Open D Tuning

[Admin]

Funny story...I use to tune to Open E until I found that I was destroying the neck on my acoustic guitar. Open E made slide simple because all of the major chords were barre and old country riffs like used by Jimmie Rodgers were extremely easy to duplicate. Then I had a friend tell me that open D (DADF#AD) was the same as Open E except down a couple of frets (or tuned down instead of up making it much easier on the guitar neck). It was pretty easy to get use to the fret difference so it rapidly became my favorite.

Then one day I was covering an old Allman Brothers tune - Little Martha. I found the key was using the Open D tuning.

Little Martha

by: Duane Allman

Playing notes:

This instrumental is played in open E tuning (E B E G# B E).
Rather than tuning the 3rd, 4th and 5th strings up (which can
be really stressful on the neck), you can tune down to open D
(D A D F# A D) and capo at the second fret.

The thumb keeps time with a monotonic bass line while the
fingers play the melody. The structure of the tune is:

1 - Intro
2 - Part 1 ending with [1.]
3 - Repeat Part 1 ending with [2.]
4 - Part 2
5 - Repeat Part 1 up until [To Coda]
6 - Coda

Chords used: numbers in grid indicate frets
numbers in parentheses are suggested fingerings
(1=index,2=middle,etc)
INTRO:
------

  (Freely)
4|------------------+--------------+-----------------------+2+------------
|
-|-------0-------0--|----------4---|-------0---------------|-|------------
|
4|--0--1------------|--0--1----1---|--0--1--------0-1p0----|4|------------
|
|--0---------2-----|--0--2----2---|--0---------2-------2----|
|--0------0--------------------------------------------------|
|--0---------0--0--|--------------|--0------0---------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------|
|--0------0--------+-------0------+--0----------------------|
+--0---0-----------------------------------------------------|
    ^                          ^      ^
 (strum)                    (strum)  (strum)


PART 1:
-------
   E
4|--------------0----+-------------------+------------------+-------------
----|
-|--------0-----0----|----0--------------|--------0---------|-------------
----|
4|--0h1---0----------|----0-----1p0------|--0h1---0---------|----1-----0--
----|
|--0h2--------------|----------2p0------|--0h2---------2---|----2-----0--
----|
|-------------------|-------------------|--------------4---|-------------
----|
|--0---0---0---0----+--0---0---0---0----+--0---0---0---0---+--0---0---0--
-0--|

   1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .     1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .     1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .    1 . 2 . 3 .
4 .

|--------------0----+-------------------+------------------+--------------
----|
|--------0-----0----|----0--------------|--------0---------|--------------
----|
|--0h1---0----------|----0-----1p0------|--0h1---0---------|----0---------
----|
|--0h2--------------|----------2p0------|--0h2---------2---|----------0---
----|
|-------------------|-------------------|--------------4---|----0---------
----|
|--0---0---0---0----+--0---0---0---0----+--0---0---0---0---+--0---0---0---
0---|

  1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .     1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .     1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .    1 . 2 . 3 .
4 .

  A
|--------------5----+-------------------+------------------+--------------
----|
|--------5-----5----|----5--------------|--------5---------|----7-----5---
----|
|--5h6---5----------|----5-----6p5------|--5h6---5---------|----------5---
----|
|--5h7--------------|----------7p5------|--5h7---------7---|----7-----5---
----|
|-------------------|-------------------|--------------9---|--------------
----|
|--5---5---5---5----+--5---5---5---5----+--5---5---5---5---+--5---5---5---
0---|

  1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .     1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .     1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .    1 . 2 . 3 .
4 .

  E
|--------------0----+-------------------+------------------+--------------
----|
|--------0-----0----|----0--------------|--------0---------|--------------
----|
|--0h1---0----------|----0-----1p0------|--0h1---0---------|----0---------
----|
|--0h2--------------|----------2p0------|--0h2---------2---|----------0---
--0-|
|-------------------|-------------------|--------------4---|----0---------
----|
|--0---0---0---0----+--0---0---0---0----+--0---0---0---0---+--0---0---0---
0---|

  1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .     1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .     1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .    1 . 2 . 3 .
4 .
[ Tab from: http://www.guitaretab.com/a/allman-brothers/402.html ]
     [To Coda]    C#m/E  A/B      E                       C#m/E  A/B
B7
2|--------------|4|--9-----5-------7--+------7-----7------+--9-----5-----2
---|
-|--------------|-|--9-----5-------7--|--------7-----7----|--9-----5-----0
---|
4|--------------|4|--8-----5-------7--|----7-----7--------|--8-----5-----1
---|
|--0-----0--------------------------------------------------|
|--0----------------|-------------------|--0-----5-----------|
|-----------------------------------------------------------|
|------0-----0------|--0---0---0---0----|------0-----0-------|
|--0-----0--------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------+-------------------+--------------------|

   1  .  2  .      1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .     1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .    1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .

