Harmonic possibilities afforded by DADGAD tuning?

Django · 10-22-2003, 07:33 PM

I've been listening to/playing Led Zeppelin's hybrid of White Summer and Black Mountainside lately, andI'm curious as to why it is written in DADGAD tuning. Can anyone here give me a few advantages that this tuning has?

forgottenking2 · 10-22-2003, 09:25 PM

I would say it mainly allows you to get some of the so called "hypnotic chords" with a much easier fingering and it's also very good to write chord progressions with a pedalish feel check out Aerosmith's Living on the Edge and you'll see it there.

I hope this helps.

Regards,

*Koala* · 10-22-2003, 09:49 PM

DADGAD is also real nice for playing slide up and down with chords.

ChrisJ · 10-24-2003, 03:34 PM

Funny that the DADGAD tuning subject came up. Adrian Legg had been doing some seminars at the school I run here in Tokyo last week. He uses the DADGAD tuning quite often to spectacular results. Some points about the tuning that I learned from him:
1. being neither minor nor major the tuning allows you to create songs that tonally ambiguous. DADGAD technically spells out a Dsus chord (no 3rd to be found).

2. This tuning found its way to England from Africa. Some English guitarist in the 60s (forgot his name) went to Northern Africa and in order to jam with the musicians there had to change the standard tuning to DADGAD.

If you are interested in hearing some interesting songs using the DADGAD tuning, check out any of Adrian's CDs. Info at: http://adrianlegg.com

-CJ

xenor · 10-24-2003, 07:24 PM

I guess three strings with the same note name allows you to play unisions easily. Power chords are easy to play too. That way you can play faster power chord sequences with more precision.
Harmonically, Standard tuning has the 15va between first and sixth strings. I think this is a mixture of Dropped D's power chord allowance and 15ve harmony of standard tuning. Basically, this tuning has two more notes

Spin 2513 · 11-13-2003, 06:59 AM

It's a Celtic tuning .if you play it too much ,the Druids will get you.

DDTonFire · 11-26-2003, 09:10 PM

Kashmir by Led Zeppelin was written in this tuning also.

10-22-2003, 07:33 PM	#1
Django Registered User Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 16	Harmonic possibilities afforded by DADGAD tuning? I've been listening to/playing Led Zeppelin's hybrid of White Summer and Black Mountainside lately, andI'm curious as to why it is written in DADGAD tuning. Can anyone here give me a few advantages that this tuning has?

10-22-2003, 09:25 PM	#2
forgottenking2 Mad Scientist Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 1,546	I would say it mainly allows you to get some of the so called "hypnotic chords" with a much easier fingering and it's also very good to write chord progressions with a pedalish feel check out Aerosmith's Living on the Edge and you'll see it there. I hope this helps. Regards, __________________ "If God had wanted us to play the piano he would've given us 88 fingers"

10-22-2003, 09:49 PM	#3
Koala Experimentalist Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Behind you... Posts: 3,091	DADGAD is also real nice for playing slide up and down with chords. __________________ www.myspace.com/paulbidault

10-24-2003, 07:24 PM	#5
xenor Composition Apprentice Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Istanbul/Turkey Posts: 175	I guess three strings with the same note name allows you to play unisions easily. Power chords are easy to play too. That way you can play faster power chord sequences with more precision. Harmonically, Standard tuning has the 15va between first and sixth strings. I think this is a mixture of Dropped D's power chord allowance and 15ve harmony of standard tuning. Basically, this tuning has two more notes __________________ "Go without practicing one day, and you know. Go without practicing two days, your friends will know. Go without three days, and everyone knows."

11-26-2003, 09:10 PM	#7
DDTonFire Shredding Machine Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Ohio Posts: 186	Kashmir by Led Zeppelin was written in this tuning also. __________________ www.soundclick.com/perfectsecond

10-24-2003, 03:34 PM	#4
ChrisJ IbreatheMusic Author Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Tokyo Posts: 549	Funny that the DADGAD tuning subject came up. Adrian Legg had been doing some seminars at the school I run here in Tokyo last week. He uses the DADGAD tuning quite often to spectacular results. Some points about the tuning that I learned from him: 1. being neither minor nor major the tuning allows you to create songs that tonally ambiguous. DADGAD technically spells out a Dsus chord (no 3rd to be found). 2. This tuning found its way to England from Africa. Some English guitarist in the 60s (forgot his name) went to Northern Africa and in order to jam with the musicians there had to change the standard tuning to DADGAD. If you are interested in hearing some interesting songs using the DADGAD tuning, check out any of Adrian's CDs. Info at: http://adrianlegg.com -CJ

11-13-2003, 06:59 AM	#6
Spin 2513 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: PARAMUS Posts: 442	It's a Celtic tuning .if you play it too much ,the Druids will get you.

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