Alternate Tuning For Beginners and Veteran Guitar Players

   An alternate guitar tuning is usually characterized as an open tuning. The widely used alternate open G tuning is achieved by lowering the pitch of the low E string to a D string pitch. The A string is then lowered to a G string pitch and the high E string is then lowered to a D string pitch, creating a very rich and colorful harmonious resonance emanating from within the guitar when strummed. This application can be implemented on both the acoustic and electric guitars. The chords can now be strummed by barring one finger across any given fret and the player can reach their desired chord sequence within this alternate open G tuning.

   The typical standard E chord patterns for an open G tuning are A-minor seventh, A-seventh, barred and one string fretted positions. A capo can also be implemented to change the key of the open G tuning. There are many guitar tabulature books available showing the various chord patterns for alternate open tunings and quite easy to learn for the beginner and veteran guitar player. This open G tuning is also very popular when playing slide or bottleneck style guitar in the blues genre. The one slide tool that achieves the best tonal quality when playing slide guitar is a glass slide which fits on your finger, as opposed to a metal slide, but varies from player to player.

  Open G tunings are also very popular within the bluegrass and rock guitar genres. Among these alternate open G guitar players are musical artists, Keith Richards and Ronny Wood of the Rolling Stones. Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin. Duane Allman and Dickie Betts of the Allman brothers. Richie Havens from the original Woodstock festival. David Gilmour of Pink Floyd and Roy Harper, Roy Buchanan, Son House and the legendary, Robert Johnson.