Why Drop D Is The BEST Guitar Tuning For Alt-Rock guitar!

Have you been looking for the best and easiest guitar tuning for Alt - Rock/Grunge style guitar. Well I think drop D is still one of the best tunings out there. Today we're looking at why I think Drop D is such a good tuning and still my absolute go to tuning when writing and playing new chord progressions. Despite it not being the most interesting or niche tuning out there.
As always Expect to hear cool sounds, barely adequate riffs and terrible jokes.
But most of all expect all things that make noises. x
You can watch some of my other videos here:
• 90's Alt-Rock/Grunge G...
• The SECRETS To Pedalbo...
• The ESSENTIAL Five Gui...
• The GREATEST Distortio...
Also, here's a link to my band to see this stuff in action:
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[@ScottMcdonaldMusic]

Neil Young’s harvest moon introduced me to a huge world of drop d. I realized it doesn’t have to be all heavy and distorted.

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

One of the greatest!

[@huwwebb8059]

Same song for me 👍🏼

[@BellsCuriosityShop]

Cinnamon Girl for me. I started playing about 87 and dug Double-Dropped-D about a year later.

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

My band actually has a song about Neil youngs ‘cinnamon girl’ being stuck on loop on an old cd player.

[@DrowseProductions]

His tuning DADGBD was more inspired by Folk music. First song to use Drop D for it's lower and darker tone is probably She's So Heavy by the Beatles. The final segment of the song has John playing a distorted riff in Drop D to add another layer of heaviness to the song.

[@fulviodimarco]

If I had an alternative/shoegaze band I would use DADGAD which gives you the same heavier strings as the Drop D but also some open D beautifulness in the skinnier ones

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

Yes! DADGAD is awesome. I’d never used it much before but actually there’s a video I just edited (coming in 2 weeks) playing some Shoegazy stuff in that tuning.

[@PhilipMurrayDesign]

Sounding fantastic Dan - so dynamic when you flick from edge of break up tone to full fuzz in that drop D tuning - love it.

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

Thanks mate!

[@blpaul3]

Thanks for another great tutorial. Going to tune my Squier Jazzmaster hardtail to Drop D and experiment. I was playing along with last weeks video this week and having a blast! Cheers mate!!

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

That’s awesome mate. I love the look of some of the squier jazz masters!

[@Parariddle]

Thank you Dan, I love Drop D and I LOVE WALTZER so super pleased that you showed the riff off!

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

Thanks so much Toby!

[@theshimmeringcarnelians]

4:20 that riff sounds great with the Plumes. Thanks also for letting us hear it with the Big Muff. Drop D seems to be a natural fit with the Muff.

[@grimlyfiendish7474]

Dude…..as a 49 year old post-punk grunge era dad and grandfather we REALLY need to discuss your definition of Dad Rock……Dad Rock is Freebird or Sweet Home Alabama of anything AC/DC not things reminiscent of The Cure or Joy Division ( I refuse to admit the changing of generations damn it!) 😂 Love Drop D though. Spot on with the BEST tuning. Love the channel! Keep them coming!

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

Haha thanks so much! Really glad you’re enjoying the channel. Ahh I get it haha. Definitely no shade on the dads 😂 I reckon it’s mainly that kick snare beat from the logic drummer haha. But you are right. Ultimate dad rock is definitely lynard skynard.

[@jacobmiller4577]

Dope vid!

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

Thanks mate!

[@TheBlackham]

Nice one man

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

Cheers mate!

[@corporaterobotslave400]

I've recorded some of my favorite songs in drop D. Then I started playing doom metal and went to drop B for a long time. But now I'm picking up some of my older songs so I'm back to drop D, and it seems to fit my vocal range much better.

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

It's an awesome tuning mate!

[@mycawild]

This video is really great to show that drop d is more than mindless power chords Thank you and great video ♥

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

100%. For me I just feel like i play more naturally in that tuning.

[@jgoney]

Your Waltzer riff reminds me of Shatter by Liz Phair for some reason, I can't quite put my finger on why. Also, I bought a Plumes because of you, it sounds so good!

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

I don’t know that song! I’ll check it out. 👌 Ahh that’s awesome. It’s an amazing pedal isn’t it

[@jgoney]

​@@thesethingsmakenoises You should! It's from her Exile on Guyville album, which is a stone-cold classic 5-star record. Do consider giving it a spin next time you're looking for something new to listen to. It's not as heavy as some of the other stuff you talk about on here, but I think you might like it nonetheless. She's a brilliant songwriter. It's one of my 5 desert island albums. Speaking of which, what would be your 5 desert island albums if you had to choose?

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

Ok awesome I’ll take a listen when making food tonight. Hmm it changes all the time, but currently Id probably go: The National - High Violet Radiohead - Inrainbows or Ok Computer Blur -13 Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream Turnstile - Glow On Maybe not as heavy as you’d think!? Currently that’s closely followed by the new Boy Genius and Wunderhorse records

[@joesmith908]

Awesome! I love drop d flat as a tuning haha. It’s what heart shaped box is in 😊

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

Yeah me too, I use that tuning loads!

[@joesmith908]

@@thesethingsmakenoises Awesome!

[@smoshbooz]

Drop C# is the best

[@Kulturmatt]

How come no link to October Drift in your show notes? Got there via you mentioning Waltzer. Nice track. Looking forward to giving the new album a listen this week.

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

Ahh apologies. I thought I’d added it! Thanks so much for checking it out 🤘

[@stuartchapman5171]

I cant play, but I use my old Teisco for slide and bow sound design. I love drop D with a Big Muffwith light gain or an overdrive and a spring reverb. I sounds so coherent, like you dont seem to get any disonant sounds.

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

That sounds absolutely awesome!

