Open D tuning

Open D tuning.

Open D tuning is an open tuning for the acoustic or electric guitar. The open string notes in this tuning are: D A D F♯ A D. It uses the three notes that form the triad of a D major chord: D, the root note; A, the perfect fifth; and F♯, the major third. The six guitar strings, from lowest pitch to highest, are tuned as follows: D A D F♯ A D.^[1]

In this tuning, when the guitar is strummed without fretting any of the strings, a D major chord is sounded. This means that any major chord can be easily created using one finger, fretting all the strings at once (also known as barring); for example, fretting all the strings at the second fret will produce an E major, at the third fret an F major, and so on up the neck.

Open D tuning is very popular with slide guitar (or 'bottleneck') players, as it allows them to play complete chords using the slide. This tuning is also used in regular (non-slide) guitar playing. The full and vibrant sound it produces - particularly on an acoustic guitar - also makes it ideal for fingerstyle playing.

Many new chord shapes and sounds are available with open D tuning. It can offer a strong compositional element that produces tonal qualities markedly different from standard tuning. The full range of major and minor chords, with all their extensions, are available to the player. Many well-known guitarists have used this tuning at some point in their career. For example, Bob Dylan's album Blood on the Tracks was first recorded entirely in open D tuning. Neil Young, Richie Havens, Joni Mitchell, Bruce Cockburn, Barry Gibb, and Jason Swain have all released recordings featuring this tuning as well. Elmore James used this tuning heavily. Stone Gossard from Pearl Jam uses this tuning when playing the rhythm guitar on "Even Flow" and "Oceans", from their Ten album. Mumford & Sons also uses this tuning on their tracks "The Cave", "Awake My Soul" and "Roll Away Your Stone" from their album Sigh No More. Needtobreathe used it on some of their songs, most notably "Something Beautiful" from The Outsiders.

Variations

D-A-D-F♯-A-C♯, Open Dmaj7 tuning

This variant is achieved lowering the high D string a half step to C♯ when tuned to open D. C♯ is the major seventh of the D major scale, hence the name. It also can be used for both fingerstyle and slide guitar work.

D-A-D-F-A-D, Open Dm tuning

This variant uses an F natural, the minor third.

An early use of open Dm tuning in popular American music was by bluesman Skip James on his singles "Devil Got My Woman" and "Hard Time Killing Floor Blues" in the 1930s, facilitating his intricate, fingerpicked style. More recently, Niko Wenner of Oxbow used the tuning on the songs "Angel," "Cat and Mouse," and others. DADFAD was later employed by David Eugene Edwards during his time in 16 Horsepower almost exclusive of other tunings, and often with fingerpicking and/or a metal slide to create a diminished, haunted sound. Among many others, the tuning has also been used as well by Ian Thornley of Big Wreck on "Ladylike" and "Overemphasizing."

D-A-D-F-A-E, Open Dm9 tuning

This tuning was used by the progressive metal band Opeth on their album Ghost Reveries.

D-A-D-A-D-D

This variant, called the "Open D5 tuning", was used by Mark Tremonti of Alter Bridge and Creed. Three of the songs in which it is used are "My Sacrifice", "Ghost of Days Gone By"(half-step down), and "Open Your Eyes" as well as in "Rain" and "Away in Silence", both tuned down 1 and a half steps (BF#BF#BB). Mark has mentioned in his instructional DVD that this tuning is one of his favorites because of its simplicity. It is also used by the Goo Goo Dolls in their song "Black Balloon", which was tuned down a half step on the album but played live in Open D5. "Without You" and "Emotion Sickness" by Australian band Silverchair also uses the Open D5 tuning but down half a step. Fair to Midland use this tuning tuned down 1 full step (CGCGCC) and 1 1/2 steps (BF#BF#BB).

D-A-D-A-A-D

This tuning was used by Dave Wakeling of The Beat (known in North America as The English Beat) on the track "Save It For Later" from Special Beat Service.^[2] It was also used by Alex Lifeson of Canadian rock band Rush on the track Hope from Snakes & Arrows.

References

1. ^ "Alternate Tuning Guide - Open D Tuning - D A D F♯ A D". http://guitar.about.com/library/bltuningdadfsharpad.htm. ^{[unreliable source?]}
2. ^ Dave Wakeling tuning his guitar on 94.9 FM. Accessed 2010-04-15.

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