Open D Tuning | What EVERYONE Should Know 

Yeah man, it's that Open D time of the year again 😄

I absolutely love open d. Back in 2011 my dad died. He was old, born in 1927 and conceived me when he was 65, so it wasnt out of nowhere, but the last 4 years leading up to his death he developed Parkinson's and Dementia. When i was in his room while he was dying i decided to bring my acoustic and tuned to open d and was playing to ease him but also myself. I started coming up with a riff when he actually passed away. I took the next week and wrote a song to perform at his funeral as a tribute to him. Its now 11 years later and every time i tune to open d i get lost in the memory of my father. Its a really special tuning to me.

Key of D must have just released their new open tuning and decided to sponsor everyone

Ten minutes later: Pete Thorne- why you should use Open D tuning

Paul Davids: let’s talk about Open D tuning Rhett Shull: hold my slide

*fun fact* if you tune the G string to F instead of F# (DADFAD) you can simply switch from minor to major by putting your finger on that said string while barring the fret next to it. boom, you have now have access to 24 keys in the simplest way possible

I am 63 years old I’ve been playing guitar since I was five.. after breaking the E string my whole life . I learn to play with just five strings and that’s all I’ve used for 50 years ...I use this tuning and other tunings ...There’s such a freedom in guitar ...Play whatever is comfortable to you you don’t have to be standard tuning guy all the time… Appreciate this video

So Open D is something that will be explored. Sounds amazing! Thanks for the video Rhett.

Paul Davids just put up a video on Open D also. Is this a coincidence…or not? 🤔

Very cool! I’ve always said that multiple tunings are guitar multipliers…so which one is going into open D hmmmm…

In a constantly expanding universe, there is always room for another guitar in one's collection. - A. Einstein

I got into Open D through Ry Cooder - 35 years ago. It feels like my main tuning. Originally for slide, but everything now. Open D6 is nice too....

been playing for 17 years and never tried open D, fricken beautiful eh bud! Thanks for the video Rhett

Wonderful video. JOANN(OPEN TUNING (C)2006 and GOODBYE c)2006 were both recorded using OPEN D TUNING.

I play only in open D in all my guitars over 13 years. I'm a slide player (Of course), but i also play funk, jazz and brasilian music. Using 9's in all my guitars. No need to change gauge, man. Greetings from Brazil.

That E flat sound with the capo on the 1st is some magical stuff man... slide has eluded me for years but I've just ordered a new tele and I'm going to force myself to keep it in open tuning for a while and get this down. Thanks for another shot of inspiration Rhett

Not to be outdone, Rick just invented a tuning he calls Open R.

One of my favorite things to do is exploring new tunings! My favorite band is Soundgarden, so learning one of their tunes then playing around in that tuning always excites me!

"it sounds so lush and beautiful" that could just be the Firebird, Rhett lol.

Back in the 90's, I walked into a guitar shop in San Francisco, CA and fell in love with a wood bodied Dobro Duolian with the hula girl on the back. I bought it that day and it was tuned to open D. This was my first time playing in that tuning and I fell in love with it. I've tried a few others but my Dobro stays in open D. It's great for slide.

Thanks so much... Old man here at 79yrs and know just enough cords to be dangerous but now trying this open D tuning and it's a new world for me.....

Love that this video popped up. I played one of my instrumentals the other night, and it's in Open D. Love this tuning for years!

Cool lesson and I agree that open D is lovely. I also love that Firebird Univibe connection.

Locks like yahoo and Paul Davids are on the same page - I just watched his video on this same subject

Absolutely gorgeous tuning! Great Lesson, Thank You!

