Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

At The Back => Time Out => Topic started by: AndyR on December 26, 2010, 05:38:05 PM

Title: I've been messing with DADGAD!
Post by: AndyR on December 26, 2010, 05:38:05 PM
I know a lot of you metal guys are used to tunings other than EADGBE, but aside from "Hawaiian" (DGDGBD) for slide, I've always found alternate tunings something of a trial :lol:.

But I've been messing with the folkie DADGAD for a couple of months so that I could finally play a song I wrote back in 1994.

It took me three days to record (over half of which was vocals :roll:), but here it is on SoundClick: Elizabeth's Room (http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=10041971)

The guitars are a Freshman FA300D. Everything was recorded with a Rodes NT1000 condensor mic.
Title: Re: I've been messing with DADGAD!
Post by: WezV on December 26, 2010, 06:39:39 PM

that sounds pretty good - i like

i have been messing with c6th for lapsteel the last few weeks - but i think i prefer open E or D
Title: Re: I've been messing with DADGAD!
Post by: Elliot on December 26, 2010, 08:26:24 PM
Awesome!

Being a big fan of the late Davey Graham I used to play acoustic in DADGAD pretty much exclusively when I practiced regularly and I really miss it - After reading your post, I tried to play 'She moved through the Fair', the original DADGAD tune that Graham recorded after he worked out the tuning in Algeria, but I could hardly manage it - shame really as I had it nailed to a 'play in front of others' level a few years ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwVsLcawHwQ
Title: Re: I've been messing with DADGAD!
Post by: FernandoDuarte on December 26, 2010, 09:04:12 PM
Really cool Andy!
Title: Re: I've been messing with DADGAD!
Post by: Jonny on December 27, 2010, 12:32:29 AM
There's a good acoustic song from Chrono Trigger I think, that's the only time I've messed with a weird tuning. If it even is that tuning actually.
Title: Re: I've been messing with DADGAD!
Post by: 38thBeatle on December 27, 2010, 01:46:51 PM
Nice job Andy. That is a great tuning and I really ought to follow your example and explore a bit. Reminds me( your recording) of the early Rod Stewart albums ( when he was still good) and I mean that in a good way (for those who only know Roderick's "Do Ya think I'm Sexy" era  perambulations).
Title: Re: I've been messing with DADGAD!
Post by: AndyR on December 27, 2010, 02:43:44 PM
Thanks folks :D

I've just spent the last X hours struggling with a remaster. The one you've all heard so far was a "remaster", but it lacked the warmth of the original (in an attempt to bring out the backing vocals a bit better).

I've just replaced it with another that brings back some of the original's warmth but has a bit more top end... Out of the countless attempts so far, it's my favourite.

I'm gonna stop messing with it now. Partly because I'm waiting for an EDB (Electric Double Bass) that I've got on order. When I've learnt how to play the thing I might add a double-bass part and remix anyway :lol:
Title: Re: I've been messing with DADGAD!
Post by: roland_rat on December 27, 2010, 03:31:29 PM
Nice work Andy. Some nice  playing and good vocals to go with it.
Title: Re: I've been messing with DADGAD!
Post by: Ted 'N' Leo on December 27, 2010, 05:59:18 PM
I love DADGAD :). Used to use it a lot on my 12 string, gave it a great sound, might have to experiment with this again tonight!
Title: Re: I've been messing with DADGAD!
Post by: JDC on December 27, 2010, 06:49:37 PM
EADGBE is perfectly fine for metal... if you add a 7th string ;)

while we're on about weird tuning, I found a tuning the other day that's basically downtune a 6, then tune the 6th as if it was a 7th
Title: Re: I've been messing with DADGAD!
Post by: James C on December 28, 2010, 11:19:19 AM
Really cool song Andy! makes me think of Greg Lake's stuff.

 I like messing about with DADGAD and CGCFGC also tried GCGCFGC on my 7 String which was cool
Title: Re: I've been messing with DADGAD!
Post by: shobet on December 28, 2010, 04:29:25 PM
I have been playing around with DADF#AD on the tele of late, you can probably guess the band?
Title: Re: I've been messing with DADGAD!
Post by: AndyR on December 28, 2010, 04:45:00 PM
Er... actually I'm not sure... Elmore James, early Fleetwood Mac?...  Black Crowes... hmmm... it would be The Faces if it was me :D
Title: Re: I've been messing with DADGAD!
Post by: shobet on December 28, 2010, 05:33:10 PM
I've been on a bit of a Keef kick of late so it's been swinging between DADGAD & DADF#AD.
Title: Re: I've been messing with DADGAD!
Post by: choucas09 on December 29, 2010, 02:11:06 AM
I'm very impressed with your song Andy. My only stumblings into DADGAD territory was when I tried to learn this song. Unfortunately I ran out of steam. Bert Jansch recorded it 1965. I suspect Mr Page may have listened to it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkX7Q2J7k48
Title: Re: I've been messing with DADGAD!
Post by: badgermark on December 29, 2010, 01:47:18 PM
I love DADGAD. Most of my bands songs are in drop D, so opening up the bottom two strings to A and D gives a super lush sound when all 6 strings are played.

