| Author |
Topic: Looking for open "D" licks |
Bruce Hilton
From:
Berwick, Maine, USA
|
Posted 17 Mar 2012 10:41 am |
|
| Any good sources of instruction for swampy blues licks for open D lap steel? |
|
|
 |
Bob Blair
From:
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
|
Posted 17 Mar 2012 3:03 pm
|
|
| There is a Cindy Cashdollar DVD where she gives some great instruction in an "E" tuning, which has exactly the same voicing as the "D" tuning (just a whole tone higher). I think it is the one called "Dobro Variations". www.cindycashdollar.com |
|
|
|
Michael Maddex
From:
Northern New Mexico, USA
|
Posted 17 Mar 2012 7:53 pm
|
|
Bruce, you might want to check out some of the Bob Brozman Homespun DVDs if you haven't already. HTH.
_________________
"For every expert, there is an equal and opposite expert." -- Arthur C. Clarke |
|
|
|
Peter den Hartogh
From:
Cape Town, South Africa
|
|
|
|
Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
|
Posted 18 Mar 2012 3:20 am
|
|
SOME GREAT D TUNING ADVICE FROM FORUMITE AND D-TUNING MASTER PETE GRANT:
Although G tuning (GBDGBD low to high) is popular with players of country and bluegrass (it seems to be "required" in bluegrass), I think you'll find that D tuning (D A D F# A D)--just like your E tuning but a whole step low--is far more versatile for country and even better for a lot of fiddle tunes in bluegrass.
A nice thing about G tuning is that you have a sequential chord (135135) with no chord tones missing. This is also a drawback, because the overall range of the tuning is an octave and a fifth, while your tuning and D tuning have a range of two octaves (151351). I get far more use out of having the root on the first string. I hardly ever miss having a 3rd way down in the bass range. As a matter of fact, not having it is more of an advantage. Having 151 on the bottom gives me the ability to more easily fake a minor chord--or play one of the 3 minor chords possible by using an open string for the third of the chord (Bmi, F#mi, and Ebmi).
For one thing, you have access to a harmonized scale in 6ths on the first and third strings with a combination of a straight bar and a forward slant of one fret (forward slant being that the nose of the bar is higer than the back of the bar). To get the same scale on G tuning you use a forward slant of one fret and a forward slant of two frets. I play far fewer two-fret slants, just 'cause they're so tricky to play in tune.
With the 1 5 1 on the bottom you can fake minor chords. Learn which intervals make up a minor chord so you can play the 3rds and 6ths that make the chords up. Make a map of your tuning and find where all the straight bars are for your minor and then slide from one to the other. For instance, Em: at the 2nd fret play strings 6 5 4; then audibly slide on 4 up to the 5th fret then play the third string; then slide to the 10th fret then play the 2nd; then slide up to the 14th fret then play the first string. If you block your strings well, you get a great Em arpeggio. Repeat the whole thing descending.
I've done lots of playing with country and bluegrass bands, and a lot of recording using D tuning. It works _very well_. The only time I will grab a G tuning dobro is if I want to get that Josh Graves sound on some classic Flatt & Scruggs tune--and if that's all you want to do, G tuning will serve you well. It's part of that sound. But I think there's a real "everybody does it that way so I guess I'd better do it too" aspect to the use of G tuning |
|
|
|
Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
|
|
|
|
Joel Bloom
|
Posted 25 Mar 2012 7:20 pm
|
|
| Kelly Joe Phelps has a great open D lap-slide dvd full of great blues licks and arrangements-a google will find it easily |
|
|
|
Joel Bloom
|
Posted 25 Mar 2012 7:21 pm
|
|
| Or look above my first post! |
|
|
|
Bruce Hilton
From:
Berwick, Maine, USA
|
Posted 29 Mar 2012 3:42 pm
|
|
Wow, now there's plenty to chew on! Thanks everybody!  |
|
|
|
Joe Snow
From:
Argyle,Texas, USA
|
Posted 29 Mar 2012 3:56 pm
|
|
| Kevin Brown |
|
|
|
Ben Feher
From:
Austin TX
|
Posted 30 Mar 2012 7:18 am
|
|
| Not to hijack the thread, but one thing I like most about that low B in GBDGBD is not for being a low major third with the low G, but for making a low minor third with the low D. I rarely play the low major third G-B combo, but use the low B-D minor third all the time for minor chords. |
|
|
|
Rob Anderlik
From:
Chicago, IL
|
Posted 30 Mar 2012 4:44 pm
|
|
| Andy, thanks posting the quote from Pete Grant. He's a great player and he has some great insights into the architecture of D tuning. Reading this post brings up a question in my mind, however...I love D tuning, but I find it to be much less versatile than G tuning for playing in different keys. When I play in G tuning I feel comfortable playing in any key (sometimes with a capo, sometimes without) whereas when I play in D tuning everything I play has to be in the key of D or I find myself playing out of a closed position with significantly less choices for hammer-on's and pull-offs. Have any of you other guys/gals had the same experience? |
|
|
|
Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
|
|
|
|
Bob Blair
From:
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
|
Posted 30 Mar 2012 10:25 pm
|
|
| I feel the same as you about the two tunings Rob. I love D, and rarely tune my Weissenborn-style guitars any other way. But just like you, I find G a lot easier for playing in multiple keys. |
|
|
|