I LOVE OPEN D!! It’s so easy to come up with riffs and play slide with! 🤘

Your videos on open and alternate tunings are some of my favorites. I always get inspired and would love to see you do more. I fell in love with alt tunings about 15 years ago for finger-style as a way to integrate bass and expand the range. I've included a large number of interesting tunings I've used over the years below. I've tried many but I eventually settled into playing mostly in C tunings with the following favorites: C Wahine (C-G-D-G-B-e) - ideal for songs like Vincent Black Lightning, Never Going Back Again, and Hawaiian Slack Key guitar Orkney (C-G-D-G-C-d) - hard to explain why I like this one but it's probably because I never know where it will lead me Open C (C-G-C-G-C-e) or Open C# - ideal for songs like Killing the Blues, Hidden Love (Peter Case song), and Going to California Open C# (C#-G#-C#-F-G#-c#) - ideal for playing in the style of Francis Dunnery (Soldier, Give Up and Let Go) Slide Guitar - preferred tunings for slide are dictated by the key of the song (so Open C, C#, G, D, and E are all perfectly good) * What all of these C tunings have in common is a huge bass tone, which is handy for solo performers. ** Want to play in a deeply dropped tuning but still use standard chords? Try Standard-ish C (C-G-C-G-A-D) Since your video is about Open D, I thought I'd throw in a few alternative D options for the truly adventurous: Bagpipe Tuning (D-A-A-E-A-e) - suited for Celtic music, extremely wide and lots of octave pairings (almost the A version of DADGAD) Open Dadd2 (D-A-D-F#-A-e) - I like to use this one for Christmas Carols D Modal or Double Dad (D-A-D-D-A-d) - Middle Eastern style music and oddly enough Suite Judy Blue Eyes Open Dm (D-A-D-F-A-d) - dark sounding Delta Blues (this was a favored tuning by Skip James) D without a cool name (D-G-C-F-C-c) - great for droning (think Colin Hay uses this in Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You) For the slightly less adventurous in D... but still adventurous! Double Drop D (D-A-D-G-B-d) - Naked As We Came (Iron and Wine), Overkill (Colin Hay), and Ghost in You (Psychedelic Furs) DADGAD (D-A-D-G-A-d) - Norwegian Wood, Blood of Eden (Peter Gabriel), Wisteria (Richard Shindell), Time After Time (Cyndi Lauper) Open D (D-A-D-F#-A-d) - Call It a Lone and I'm Alive (Jackson Browne), Summer Wind, Cotton Dress (Richard Shindell), Holly and the Ivy And finally, two rather extreme Open Tunings I picked up from a Don Ross online lesson: Open Cm11 (C-G-Eb-F-Bb-D) - 6 different pitch classes on 6 different strings and really, really, really lush and moody Open F (F-A-C-F-C-F) - ***be careful - very high tension tuning*** - the tuning isn't exotic but the tonal quality is absolutely different *** choose your string gauge and the guitar you use carefully for up-tunings like Open F

I’ve been playing in D standard for years. I can’t go back. The guitar just sounds better.

Great video! Thanks for posting. I always hear bits of "Little Martha" in open D. Crazy how this tuning brings that all together.

I've had my 12 string in open D for over 20 years. Sounds amazing that way. Great video!

Shoegazer just did an Open D video as well. I love open D. This was a great video Rhett! Thank you for your perspective and insights on this amazingly cool tuning!

"for busting out of ruts" Absolutely spot on! I get bored and into ruts and a change of tuning later and all of a sudden, I'm in a new world!

Open D was the first alternate tuning I ever learned over 20 years ago now and I always go back it, like a comfort blanket

Oh absolutely! I keep my SG & resonator both in open D and they are great for writing as well as teaching an old dog (song) new tricks (cooler chord shapes) 👍

In 1968 I was sitting on the curb in Berkeley with the other hippies, with my little guitar I couldn’t play yet. Some black guys came along watching the zoo, and the youngest stopped and showed me how to tune to open d. I’ve been playing it ever since, and now I’ve finally gone electric. You’ve broadened what I can try with it. Thanks 🙏

Absolutely right about lush. This has the power of an organ sound to it.

Totally agree with Open D. I discovered open D and Dadgad around the same time and I love moving back and forth. An Irish jig to deep Robert Johnson blues. Awesome video. Your playing is amazing too. 🎶👍

I’m really happy for the open D content, one of my favorite alternate tunings, especially after learning about Joey landreth who plays in open C and wanting something a little more accessible since I’m not planning on changing everything about a guitar I own to make up for the lack of string tension

your best video my friend, great vibes great advice, i tuned my guitar open D in 2011 and stayed there till 2016, anything else seemed wrong, strangely never played any slide through that period, you make it sound real beautiful, big thanks for the reminder

Paul Davids just post a Open D video!!!

Very inspirational video. Well done, Rhett.

Love your show. Your tutorials are inspiring, thank you very much.

This made my week. Thank you. Gonna raise the action and increase string gauge for my tele to do exactly as recommended.

One of the best descriptions of how to use open tunings…big AHA moment…thank you…

I tried this tuning a couple weeks ago and found it very difficult. I finally made a song from it that makes sense. Definitely fun!

Open-D on my Strat is my favourite slide tuning too. You get some gorgeous, swampy Ry Cooder tones just leap out of nowhere.

Always learning somthing new from Rhett ...Thank you so much!

That sounded so insanely good the entire time. Totally intrigued!

Open D is sponsoring videos now?

Thanks Rhett! Awesome video

Perhaps your best video yet...this one is a must-watch...for all guitarists...

As someone who is blessed with more than short fingers, and not a lot of finger dexterity, open D is my top choice. :D

Best video on youtube on this open D tuning, I already used open tunings sometimes in this past years and I was looking for some interesting chords and licks, some for blues/country playing, some for major chords progression I don't play so much.... Great lesson!!