[@stuartchapman5171]

I've just seen your DADGAD video, that's actually the turning I use. Not being a guitarist, just being a noise monkey I didn't know the difference. I'm going to have to try this now. Being as I don't play or know music, I think DADGAD will sound better in my hands.

[@AMurder0fCrows]

Nearly all my guitars are set up for 1/2 step down thanks to heavy Nirvana and Alice in Chains influence, so when I drop it tends to be drop C#. A good compromise for me between standard and drop C. One of the most interesting findings I had was popping a capo at the 2 on standard to try out one of my songs in F#. I really REALLY liked it, but couldn't find anything else I liked in that regularly enough to justify using it more often. Outside of pumpkins songs (where 1/2 step down sounds kind of "off" to me, even when not trying to play along with anything or anyone else), I basically live in 1/2 step down.

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

Ahh that’s really interesting. Yeah I use drop c# a lot too! But that’s cool that you always just stay half a step down. I also like to play with tuning differently and putting capos on like you said as it tends to give different sounds because of different tensions on the strings!

[@dylanmonaghan7623]

I love the droning style riffs i play that style so much and it definitely gets alot of shit but fuck em you know, you do you man. Much love Dylan Portland OR

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

Definitely mate!!

[@dylanmonaghan7623]

@@thesethingsmakenoises do you think i could bounce some demos off you to get your opinion

[@abvk4875]

soundgarden got me addicted to drop d and open c, it used to be a half step down for me lol

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

Heck yeah! 🤘

[@logan..6681]

Is your band October drift?? i just recently got into your channel and had no idea, if so love you guys your music is great

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

Yeah! Thanks so much! 🤘

[@Revtheoryhellyeah]

Keep it up Dan! - Aidan

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

Thanks mate!

[@denverrandy7143]

What is your band?I really enjoy your playing and wanna check y'all out.👍

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

Thanks so much. It’s called October Drift!

[@denverrandy7143]

@@thesethingsmakenoises Awesome and thank you.👍

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

✌️

[@earh0xable]

Big fan of drop C

[@keenantroll5151]

There are tons of other really cool movable voicings in drop tuning when you extend the power chords further into higher strings! 00022X - M7 no 3rd 00222X - M9 no 3rd 002222 - M11 no 3rd 013XXX - M6 (maj in first inversion) 0103XX - M6 no 5th 024XXX - m6 0204XX - m6 no 5th getting into emo territory!

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

🤘🤘 awesome shout! Way better music theory than me too haha

[@comunidadeclimax3809]

Amazing tone and great lesson.

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

Thanks so much.

[@Durkhead]

Your fav riff sounds like filter's take my picture

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

What an awesome band!

[@connorjones312]

Drop D sounds great i use it all the time but Drop C#?? 🤤

[@BellsCuriosityShop]

I remember forgetting to retune my guitar to standard during band practise and wondering why everything was so disonant

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

The amount of times I’ve gone to play a song live in standard after playing in drop d and it’s sounded pretty ‘fruity’ for the intro is embarrassing 😳

[@BellsCuriosityShop]

@@thesethingsmakenoises it's the oddest thing - sounds normal but not... I guess it sounds fine in some ways because it's basically a "flat7" note, but the "not" is due to it in the bass. Reminded me of Sonic Youth occasionally.

[@Huw_Evans]

what tuning is airborne panic attack in ??

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

That’s in drop c mate. ‘CGC’ I embarrassingly don’t even play anything other than those three strings in the whole song haha.

[@xDTHx]

Just wnated to say, those are minor add 7 chords. Not sus 2. Its the everlomg chord.

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

Are they really? Hell no! I’ve been doing it all wrong haha. Thank you!

[@xDTHx]

@@thesethingsmakenoises yeah, not a problem, if you want to play sus 2 chords look at black hole sun. Sus 2 chords are still a very alt rock thing!

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

Great tune! I do think they are the same though in ever long as you’re just playing the route the 5th and then the suspended 2nd? There’s no minor third in the chord?

[@xDTHx]

@@thesethingsmakenoises I apologize I meant major 7. Idk it's hard to say because it does ommit a lot of chord information, but functionally I think they're major 7ths?

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

Perhaps it’s because it’s just off a power chord that makes it harder to tell? But you could be right for sure!

[@zombielynx21]

If it's good enough for Adam Jones, it's good enough for me bth.

[@danielg2946]

Soundgarden!!

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

Hell yeah! 🤘

[@dariagodina]

Ah! Stole my thunder here 8:24 PS Waltzer is 💔🩹🙏🕊️✨

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

Haha! Thanks Daria!

[@al271987]

So “dad rock” is just playing something that kinda sounds like Abandonded Pools mixed with the Smashing Pumpkins?

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

Hahaha! I’m sorry.

[@stuartchapman5171]

You were hard on yourself laughing at one finger bar chords. The guitarist in Crass and several other punk axe folk only ever did that. If you haven't checked their music then Penis Envy is often considered a master peice. Well ahead of its time.

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

Thanks! Ahh awesome I’ll check it out!

[@smoshbooz]

A big reason why I'm tuned to drop D is because that's what Spiderland was written in. The riffs are awesome and not your standard drop D bollocks

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

I need to properly listen to that album!

[@smoshbooz]

@@thesethingsmakenoises it's really good! It might not be everyone's cup of tea but the riffs at least are creative and effective. Nosferatu Man is really hard, groovy, and fun to play

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

I’ll get on it!

[@siempreesmedianoche]

i am around drop d, DADABE, DADAAD, DADAF#E on my current band

[@thesethingsmakenoises]

Some epic tunings for me to mess about with there!

[@funhousebaby3104]

Shhhhhhhhh I've got a whole set tjned to dadaad! Haha