• From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Topic: ABOUT DROP D

Dear colleague Jerome
When we speak or read about FINGER PICKING, we almost encounter the fact that most finger pickers are playing in open tuning.
My question is:
1) Is this really THE BEST way to play that style (my style is more picking with a plectrum.?
2) WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A DROP D and a normal OPEN D?
3) Does drop G, C, E.. exist too?

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  • From: A black hole in deep space
  • Registered: 2007-10-28
  • Posts: 7,863

Re: ABOUT DROP D

Doc jerome will give you an answer im sure but let me try to explain
most fingerpickin is not done in open tunnings altho some of it can be
the best way to play fingerpicking style is by fingerpicking it                                             
drop d is tunning the low E down to D for a fuller sound and strum all 6 strings or fingerpick them
you can tune your guitar to any major or minor chord variation and use a slide or bar all six strings if you choose smile

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Russell_Harding's Website

  • Registered: 2007-04-25
  • Posts: 551

Re: ABOUT DROP D

Most of my acoustic playing is done fingerstyle, and I love playing in drop-D.  Fingerstyle allows you to get so much more out of the chords or notes you play than using a pick does, like only playing certain notes together, harmonics mixed with bass notes, etc.  From what I've heard, usually open tunigs are especially suited for slide playing, although I do know of some fingerstyle songs in open D, and acutally "Heartache Tonight" by the Eagles and "Start Me Up" by the Stones are in open G I believe.  One of my favorite fingerstyle tunings to use on acoustic is where I drop the low E string down to an A, a full octave below the A 5th string.  This allows me to get some really cool piano-esque notes into my chords.

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06sc500's Website

  • From: Bellevue, WA
  • Registered: 2006-06-15
  • Posts: 3,336

Re: ABOUT DROP D

Actually Russel, I think you're better qualified to answer that one.  There are a whole lot of alternate tunings you can play with, but mine is all done with standard tuning.

I do love drop D, though.  Especially with a slide.

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