4 Alternate Guitar Tunings for Beginners

4 Alternate Guitar Tunings for Beginners Maile Proctor Whether you just started guitar lessons or youve been playing for a while, you may be itching to learn some new songs and take on some new challenges. You might be wondering: where can I go from here? Thats where alternate guitar tunings come in! With this guide from Michael L., youll learn how alternate guitar tunings can take your playing to the next level One of the amazing things about the guitar is its versatility. Not only can you play rhythm and/or melody in different genres, but you can also change the tuning (or the key) to create different atmospheres. Heres the deal: Not all songs are written to be played in standard E-A-D-G-B-E tuning, so if you want to expand your range as a guitarist, you need to learn play some alternate guitar tunings. Alternate guitar tunings, or open tunings, allow you to play new songs and explore new music styles. Essentially, alternate guitar tunings will expand your range and skill set. If the only alternate tuning you know is  Drop D tuning, then this tutorial will introduce you to some new concepts. We will focus on  three open  tunings: Open G, DADGAD, and Open D. Alternate Guitar Tunings for Beginners Drop D Tuning You may already be familiar with  drop D tuning:  Take your low E string and tune it down a whole step to D. In this tuning, you can play power chords by barring the low three strings. Drop D tuning is usually  associated with metal music, but you can also play other songs like  the Foo Fighters Everlong and I Might Be Wrong by Radiohead. Open G Tuning Open G tuning requires three strings to change notes. Tune the E strings down a whole step to D, and the A string down a whole step to G. Now when you strum the guitar, youll  play a G chord. This tuning makes the guitar resemble a banjo, except with  a banjo, the low G string is a high G string and the low D is not there. You can play some banjo songs in this tuning, substituting the high G with the low G offers a new sound on some traditional banjo songs. I primarily use this tuning for blues, folk, bluegrass, and rock, but Im sure you can find other genres to play in this tuning. A couple of songs that use this tuning are Poor Black Mattie by R.L Burnside and Death Letter by Son House (or covered by White Stripes). The beauty of open G tuning  is that you can strum the bottom five strings together and play a melody with any of the strings as long as the note is in the key G. You can also get any major chord you like if you barre the fretboard on the corresponding right fret (the chord is based off the notes on the G strings). If you want a minor chord, barre the fret but play a half-step lower, on the B string. Alternating between the low G and D strings gives you fun bass lines, too. If you would like to learn more chord shapes simply look online for banjo chord chart and apply those shapes to the guitar in this tuning. DAGAD Tuning DADGAD is very similar to open G.  For this tuning, just tune the fifth  string back up to A and the B string to A. This tuning opens the door for some really neat sounding modal music. You can play folk music, like Paul Simons version of Scarborough Fair and Armistice Day, some rock music like Led Zeppelins Kashmir, or even nu-metal like Slipknots Circle. Open D Tuning Open D tuning requires four strings to change notes. Tune the E strings down to D, the G string to F#, and the B string to A. Now, when you strum the guitar, youll get a D chord. Again, I mostly use this tuning for rural music (blues, country, bluegrass, ragtime, etc.) This tuning is also my favorite to  play the slide guitar. Go ahead and  strum steadily on the low D string while playing melody notes on the high D and A strings, and tell me thats not one of the most sultry sounds youve heard! A couple of my favorite songs in open D are Blind Willie McTell by Statesboro Blues and Bob Dylans Corina, Corina. As with open G, you can find any major chord by barring the corresponding fret (the chord is based off the note on the D strings). If you want a minor chord, play a half-step down on the F# string. Here are a couple of open D chords, besides barre chords, to get you started. G7 A7 3 2 2 0 1 1 0 2 2 0 0 2 I hope this gives you some new ideas on how to approach the guitar. Have fun with these alternate guitar tunings. They changed the way I think of guitar and I hope they do  the same for  you, especially if youre a fan of delta blues and folk music! If you need help with any of  these alternate guitar tunings, ask your guitar teacher to go over them during your next lesson! Want to ramp up your guitar skills at home? Try one of our free online group classes!   Post Author:  Michael  L. Michael teaches ukulele, guitar, drums, and music theory in Austin, TX. He studied music theory and vocal performance at the Florence University of the Arts in Italy. In addition to private lessons, Michael teaches music to special education students in Austin public schools and foster children with Kids in a New Groove.  Learn more about Michael here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher