Solved Fingerstyle songs in open tuning?

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danny.guitar

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I've been messing around a little more in open tunings, and want some good songs to learn.

I'm in open D right now but can use my capo to change keys.

Can anyone recommend some good tunes to learn?
 
I don't know if you're a fan of Richard Thompson or not, but for my money he is one of the best exponents of the fingerstyle/open tuning combination.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF61W7SGNxU

Although Rory Gallagher was pretty handy too. Here's Leadbelly's 'Out on the Western Plain.'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKv8KajGMpI

Finally, pretty much all of Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks album is in open E, and, although he strums most of it, you could easily work out nice fingerstyle arrangements of Tangled up in Blue, Shelter from the Storm and a couple of others.
 
First one looks impossible to figure out. :p

2nd one, is that in open tuning? :confused: Seems like standard.

I might check out some of those Dylan songs though, thanks.
 
Much of the acoustic stuff on Led Zep III was in various tunings.
 
danny.guitar said:
First one looks impossible to figure out. :p

2nd one, is that in open tuning? :confused: Seems like standard.

I might check out some of those Dylan songs though, thanks.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the first one has been annoying me for years. The second one is in DADGAD.
 
How about Nick Drake? His songs vary from simple to difficult, but most of the difficulty is in the picking hand since the tunings he uses make the fretting hand's job easier.

http://www.algonet.se/~iguana/DRAKE/NDtabs2.html

I'm particularly fond of the songs on "Pink Moon". I don't think I'll ever get the hang of "Road". There's a weird little timing glitch that he pulls off effortlessly but I could never get it to come out smoothly.
 
Ok y'all, the guy said fingerstyle songs in open tuning.

Try Michael Hedges: Aerial Boundaries, Eleven Small Roaches, and Lenono are accessible.

Also, Leo Kottke: Jack Fig
 
Patrick Simmons from the Doobie Brothers did Black Water. D-modal tuning (DADGBD) Stephen Stills does a lot in D-modal also. Cost of Freedom is one. I like messing around with The End by the Doors. I know, these are all classic rock, but I haven't heard any recent songs in d-modal.

Then there's one of my songs. Perhaps the easiest song to play ever... d-modal, all notes are played on the middle D-string starting at F#. Sorry if this is a shameless plug. :o It's kind of Nick Drake-ish

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=5996541

Cheers,
 
"The Badger" - Tea Party

Best song ever in open D.

But also, make up your own... it's easy, I do it all the time..
 
Edit: Didn't notice the open D tuning the first read though. I'm more into DADGAD.
 
Last edited:
Just to clarify...

Open D, to me, is DADF#AD - is that what we're all talking about here?
 
Armistice said:
Just to clarify...

Open D, to me, is DADF#AD - is that what we're all talking about here?
Click to expand...

Yeah that's open D tuning.

DADGAD is tuned exactly the way it's spelled. Just one note different from open D.
 
danny.guitar said:
First one looks impossible to figure out. :p

2nd one, is that in open tuning? :confused: Seems like standard.

I might check out some of those Dylan songs though, thanks.
Click to expand...


I have never seen anyone replicate what Thompson does on his more difficult songs. I did figure out Persuasion, but it's still not like Richard's.
 
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