The intro playing and camera work was awesome - definitely going to try out this tuning now!

who says you can't teach an old dog(68) new tricks? Watched the vid, tuned down, and instantly my fingers felt the the difference in the string tension. I was always satisfied with the sound of my Amer Strat Ultra, but now, it does sound better. Thank-you Rhett!

Yep, awesome, thank you!

Great advice! Clearly presented. Thanks!

I always enjoy these alternate tuning videos you make, Rhett! I came across a tuning that is super inspiring to mess and around with and fun to play where you tune everything standard except the B string is down to an A. It's very nice sounding in A major and A minor especially. I haven't found any really good videos or much information on this tuning, but I think you and your audience would enjoy trying it out!

Great stuff, Man. I started messing with slide and open C during the lock down. I have a long way to go but I love it. Thanks for the killer video, Rhett.

I enjoy playing slide in open D because it has such a great tone.

Beautiful! Makes me want to go back to learning slide

Have to try it for sure! Thanks Rhett...🎸🎸🎸

Loving the firebird mucho!

Thanks Rhett, great lesson

Going with the edge's tone for the intro then.... I love it

Great video! Learned a lot form this one.

This just inspired me! another great video!!

Been keeping my main guitar in open D for a few years now and it's my go-to on acoustic.

I tried this over this past weekend. I'm not much of a guitarist. But, man! it sounds great. Thanks!

dig it! thanks for posting dude!

OK, now you and Paul have do a live Open D Guitar Battle

thanks, opening tuning is like entering cheat code for my blues playing and its just crazy how better blues sounds in this (and also in G and drop D or even standard D) than in standard .

I only play slide...open E, C6th, and open G. I love your videos, after only 3 years playing, I am comfortable playing almost anything. I don't read music or understand what notes are what, I have learned to LISTEN which I feel is most important. I also had to learn when NOT to play. Thank you for all the information you give away like motel matches.

Rhett, sometimes I dont even care what the video is about. I just like to listen to your soothing voice and hear a guitar being played. Thx, man.

What a beautiful versatile guitar player! Great work!

Thanks Rhett, I'm going to try D tuning. You opened up a door to walk thru.

For me open A and G are my go to’s for slide and open tuning playing, also I never heard of open D like this, I always did open D by tuning the low E down and the top 3 strings up

Nice. Thank you for the great video.

Good call on the heavier stings for D tuning. It gives the sound more gravitas and heft.

Very informative will give it a go

I love this tuning since it's the most commonly used for the brazilian viola. Actually a tipical way in the brazilian "caipira music" to learn this tuning is using the "duet scales". This way you move across the fretboard playing two strings and start to learn the tonic and third of each chord in the scale. It sounds amazing with a drone string (or even all other strings open) in this 10 string instrument. I also love the open D minor tuning, it's dramatic and easier to play minor and major chords.

Haha just finished watching a video from Paul davids about open D this is going to be fun!

Excellent. Thank you

Superb Tuition indeed ☆

Open D tuning awesomeness from my favourite guitar channels!

Just want to say thanks, Rhett. It was your recent Drop D vid alongside Paul Davids' video of the same topic that convinced me to try alternate tunings for the first time in some 30 years. It's been a revelation. Not only did I go for Open D, but I tried Open G to learn Led Zeppelin's "That's The Way". I haven't been this excited about guitar for 15 years.

You are so good, Rhett. Thanks for this :)

I just discovered this tuning after buying a resonator guitar ... but I've discovered so many non-slide uses for this tuning that I love, especially the open-string chord voicings all over the neck

listened to alejandro aranda play in open d a few years ago and never looked back. its my new standard tuning

Great intro to open D! I personally like open D minor a bit more. Easy as changing the F# to an F natural.

Such a great tuning. Great example: (ex) Catheads, "Fog Rolls Out", Spotify.

Open D slide with Harmonic Tremolo...literally my favorite thing to do!!!

Great video….well done!

Excellent!

I had one of those creative accidental moments where I picked up my guitar and strummed a D open chord, not realising I was still in open D- it sounded cool and it became an idea for a song. It would of never happened if I wasn't in open D tuning. Great video Rhett.

I had my guitar like that for a few years but didn't really know much about control and slide playing. I just liked the versatility of having four quick easy choices with my one guitar. However, I finally started playing more and more up and down the neck, and found I wanted to go further than I could with the capo on, and finally put it back in standard to take the capo off for awhile getting used to the standard muscle memory. That said, this might be my favorite clip of yours yet, talking more about the drop D and the slide as well. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟😃

Found Open D tuning while trying to learn Bob Dylan's "Simple Twist of Fate". Simply Beautiful.

That firebird is too freaking cool!

I can finally play lead with Open D, since Im self taught and don't know scales very well, having fun with it, thx for the tips

Seems pretty D-lightful! I've got an acoustic in open G, maybe its time to tune it up Thanks, Rhett!