The Power and Possibility of Open and Alternate Tunings

Dave Hunter | 11.25.2008

Great guitarists have often gotten themselves heard by busting out past the norms, and one way to do this involves looking past "standard tuning" (EADGBE) to explore alternate and open tunings. These tunings, which include some time-tested along with some more radical and original configurations, have helped plenty of great artists stand out from the crowd over the years, and can be a quick way for new players to catch the ears of their listeners too. Frequently, alternate tunings provide easier access to unusual melodic structures or self-accompanied parts that can be extremely difficult to achieve in standard tuning. As such they are real attention grabbers, and have contributed to making a number of major rock, blues, jazz, and country hits over the years-many of which you might not have realized were accomplished in anything other than good old standard tuning, until you tried to play them.

Here are a few examples of the power and possibility of open and alternate tunings.

	Robert Johnson "Come On In My Kitchen" - Open A, with capo on first "Cross Road Blues" - Open A, with capo on second fret "Walkin' Blues" - Open A, with capo on second fret "Love In Vain" - Open G "Hellhound On My Trail" - E B G E B E Listen to a sample: This text is replaced by the Flash movie. Buy: iTunes | Amazon
	Muddy Waters "Can't Be Satisfied" - Open G "Rollin' and Tumblin'" - Open G Listen to a sample: This text is replaced by the Flash movie. Buy: iTunes | Amazon
	Led Zeppelin "Kashmir" - DADGAD "Bron-Y-Aur" - CACGCE "The Rain Song" - DGCGCD "When the Levee Breaks" - CFCFAC "Friends" and "That s the Way" -- CGCGCE "Black Mountain Side" - BADGAD "In My Time of Dying" - DGDGBD "Going to California" - Drop D Listen to a sample: This text is replaced by the Flash movie. Buy: iTunes | Amazon
	Albert King "Born Under A Bad Sign" - CFCFAD or CBEGBE "Don't Throw Your Love On Me So Strong" - CFCFAD or CBEGBE Listen to a sample: This text is replaced by the Flash movie. Buy: iTunes | Amazon
	The Rolling Stones "Honky Tonk Woman" - Open G "Brown Sugar" - Open G "Tumbling Dice" - Open G, with capo on fourth "Street Fighting Man" - Open D "Start Me Up" - DGDGBD "You Can't Always Get What You Want" - Open E, with capo on eighth Listen to a sample: This text is replaced by the Flash movie. Buy: iTunes | Amazon
	Eric Clapton "Rollin' and Tumblin'" - DGDGBD "Running On Faith" - DGDGBD "Motherless Child" - DGDGBD Listen to a sample: This text is replaced by the Flash movie. Buy: iTunes | Amazon
	George Thorogood "Move It On Over" - Open G "Bad to the Bone" - Open G Listen to a sample: This text is replaced by the Flash movie. Buy: iTunes | Amazon
	The Black Crowes "Twice as Hard - Open G "She Talks to Angels " - Open D Listen to a sample: This text is replaced by the Flash movie. Buy: iTunes | Amazon
	Jimi Hendrix "Hey Joe" - Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb "Little Wing" - Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb "Voodoo Child" - Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb Listen to a sample: This text is replaced by the Flash movie. Buy: iTunes | Amazon
	The Replacements "Sixteen Blue" - Open E, with capo on third "Answering Machine" - Open A, with capo on second "Valentine" - Open G "Merry Go Round" - Open E   Listen to a sample: This text is replaced by the Flash movie. Buy: iTunes | Amazon
	Joni Mitchell "The Circle Game" - DGDGBD "Little Green" - DGDGBD Listen to a sample: This text is replaced by the Flash movie. Buy: iTunes | Amazon
	Son Volt "Driving The View" - CGCGCD "Carry You Down" - DGDGBC Listen to a sample: This text is replaced by the Flash movie. Buy: iTunes | Amazon
	Soundgarden "Burden In My Hand" - CGCGGE "Pretty Noose" - CGCGGE Listen to a sample: This text is replaced by the Flash movie. Buy: iTunes | Amazon
	Metallica "Invisible Kid" - G# C# F# B D# G# "St. Anger" - CGCFAG Listen to a sample: This text is replaced by the Flash movie. Buy: iTunes | Amazon
	Neil Young "Cinnamon Girl" - Double Drop-D "Ride My Llama" - Double Drop-D "War Of Man" - Double Drop-D Listen to a sample: This text is replaced by the Flash movie. Buy: iTunes | Amazon
	Bob Dylan "Meet Me in the Morning" - Open E "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" - Drop C, with capo on fourth Listen to a sample: This text is replaced by the Flash movie. Buy: iTunes | Amazon
Other Songs:	Drop-D - DADGBE "Can't Find My Way Home" - Blind Faith "Mobile" - the Who "Dear Prudence" - The Beatles Double Drop-D - DADGBD "Black Water" - Doobie Brothers "Ohio" - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young "You Don't Have to Cry" - Crosby, Stills & Nash Open G - DGDGBD "Easy to Slip" - Little Feat "Squeezebox" - the Who "Fearless" - Pink Floyd "Twice As Hard" GGDGBD "Daughter" - Pearl Jam