that you’re two years in...?

[@peterrabbit469]

this is smiple and flexible!! totally usuable.thank you!

[@GaryBook]

The beauty of Open D is it tuned down and doesn’t stress the neck. Put a capo on second fret to replicate Open E. Dylan did many of the songs on Blood on the Tracks in Open D.

[@richardpowell3259]

I'm putting the capo on right now. thank you !

[@timjamesash]

Hi tom, this is a fantastic video, thank you much for the time and effort. I've been playing guitar for just under 30 years - always loved messing around with open tunings but beyond following tabs for specific songs from the web, I lacked certain knowledge. You just gave me that knowledge!! Great work, thanks again. Tim.

[@Archtops]

Wow! Excellent! Liked and subbed.

[@BlueSun4886]

I will be 77 this April & started playing acoustic blues guitar since 12 in 1960, when I hocked my clarinet (I played classical clarinet from first grade) for an acoustic Harmony flattop. I later found out that the school owned the clarinet & have been paying off new guitars ever since. I got my first GOOD electric in early 64. It was a 64 sunburst Fender Stratocaster (along with a 64 Twin Reverb amp!!!) with my early professional earnings. I still have the guitar, case & all the trimmings down to the allen wrench for the truss rod & the strap & cleaning cloth - I'll only sell it if I live long enough to run out of retirement money, since I just saw one like mine auctioned off for $40,000 ;). It cost me about $300 + $50 for the case! Look up KZbin videos on open G as well, since you just have to transpose every chord & riff down one string, and it plays the same forms. Keith Richards plays most of his Rolling Stones riffs in open G (D-G-D-G-B-D). Since he doesn't think he needs the bass D, as his root note is the G on the 5th string (x-G-D-G-B-D), he has cut the 6th (bass E) string off his 53 Tele instead of detuning it to D. I like to keep my lower D so I can walk the bass of my V chord (D or some variant like D7) back up to G to resolve it. Many of Richards' signature flourishes & chord variants are surprisingly easy to learn & you can learn to play many of his songs easily in G, where they would be neigh onto impossible to play in standard. Note, Richards does not use a pick on many of his open songs. Most open chord tuning songs are MUCH more interesting & flexible for fingerpicking, not flatpicking on both acoustics AND electrics. It also makes "relative modal" playing easier by picking something other than the first note of the scale as your root (relative modal keeps the same key, but alters the root note. In "relative modal", the key stays the same, but the root note changes, so in the C scale, Dorian mode would start with a D. Only intervals change as you use a different root note for your scale, but you stay in the same key. In "parallel modal." the root note stays the same, but the KEY is the one that changes. So that, using the root C in Ionian (C major) becomes Dorian if you use the C root in the key in parallel Dorian, your E becomes Eb and your B becomes Bb. Same root, different key (Bb major key with a C root). If you learn enough open tunings (there are minor versions - flatted 6th note in diatonic makes it minor, for example - modal, aug, sus, pentatonic, Celtic DADGAD and endless other tunings) it is an excellent excuse to placate your spouse who questions why you think you need so many guitars. "But, honey, it's a pain to keep retuning - and weakening on the strings, nut, & bridge. I NEED separate guitars for my open tunings!" It even works sometimes.

[@skyejohnson4285]

Wow I have been searching all day for a decent guitar tutorial and you are an incredible teacher! Will definitely be checking out the rest of your videos! Thank you so much please keep making videos!

[@scarecrow3432000]

Excellent lesson. I just started on slide using open d. This lesson is just what I need. Thank you!

[@kaonohijeremiah8549]

thanks alot Tom. Enjoying my new way of musical expression

[@irenecohen332]

Thanks so much for this. I want to learn to play in open D tuning to sing some old Joni Mitchell songs (and to accommodate my now older hands and shoulders) so this is great. I have a 1967 Gibson acoustic.

[@gzackerman]

Glad you demonstrated All My Loving! That’s the song that made me a music fan because of The Ed Sullivan Show!

[@samakin4896]

This was truly helpful and very easy to follow. Thanks!

[@vinceh5163]

You are an outstanding teacher man ,well thought out lesson and descriptive notes.

[@tangobayus]

Absolutely. Once you find the starting note a lot of things fall into place very easily. I have a list of hundreds of songs I can play this way.

[@TomStrahle]

Very cool. It's fun and different sounding.

[@Naafun]

Awesome video, thank you. Nice to see a player strumming hard like I do.

[@paradisestrings1654]

I loved the love yourself part it was awesome!!

[@Anybloke]

Thanks Tom. I've been playing since 1981 and thanks to you, I've finally figured out how to play Heartsong by Gordon Giltrap.

[@TomStrahle]

Awesome. I don't know that song, but I'll have to check it out.

[@nickwilkins9729]

This is a fantastic video - thank you so much, Tom! I've had so much fun with this tuning since you explained everything so clearly. You are a great teacher with a really easy style. I'm in my 60s and using open D [and open E with a capo] has made playing easy again!

[@kkorter83]

This vid was well worth the watch. I feel like open D makes more sense to me and I can improve more fluidly. Thanks for the key to unlocking open D... (pun intended)

[@roninson7375]

Terrific information! Well done. Thank You.

[@mire1390]

I can see you feel it, the live you have for the guitar so you know it very well. 👏👏 loves this lesson !

[@johnrobinson756]

Only one word to describe this EXCELLENT !!!!!

[@ResoluteGryphon]

Been jamming out for the last half hour, playing The World I Know by Collective Soul using this technique. Thanks!

[@tilitila88]

Dude, you opened up my world.Thanks so much!!!

[@TomStrahle]

That's awesome!

[@guibox3]

Trying to work on my own finge rstyle arrangement of 'The Water is Wide'. DADGAD wasn't working for me so I thought that open D would be a good key. Never really played in it too much so this video gives me some good chord structures as my foundation! Thanks!

[@brackenquinton2955]

Glad you're back!! Love the vids!

[@TomStrahle]

Thanks, I had to grow a beard first.

[@russstillwell3379]

Tom....loved your video on open D. I would like you to try what I have been doing for years: remove the 4th string, D, and move the 5th string, A, to the 4th string’s position. This leaves you with a tuning of : DAF#AD , a 5 string guitar now, with a nice separation between the bottom two strings that really helps me play alternate thumb picking. Plus, as you’ll discover, it greatly simplifies those chords you just showed us on this video. I believe this would be a great way to start an older student such as myself (74) who is just starting to play. I have been playing since a teenager, but now I just want to sit around and sing the old songs....mostly finger style and easy rhythm. This makes guitar playing easy on the fingers and wrist......and lets those open D sounds ring on forever. Thanks again.....and who knows, could be another follow up video on open D. Russ Stillwell

[@TomStrahle]

Hmmmmm, interesting. Many of the Rolling Stone songs has Keith Richards playing guitars strung up with just 5 string in open G. GDGBD. Many of the classics can only be played that way.

[@russstillwell3379]

Thanks again.......I had never seen anyone else with a 5 string set up this way, and was beginning to think I had invented something......oh well I like it.

[@asselpunk1]

Wow cool thanks for that inspiration. *D_AF#AD*. So next time I got some guitar with a broken D-String, will give it a try. So basic scale chords triads will be like this: D 0_0000 em 2_2100, f#m 4_4300 G 5_5500 A ...and so on. (with A and D more or less ringing on top) Is that good like that? Or do ya have some other recommendation for the fingering.

[@Oooo-bi7bi]

Just found your channel. Many years later. Looks interesting and helpful. Thanks.

[@bogabild]

Thanks Tom, this is very useful. You are a great teacher

[@shravankulkarniarchive]

Precisely explained and easy to follow - great video!

[@MisterstereoOso]

🇬🇧77 year old beginner says thank you verily my friend, you are an awesome teacher !!!

[@olderwizard]

Brilliant lesson. Thanks for your time and skill.

[@dillipphunbar7924]

thank you...very helpful as I was getting stuck in a rut with standard tuning

[@TomStrahle]

Awesome! Thanks for watching!

[@gerhardfoiner1839]

Hi Tom, many thanks to your help ! Greetings from Linz/austria

[@TomStrahle]

We loved Vienna Austria when we visited in 2007. Beautiful country full of wonderful people.

[@JoeyDaytonaaa]

Good lesson. About half of Mumford & Sons songs off their first two albums are in either open D or E for anyone who wants some songs to learn that are native to those tunings.

[@TomStrahle]

I didn't know that. I generally like Mumford and some of the sons.

[@ournewlifeonmadeira]

Really cool lesson for open d tuning... we left a sub for you 😀

[@dt1mdlara]

Unbelievable! There's more to it than it seems!

[@Sol0iste]

This is super, I had to go away for a few days so I could hit the chord shapes with reasonable confidence and accuracy, then come back and follow what Tom is teaching, and it is brill. Thank you very much indeed

[@ericksondeleon9259]

Thank you so much.. Learning new chords in open d chord❤️

[@TomStrahle]

You are very welcome. Thanks for watching!

[@colindeer9657]

Great to revisit. Many thanks.