                    C#m/E  A/B    E                          E/G#   F#
|------2-----2------|--9-----5-----7----+------7-----7------+----0-----0--
----|
|----0---0-0---0----|--9-----5-----7----|--------7-----7----|------------0
----|
|-------------------|--8-----5-----7----|----7-----7--------|--3---3-1----
-0--|
|-------------------|--0----------------|-------------------|-------------
----|
|--0---0---0---0----|------0-----0------|--0---0---0---0----|-------------
----|
|-------------------|-------------------+-------------------+--4-----2----
-0--|

  1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .     1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .     1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .    1 . 2 . 3 .
4 .


[1.]                 [2.]

2|----------0------| 2|---14-11-12------|
-|----------0------| -|------------12---|
4|----------0------| 4|-----------------|
|-----------------|  |----------0------|
|-----------------|  |-------------0---|
|----4-p0-----0---|  |-------0---------|

     1  .  2  .           1  .  2  .

PART 2:
-------
  B  C#m/B  B         A/B                 G  C#m/B  B        A/B
|--7-----9-9-7---7--+----5-----5--------+--7-----9-9-7---7--+----5-5------
----|
|--7-------9-7---7--|----5-------5------|--7-------9-7---7--|----5-5------
----|
|--7---8---9-7-7-7--|----5---5-----5----|--7---8---8-7-7-7--|----5-5------
----|
|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------
----|
|--0---0---0---0----|--0---0---0---0----|--0---0---0---0----|--0---0---0--
-0--|
|-------------------+-------------------+-------------------+-------------
----|

  1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .     1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .     1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .     1 . 2 . 3 .
4 .

  B  C#m/B  B          A/B                B7   A/B    B
|--7-----9-9-7---7--+----5-----5--------+--2-----5-----7----+------7-----7
----|
|--7-------9-7---7--|----5-------5------|--0-----5-----7----|--------7----
-7--|
|--7---8---9-7-7-7--|----5---5-----5----|--1-----5-----7----|----7-----7--
----|
|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------
----|
|--0---0---0---0----|--0---0---0---0----|--0---0---0---0----|--0---0---0--
-0--|
|-------------------+-------------------+-------------------+-------------
----|

  1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .     1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .     1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .     1 . 2 . 3 .
4 .

 C#m/B A/B    B7                          B  C#m/B  B         A/B
|--9-----5-----2----+------2-----2------+--7-----9-9-7---7--+---5------5--
----|
|--9-----5-----0----|----0---0-0---0----|--7-------9-7---7--|---5--------5
----|
|--8-----5-----1----|-------------------|--7---8---9-7-7-7--|---5----5----
-5--|
|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------
----|
|--0---0---0---0----|--0---0---0---0----|--0---0---0---0----|--0---0---0--
-0--|
|-------------------+-------------------+-------------------+-------------
----|

  1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .     1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .     1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .     1 . 2 . 3 .
4 .

  B  C#m/B  B          A/B                B  C#m/B  B          A/B
|--7-----9-9-7---7--+----5-5------------+--7-----9-9-7---7--+----5-----5--
----|
|--7-------9-7---7--|----5-5------------|--7-------9-7---7--|----5-------5
----|
|--7---8---9-7-7-7--|----5-5------------|--7---8---9-7-7-7--|----5---5----
-5--|
|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------
----|
|--0---0---0---0----|--0---0---0---0----|--0---0---0---0----|--0---0---0--
-0--|
|-------------------+-------------------+-------------------+-------------
----|

  1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .     1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .     1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .     1 . 2 . 3 .
4 .

 E/G#   F#
|----0-----0--------+2+---------0---------|  (Repeat Part 1)
|------------0------|-|---------0---------|
|--3---3-1-----0----|4|---------0---------|
|-------------------| |-------------------|
|-------------------| |-------------------|
|--4-----2-----0----+ +---4-p0------------|

  1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .        1  .  2  .


CODA:
-----

( <---------------  natural harmonics  ---------------------| )
|-------------------+-------------------+--12----------------|
|--------7----12----|----7--------------|--12----------------|
|--5-----7----12----|----7--------------|--12----------------|
|--5-----7----12----|----7--------------|--12----------------|
|--5----------------|-------------------|---0----------------|
|-------------------+-------------------+---0----------------|


[dadfad]

Yes, open-D is a great tuning. (Or open-E, etc... all relative I-V-I-III-V-I tunings, sometimes referred to as Sevestapol Tuning or just 'Vestapol, after a popular tune written by Henry Worrall in 1854. His arrangement of the piece for guitar was in I-V-I-III-V-I.)

Anyway.... A great tuning. Some excellent old-time stuff has been done in it both as fingerstyle or slide, from Robert Johnson to (my favorites) Bo Carter's and Blind Blake's fingerstyle virtuoso pieces "Cigarette Blues" and "Police Dog Blues." (Both of those tunes were pretty challenging and I worked on them a long time.)

"Little Martha" is an excellent example of a more contemporary tune done in that tuning.