The Open-D Tuning Guitar Spot

Guitar Open Tuning Explorations – Open D and Open G

One of the most pleasant surprises a guitarist discovers once immersed in open-D and open-G tuning is their similarity. This might sound a bit strange, considering the disparity of the two guitar tunings in interval. Incredibly, though, once you’ve got one, the other is well in reach. Following is an exploration, with a few examples, the close relationship of open-D tuning and open-G tuning. Both tunings are widely known, particularly as blues or roots tunings. Open-D in particular is frequently cited as a fine alternate tuning for acoustic guitar. I thought I would discuss the useful relationships found within open-D and open-G, which seem to make them not-so-distant guitar tuning cousins.

I took the “open-D first” path to find my way in open G. Let's take a look at some mechanics of open-D first.

Open-D tuning allows you to play a complete triad with an octave with no string manipulation. That is, you can play D major chord with no finger to fret. The four high strings on the guitar in open position are D F# A D. Similarly, major chords are formed up the fretboard of the guitar using one finger on the same four strings. Two frets up, or a whole tone, for example, becomes an E-major chord; three frets up is an F-major; and so on, up to the twelfth fret which once again, as the octave, becomes D-major.

In open-G tuning, you still have a major triad, but only three notes worth, on your high strings, G B D. This note relationship also continues up the fretboard, second fret becoming A-major, third fret Bb-major and so on. The octave appears, once again, at the twelfth fret, or G, for a G-major.

Once I started to find my way around in open-D tuning, exploration in open-G yielded some incredible similarities. Before you discover anything, however, you have to find where the two tunings coincide. That's where the relationship (and the fun) begins.

Taking our starting point open-D again, and working up the fretboard five frets brings you to G major. The triad, using the four highest strings of the guitar, is G B D G. Here is the coincidental meeting point of open-D and open-G tuning. That G B D is identical to the open-G starting position – G B D. You literally have open-G tuning at your fingertips, while in open-D!

Whatever licks and patterns you develop at this point, fifth fret, in open-D, using those three notes - G B D - you can translate them to open-G tuning, on the three high strings which are exactly the same – G B D.

Here's a practical scenario: If you were on stage for instance, and you needed open-G tuning for a song, changing guitars, or even re-tuning would become unnecessary. You could simply make the fifth-fret barre chord your starting G-major, or capo on the fifth fret to get that same G-major starting point. Even letting the high G ring isn’t a problem; it’s part of the chord.

Similarly, and this is where can become really useful, the same rule applies up the fretboard. Your second-fret A chord in open-G can be exactly translated on the seventh-fret A in open-D tuning. In short, anything you play on your middle strings in open-D (D F# A) can be replicated exactly, five frets up on the three high strings in open-G.

One classic example of a riff that springs from this relationship is the Rolling Stones’ Live With Me, (live version from the Get Yer Yayas Out album). The main riff is a manipulation of A major and open-G major (Keith Richards' adopted tuning of preference, at least in that era). In the song, the riff starts on the A-G lick and then morphs to a similar D-C riff on seventh and fifth frets. The whole thing can be re-produced, to great effect, in open-D tuning, starting on frets seven and five (A and G) and then jumping to the twelve and ten frets (D and D) – an exact replication. Learning one tuning gives you a door-in to another tuning.

When I surf different sites looking for references to alternate guitar tunings, I often find that alternate guitar tunings are mentioned within the context of acoustic guitar. Notice that the example I provide for comparing open-D to open-G tuning is a killer, classic electric guitar riff. Electric guitar players (as well as acoustic) stand to benefit a great deal by becoming familiar with some of these excellent alternatives.

I heavily promote the versatility of open-D tuning for guitar (the raison d'etre for the blog). This is another facet of it – learn one, and another opens its doors to you. My path was open-D first. I don’t think it matters which end you start at, though. I was drawn to the open-D tuning because it gave the complete four-note chord up front. But for any open-G players out there, flip over to open-D and explore the similarities (and the differences!) of two great alternate guitar tunings.