[@tangobayus]

And if you have a tune in minor key F is right there at the 3rd fret of the 4th string. I only play this tuning these days and you can play pop, classical, jazz, blues, anything. You can transcribe onto tab.

[@russstanziale3375]

Loved this video. Thanks for producing such great content.

[@patrickdarby-sheehan5368]

What the...amazing. I'm trying this. Thank you.

[@maelyschloe9057]

Thank you so much for this video! It's perfectly explained

[@muzic4lyfe2005]

i love this tuning....very beautiful

[@davewellings6210]

I have a hand injury, open D lets me play using one finger, full Barre chords. Wish I could make chord shapes, but I can still play with this tuning. If I can play with one finger, anyone with full hand dexterity could learn to play very quickly.

[@TomStrahle]

God bless you man.

[@deetee5156]

Just discovered open d. lots of playing to do

[@fretkillrfan]

Beautifully done, Tom. 🙏

[@EM-df6mo]

This is very interesting. Thanks can't wait to try it.

[@patriciamartindale-loranger]

Thanks for this video. I look forward to trying this out.

[@TomStrahle]

Thanks Corley!

[@colindeer9657]

That was very inspirational for a 68 year old that needed YOU for a shout. ( to get the lead out ) 😁😎

[@jasonbossardt9453]

Great inspiring video!

[@rzambory2938]

Well Done. Thank You Tom.

[@mzmudy]

Great demo and lesson! Fun variety of songs, thanks for sharing! You may as well sing more...

[@TomStrahle]

haha, thanks Mark. I use to sing a lot. Led worship at several churches every weekend in the 90's and early 2000's. But I am way out of shape right now.

[@johnpavan4881]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge 🙂

[@StevieRich]

Excellent teacher Tom

[@Tom_Hanson_Live]

Love...love...love this. I'm going to work on this right now 👍

[@TomStrahle]

Awesome. Have fun and thanks for watching!

[@TeriScheinzeit]

Excellent video! Could you make a video of Everly Brother songs using open tuning? i understand they used open tuning a lot. Many thanks!

[@danieldufeu7375]

Hello Tom. Thank you so much for this. Great way of adding real interest and depth to tunes either solo or playing with mates, particularly finger-style although your strumming ideas are fun too. Your teaching style, enthusiasm and knowledge are amongst the very best on the tube. I highly recommend your open G tuning ideas and open d shapes videos too. How about a video on open fingerstyle ideas and melody possibilites?

[@TomStrahle]

Thanks so much Daniel. This means a lot to me. Let me think about that fingerstyle lesson idea.

[@andreberquo]

Excellent. Thx and best regards from Brazil

[@TomStrahle]

Thank you and my best to you there!

[@frankiecheung3506]

this lesson is so useful, awesome!

[@TomStrahle]

I’m so glad. Thanks for watching.

[@Mio-fu1sr]

inspirational videos you make,that's nice

[@clutchfloyd1716]

Wow - great tutorial on open D. Thanks!

[@TomStrahle]

Thank you so much. Thanks for watching.

[@visual33]

Thank you very much, Tom a great lesson.

[@TomStrahle]

Thanks for watching!

[@jamesmonahanmusic]

Wonderful video. I am your newest subscriber.

[@awjfagan]

Great video Tom, thanks a lot, thought provoking

[@haguitar]

Thank you very much！i like the special tunning voice sounds！God bless u 😛😋

[@TomStrahle]

You are very welcome!

[@bgriderbandofficial9733]

Eyesight to the blind Tom! - I tried to get to play 'All My Loving' 30 years ago on electric guitar and just couldn't get the right sound - Now, thanks to you I know why! Excellent tuition video my friend! Jules

[@knuckle47]

Tom, very enjoyable and melodic

[@jethreymonroe4119]

Great video! Very useful and interesting!

[@MatsLindgrenMusic]

I've found that the open D tuning really helps me in my songwriting, since I'm really limited to just the basic chords (unless I want to get creative in my fingering).xD Since I don't really get the F#m feel from the F#m chord (because of the open bottom string), what I like to do is to play it like a D/F# chord (4-5-0-3-0-0) and use it pretty exclusively as a transition to the G chord. Likewise with the 11th chord (11-12-x-10-0-0) to turn it into like an A/C# chord. Only requires a tiny adjustment of the ring finger to do, and I like the effect of it. ^_^

[@TomStrahle]

Great help!

[@willywhite492]

totally loving this

[@dominiqueduho1783]

superbe video bien expliquer bravo et merci pour le partage.

[@vinceh5163]

So awesome I learn so much in so little time wow!

[@アンサオサンマ-p7b]

Very nice big brother. Brother how we we arrange fingerstyle in open tunings, nxt lesson brother.