Play an octave chord at the 9th fret, the F# on the 5th string, and let the open low D, A and high D ring out. Tidy.
Title: Re: I've been messing with DADGAD!
Post by: Lezard on December 30, 2010, 12:20:41 PM
I've been attempting to work through one of Tony McManus' fingerstyle guitar DVDs
mainly does DADGAD and a few very strange tunings like DAAEAE, CGCGCD and CGDGCD for imitating bagpipes.
He's amazing!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLVsrlObxO8&feature=related
Title: Re: I've been messing with DADGAD!
Post by: Dr. Stein on December 30, 2010, 12:54:46 PM
Not a huge fan if I'm honest, but back when I was trying my hand at some Andy McKee acoustic stuff I spent some time in ECDGAD which is great. Nothing ever seems to sound wrong...
Title: Re: I've been messing with DADGAD!
Post by: MrBump on December 30, 2010, 10:17:11 PM
I like your song, Andy, but I struggle with alternative tunings.  Standard tuning is hard enough for me to get my megre brain around...
Title: Re: I've been messing with DADGAD!
Post by: Elliot on December 30, 2010, 10:47:24 PM
choucas09 no wonder you struggled to play it in DADGAD - Jansch plays Blackwaterside in simple drop D capo'ed at the second threat.  You can get the tab in Stephan Grossman's British Fingerstyle Guitar from Mel Bay.
Title: Re: I've been messing with DADGAD!
Post by: choucas09 on December 31, 2010, 05:25:23 PM
Elliot, just checked and you speak the truth. However the tab I had at the time was for DADGAD. It seemed to work as such, but I was too lazy to see it through.
Title: Re: I've been messing with DADGAD!
Post by: WezV on December 31, 2010, 05:34:34 PM
I like your song, Andy, but I struggle with alternative tunings.  Standard tuning is hard enough for me to get my megre brain around...

i got a copy of this ages ago
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alternate-Tunings-Compact-Reference-Library/dp/0825612519/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1293816534&sr=8-2

all it really does is tell you how to retune the guitar and gives some useful chords and scales for each tuning - it really easy to start messing with them.  just playing a few simple chords sounds refreshingly different

nice pdf here too which is much more in depth than that book
http://www.guitargearheads.com/content/tools/alttunings/alltunings.pdf
Title: Re: I've been messing with DADGAD!
Post by: Elliot on December 31, 2010, 09:41:40 PM
Choucas I should say that Jimmy Page plays Black Mountainside (he rip off of Jansch's Black Waterside) in DADGAD - Apparently he asked Al Stewart how Jansch played it at a session and Stewart had worked it out in DADGAD (believing that's how Jansch played it) - so Stewart taught it to Plaige, who then claimed the arrangement as his own by giving it a slightly different name!
Title: Re: I've been messing with DADGAD!
Post by: MrBump on December 31, 2010, 10:59:21 PM
I like your song, Andy, but I struggle with alternative tunings.  Standard tuning is hard enough for me to get my megre brain around...

i got a copy of this ages ago
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alternate-Tunings-Compact-Reference-Library/dp/0825612519/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1293816534&sr=8-2

all it really does is tell you how to retune the guitar and gives some useful chords and scales for each tuning - it really easy to start messing with them.  just playing a few simple chords sounds refreshingly different

nice pdf here too which is much more in depth than that book
http://www.guitargearheads.com/content/tools/alttunings/alltunings.pdf

Good stuff, Wez - I'll have a read.
Title: Re: I've been messing with DADGAD!
Post by: shobet on December 31, 2010, 11:11:59 PM
Nice link Wes, that will give me some interesting reading for next year.
Title: Re: I've been messing with DADGAD!
Post by: WezV on December 31, 2010, 11:28:22 PM
i found it earlier whilst looking for that book.  It has a mandoguitar tuning (for normal guitar)... i am going to have to see if that works on the mandoguitar i just made (in standard tuning) since it wont be picked up for another few months (and i may as well play)
Title: Re: I've been messing with DADGAD!
Post by: Andrew W on January 02, 2011, 11:55:26 PM
My acoustic guitar spends most of its time in DADGAD. If you're looking for another player who uses the tuning the amazing Pierre Bensusan is really worth a listen.