Open D tuning?

[markd21]

I'm trying something different. After 43 years of standard or drop D tuning I need something fresh. I use open G, but find myself doing Keith Richard's links. I don't want to play like Keith Richard's. I want to make pretty music.

Who uses open D, and what styles of music, besides blues, have you heard using that tuning?

Is there another to consider that would allow access to different "colors" on the guitar?

Thanks!!

 

[jak3af3r]

Not exactly open D but look at Joey Landreth. He does open C and doesn't fall into the idiomatic open tuning licks.

 

[Lewguitar]

I use open D a lot.

More than any other tuning on my acoustic guitars.

You ought to learn DADGAD too. Good for Celtic and Jimmy Page sounds.

Keith Richards and Robert Johnson both love open G. DGDGBD.

But Keith plays with five strings and leaves off the low D string.

When you get a feel for it, try open D minor: DADFAD. It's sad. But cool.

 

[alantig]

Check out Michael Hedges - an absolute master at using alternate tunings to bring out different things. Stropes Music has a tunings database for Hedges and some other artists - https://tunings.stropes.com/. If nothing else, you should get plenty of ideas from there.

I've started to play more and more with alternate tunings - actual alternate tunings, and "virtual" using capos to create open chord sounds while keeping standard tuning. The Spider capo is great for that.

 

[Bogner]

I Am Still Trying To Actually Tune My Guitar And Play In Tune...

 

[Lewguitar]

Joni Mitchell is my favorite acoustic guitarist. Don’t think there’s anyone who’s done more with open tunings and I love the sound she gets.

 

[Longneck Tenon]

Open D is my go-to tuning for slide. Check out Rick Derringer’s wicked slide work on “Show Biz Kids” by Steely Dan.

 

[alantig]

Joni Mitchell is my favorite acoustic guitarist. Don’t think there’s anyone who’s done more with open tunings and I love the sound she gets.

Hedges was a huge Joni fan. My buddy still cringes at one interview where Hedges flipped on the radio, found a live Joni show being broadcast, grabbed a tape of one of his own live shows and recorded her show over his.

 

[Moondog Wily]

Have you thought about trying slack key stuff and it's tunings? I would say that qualifies as pretty music most of the time! Here is a list from Wikipedia of the most common tunings:

Tuning	Notes used
G Major or Taro Patch	D G D G B D​
G Wahine	D G D F♯ B D​
D Wahine	D A D F♯ A C♯​
Open D	D A D F♯ A D​
C Major or Atta's C	C G E G C E​
Mauna Loa	C G E G A E​
C Wahine or Leonard's C	C G D G B D​
C 6	C G C G A E​
Old Mauna Loa	C G C G A D​
Open C	C G C E G C​
F Wahine	C F C G C E​
Open F	C F C F A C​
Double Slack F	C F C E A C​

Considering my new obsession with Travis Picking, I am considering learning some slack key stuff myself!