Composing in open tunings: DADGAD, open G and open D

Changing tuning means changing instruments. The shapes your fingers know no longer work: you have to listen, search, and that is exactly what gives birth to new ideas. The open strings sound as a chord, ring sympathetically and provide permanent drones. Many guitarist-composers built their style on this: John Fahey and the "American Primitive" players in open D and open G, Davey Graham, who popularised DADGAD in Britain in the early 1960s, Pierre Bensusan and the whole Celtic guitar scene, Nick Drake or Joni Mitchell with dozens of personal tunings.

1. Three tunings, three characters

Tune with the tuner (Tuning menu: "DADGAD", "Open G", "Open D").

2. A few starting shapes

For a minor chord in open G, lower the note on string 2 by one fret (it carries the third); in open D, string 3 carries the third.

3. Composer's strategies

• The moving shape over open strings: slide a small two-finger shape along the neck while the open strings keep ringing. Each position creates a new rich chord, with rubbing seconds that sound like a harp.
• Melody over a drone: compose a melody on strings 1 and 2 over an open bass; accept passing dissonances, they are part of the colour.
• Zones of the neck: in an open tuning, a simple barre gives I (fret 0), IV (5) and V (7). A piece can be built as a journey between these zones.
• The tuning as a signature: many composers associate a tuning with a mood. Keep a notebook: tuning, shape found, impression.

4. An air in DADGAD

A little tune in three time, in the spirit of Celtic airs: the open bass on the first beat, the melody on string 1, and the open strings 2 and 3 ringing between the notes.

M:3/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=84
K:D clef=treble-8
"D"[D,d]2 G e [Af]2 | "G"[G,Dg]2 G f [Ae]2 | "A7sus4"[A,d]2 A e [Ad]2 | "D"[D,A,FAd]6 |]

d |-0--------2--4----|-5--------4--2----|-0--------2--0----|-0----------------|
A |-------------0----|-------------0----|-------------0----|-0----------------|
G |-------0----------|-------0----------|-------2----------|------------------|
D |------------------|------------------|------------------|-4----------------|
A |------------------|-5----------------|-0----------------|-0----------------|
D |-0----------------|-5----------------|------------------|-0----------------|

5. An alternating bass in open G

The thumb alternates between string 5 (G) and string 4 (D); the melody is played on the treble strings. For IV and V, a barre at fret 5 then 7: the same hand, moved along.

M:4/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=96
K:G clef=treble-8
"G"[G,B] d [De] d [G,B] A [DG]2 | "C"[Ce] g [Ga] g [Ce] c [Ge]2 | "D"[Da] f [Ad] f [Da] g [Af]2 | "G"[G,d]2 [DB]2 [D,G,DGBd]4 |]

d |----0--2--0-------------|----5--7--5-------------|-7-----------7--5-------|-0-----------0----------|
B |-0-----------0----------|-5-----------5-----5----|----7-----7--------7----|-------0-----0----------|
G |----------------2--0----|----------------5-------|-------7----------------|-------------0----------|
D |-------0-----------0----|-------5-----------5----|-------7-----------7----|-------0-----0----------|
G |-0-----------0----------|-5-----------5----------|-7-----------7----------|-0-----------0----------|
D |------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|-------------0----------|

The staves show the real pitch (written an octave up, like all guitar music); the tabs are in the tuning shown.

Your workshop

1. Tune to DADGAD. For ten minutes, explore without method, letting the open strings ring; record everything.
2. Keep two ideas: a "moving shape" and a little melody on string 1.
3. Build an A – B – A form: A on the open chord (D), B in another zone (G at fret 5, or A at fret 7), then back.
4. Write the score in the ABC editor (clef=treble-8), with the tuning as a subtitle (T:Tuning DADGAD), and keep the tab in your notebook.
5. Bonus: move the same piece to open D and compare the colours.

Self-check: would your piece sound just as good in standard tuning? If so, you have not yet exploited the open tuning: look for what only it allows (drones, unisons, resonance).