Exploring DADGAD Tuning for Guitar

Let's explore DADGAD tuning.

http://guitarteacher.wordpress.com/2009/01/08/kashmir-dadgad-tuning/

http://hspeek.home.xs4all.nl/dadgad/examples.html

http://www.guitarlessonworld.com/lessons/dadgad.htm

http://www.guitarchordsmagic.com/guitar-chord-finder.html

http://www.celticguitarmusic.com/dadgad.htm

http://mystro2b.edublogs.org/category/dadgad/

http://www.thebradyacademyofmusic.com/blog/2011/06/26/DADGAD-chord-chart-PDF.aspx

The Awesome (Ambient) Music of Andrew Stephen Othling

For fans of ambient, ethereal and textural instrumental guitar music, Andrew Stephen Othling is a great find. What I really love about his work is that he preforms these live.

Here is a link to his YouTube channel with a lot of great videos: 
http://www.youtube.com/user/tubescreamer

Here's one to get started.

Some great Websites to Help with Music Theory and Songwriting

These are two websites I'll be referencing a lot. The first of which is an awesome site with a great chord and scale finder. What I really like about this particular tool is that you can easily changing the tuning of the guitar and this utility shows you the new scale and chord voicings for that tuning.

Guitar Chords Magic - Guitar Chords Finder.

Here is a D Major Chord in Standard Tuning EADGBE.

Here is a D Major Chord in Open G Tuning DGDGBD.

How this has really been helpful to me as a novice guitar player is helping to learn the scales of the key I am playing in, which brings me to my next goto website.

Bob Craypoe's Dr.Psychotic, Strike A Chord.

Here specifically I'm looking at Bob's overview Chords in the Key Of G Major. Below you can see how Bob breaks down the Key of G Major and the chords in it!

So, now I take the Chords in the Key of G Major, pick two and practice to come up with a simple rhythm track. In the example above, I've chosen the chords A Minor and D Major (these are two of the primary chords used in the song "In God's Country" by U2).

Once I've got that recorded I go back to Guitar Chords Magic - Guitar Chords Finder. I now select the scale of G Major to see what notes I can play as a solo or melody on top of the Amin/Dmaj rhythm part I just played and looped. I can play any of the notes on the fretboard below and be "in tune" with the rhythm part I just played of the two chords Dmaj and Amin.

And so finally, I'll copy and paste the Scale from Guitar Chords Magic into the Chord Sheet from Bob Craypoe for a one page "cheat sheet" for playing in the Key of G major.

The result of this exercise is the song in the Soundcloud and YouTube links below, "Manhattan Sunset." In another post I'll discuss the production of the song (such as it is).

It's Not Cheating, It's Music...

I've always found it interesting this idea of "cheating" in music. The idea that there's one way to do things and if you don't do it that way, you are are cheating. I understand this if one is to be a conservatory trained professional musician. There should be standards and there is a right way of doing things. This should be celebrated.

However, there is another reality, that has it's origins in the DIY and Punk movements. Just go for it, make some beautiful noise. Have a humble beginning. I've always been a fan of Brian Eno's non-judgmental approach to music. I've read quotes of him saying that he's not a "musician" but rather an audio experimentalist. I like that. It's liberating.

The reason I bring this up is there are many different ways to approach music. Not all of us are going to be gifted players. Some of us need all the help we can get the squeeze what talent we have from our fingertips. Therefore, I don't really believe in musical cheating. It's music. We all have limitations.

To this degree, and reference again back to Brian Eno I believe there is an Oblique Strategy card that states something to the effect of, "Honor thy mistake as hidden intention." I'll take that a step farther and say, "Honor thy limitations as deliberate intention." This is liberating. Work aggressively within your limitations.

I say use the tools available. Modern computers make it possible to record in short pieces. Some argue this makes us lazy, and as much as that may be true, it also makes us inventive (hopefully). But more so than the aid of modern technology, I say reduce the infinite possibilities to only recording on 8 tracks. Use that limitation to force growth in other areas. Danish filmmaker Lars Von Trier created an entire cinematic movement by enforcing creative limitations with his Dogme 95 Rules.

As a beginning guitar player making liberal use of alternate tunings, capo's, and other tools can aid in the enjoyment of making music while possessing modest skills. From modest foundation of these tools we can build a greater understanding and enjoyment of music itself.

So as I write more posts I'll be making note of these tools. Mostly these are my discoveries, on my journey of playing and recording. Maybe they will be of some use to you as well in demystifying your own learning process.