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Fun with drop D and power chords

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(@minotaur)
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Joined: 16 years ago
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It seems there a lot you can do with drop D using power chords, even with an acoustic guitar. I never realized it before. I tuned to drop D to try Come Together using it. Not that the song is hard to begin with, but drop D makes it even easier, and sound pretty good too. Drop D gives a "punchier" sound. And the beauty of using power chords is that because they are neither major nor minor, they work wherever a major and/or minor is called for.

I was in Beatles (group and solos) mode last night so I did some Instant Karma, Hey Jude, Get Back, It Don't Come Easy and one or two others using drop D and just sliding up and down the fretboard. I even mixed it up with open chords. I played along with the recordings and it really sounded pretty good. It was like I had the low and and the recordings rounded everything out.

I wouldn't make a career of playing drop D and power chords, but it's a fun change and variation, especially mixing it up the aforementioned open chords. Do try it.

It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.


   
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(@rparker)
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Joined: 20 years ago
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I've got one guitar that I keep in double dropped tuning of some sort. I think I drop both of the E strings to D and then drop the whole thing a 1/2 step or a whole step. A little bit of a palm mute and you can get that "cha-thunk", heavy sounding tone. Happy times. :D

Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin


   
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(@alangreen)
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It seems there a lot you can do with drop D using power chords, even with an acoustic guitar.

Plus, of course, the power chord suddenly becomes a one-finger chord

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(@minotaur)
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Joined: 16 years ago
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Topic starter  

It seems there a lot you can do with drop D using power chords, even with an acoustic guitar.

Plus, of course, the power chord suddenly becomes a one-finger chord

That's the fun part. :mrgreen:

It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.


   
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(@minotaur)
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Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 1089
Topic starter  

I've got one guitar that I keep in double dropped tuning of some sort. I think I drop both of the E strings to D and then drop the whole thing a 1/2 step or a whole step. A little bit of a palm mute and you can get that "cha-thunk", heavy sounding tone. Happy times. :D

No kidding? How does that affect or allow for chord formation? I know when you're in drop D chords like Gmaj and Emaj have to be "re-thought".

It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.


   
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(@rparker)
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Joined: 20 years ago
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It's the same as Alan said, just a note lower. Same 1-finger power chords. Just heavier, chunkier ones. I've not used it for anything else while it's been tuned like that.

Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin


   
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(@minotaur)
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Note to self: Try it.

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(@dogbite)
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the band has begun adding Neil Young to our song list. I have one guitar tuned drop D. both E strings are tuned down. playing Cinnamon Girl sounds so much better using Young's tuning...instead of standard. I am having a blast with this tuning.
if I also tune the A string down to G I instantly have Keith Richards tuning. this is going to come in handy on stage.

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(@minotaur)
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I might also try open D. That would probably give a fatter sound than drop D 5th chords for majors. I know open D is all majors; I think minors are a problem in open D, though. I saw a YT video on how to make them. :shock: For minors in open D I think I'd stick to 5th chords.

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(@rparker)
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I've had at least one guitar tuned to open G for years now. I made another one open G a little while back and left the low e (or d) string on it. I never thought to look to see how far off I was to other tunings, like the dble drop D dogbite is referring to. Must try soon.....

Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin


   
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(@guitar2320)
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my favorite drop D acoustic is everlong by the foo fighters


   
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