Slide Guitar Secrets: Transform Your Playing

This article was originally posted on the S&R Blog.

Ah, open tunings – my favorite way to create a new riff or song when I am in a rut. Alternative tunings are one of the easiest ways to breakout out of writer’s block and come up with something new. Open tunings differ from alternative tunings – such as Eb standard or drop d tuning – as these tunings create a chord when strummed with no frets pressed. There are 4 common open chords – open G, open A, open E, and open D. However, you can have an open tuning for any chord. I like to use open C for slide.

So how do you tune the guitar? I will go into depth on the ones I mentioned above but in a nutshell, you tune your guitar to the notes of the chord. As we know from our basic theory knowledge, a chord (and in this case a major chord) is composed of the root, third and fifth. Use the cowboy chords as your guide of how to tune each note.

These tunings can be used to play guitar like normal, but also make playing slide guitar easier for the beginner.

OPEN G:

1. How to tune your guitar (low to high): D-G-D-G-B-D

2. Used well for a blues, folk or rock n roll setting

3. Sounds good with low to moderate distortion

4. Key Tracks:

5. Start Me Up – The Rolling Stones

6. Daughter – Pearl Jam

7. For the Roses – Joni Mitchell

OPEN A:

1. How to tune your guitar (low to high): E-A-C♯-E-A-E

2. Used well for a rock n roll setting

3. Sounds good with moderate distortion

4. Key Tracks:

5. In My Time of Dying – Led Zeppelin

6. Seven Nation Army – The White Stripes

OPEN E:

1. How to tune your guitar (low to high): E-B-E-G♯-B-E

2. Used well in any situation

3. Sounds good with any tone

4. Key Tracks:

5. Statesboro Blues – Allman Brothers Band

6. Gimme Shelter – The Rolling Stones

7. She Talks to Angel’s – The Black Crowes

8. Its So Easy – Guns N Roses

OPEN D:

1. How to tune your guitar (low to high): D-A-D-F♯-A-D

2. Used well in most situations, especially rock and country

3. Sounds good with a light to heavy distorted tone or acoustic guitar

4. Key Tracks:

5. The Cave – Mumford & Sons

6. Even Flow – Pearl Jam

7. Little Martha – Allman Brothers Band

Open C:

1. How to tune your guitar (low to high): C-G-C-G-C-E

2. Used well with a slide for blues

3. Sounds good with light to moderate distortion

4. Key Tracks:

5. Old Friend – Derek Trucks & Warren Haynes

Going back and forth between these tunings can be tedious. Many progressional players have multiple guitars for each of the alternative tunings they play in. But if your like most who are on a budget and can’t buy a guitar for every tuning, I recommend a guitar with robot tuning such as this Gibson Les Paul if you plan on changing tunings often. Or for those that don’t want to buy a whole new guitar, check out these robot tuners by Tronical you can add to your guitar. They come in a variety of styles to match any guitar  

Let us know below what your favorite tuning is? If you are ever stuck in a rut or want to try something new out, try an alternative tuning!

Until next time, let the music play!