Hello everyone,
You probably haven't heard anything from me in the past 6 months because I WAS struggling with my playing. And playing in Drop-D was the cause of my depression and stagnation.
I started out playing in Drop-D cause it was easy. Within a year I hit a wall and could only play TOOL, Nirvana, Marilyn Manson and songs that are played in Drop-D. I didn't learn any chords, barre chords or other styles cause I thought I could get away with only playing in Drop-D. Boy was I wrong!!!
After a while, I wanted to play "Happier" music that sounded bright and more guitar-like, instead of the grumbly dark music I had been playing in Drop-D. I found that I couldn't! Not only couldn't I even imagine how to play other music, I simply couldnt!!
My fingers had become weak and my callouses disappeared because I was only using the side and bottom of my index and ring fingers to do drop-d bar-chords. I had to start all over again from the beginning and learn to play in standard tuning. I threw away all the papers and notes I had on playing in drop-d and set my heart on learning to play in standard.
In two short months, my callouses have come back three times as thick as they were before, I cam play all of the major and minor chords in standard tuning, I can play the major and minor barre chords in the different shapes (A-shape, E-shape, D-shape, G-shape, C-shape, 7th shape), and I am learning the different jazz shapes (VERY HARD).
There is so much limitation in playing in Drop-D. I wish I would have listened to the wise people here on Chordie 2 years ago when I started playing. I thought that I was doing the right thing back then and I want to say sorry to anyone that I railed against when I thought Drop-D was the best thing since sliced bread. I realize now that Drop-D has it's place in music, but it's not where I want to go right now.
I love the full sound of barre chords and open chords, they are what my heart has been longing for and heres the best thing.........should I feel the need for that grumbly dark sound, I can just do POWER CHORDS!!! They sound the same and now that my left hand is so much stronger from doing barre chords, regular power chords are SOOO EASY NOW!!! I always wondered how Billy Joe from Green Day played power chords so easily when he could have just done em in Drop-D but I realize that doing a standard power chord allows for much more flexibility and ease than trying to do em in Drop-D.
For Example....you're doing a G-Power Chord based on the 6th string and you want to go to a C-power Chord. All you have to do is drop that same shape one string down to the 5th string and VIOLA....you have your C-Power Chord!!! It's so much easier than trying to go from a 1-finger bar in drop-D to the split shape you would have to perform to do the C-Power chord on the 5th string.
I'm absolutely loving standard tuning. I can only say that I wish I had listened to you all so long ago. I've gone about this totally backwards...
But i'm happy to be where I should now...
sincerely,
Dm
