DADFAD songs?

[Dr. Porkchop]

Just learning "Hard Time killing floor blues" which requires DADFAD tuning. First time I've tried nonstandard tuning and I like it. Any other songs you can suggest that use this tuning? Thanks

[Freeman Keller]

Ironically, I was reading an old issue of Fingerstyle Guitar magazine this morning and it had a song called "DADFAD in Bagdad" or something like that. Let me look tonight and I'll PM you some information about it. FG always includes a cd with the featured songs - I might be able to get you a copy as well as the tab. It happens to be the issue with Don McLean on the cover

 

As you probably know, DADGAD is a very popular alternate tuning, particularly for Celtic music. It is, however, one of the few altered tunings that I never play in. However I do have Mark Hanson book on Alternate Tunings which lists just about everything - I'll also look in it tonight and see which songs he shows for DADFAD

[Queequeg]

Bob includes instruction on D Minor tuning DADFAD in his 'Bottleneck Blues #3.' He demonstrates 'Cypress Grove' and 'Telegram Blues' in this tuning. It's brief, but you get the basics.

[Freeman Keller]

Is this also the tuning that Gary Davis used for one of his rare bottleneck songs, "Whistling Blues"?

[Mike_C]

If you tune the F to F#, there are a whole handful of songs to be had as well. Embryonic Journey, Bron-y-aur stomp, plus lots and lots of old blues and newer material.

[Freeman Keller]

 

Originally posted by Mike_C If you tune the F to F#, there are a whole handful of songs to be had as well. Embryonic Journey, Bron-y-aur stomp, plus lots and lots of old blues and newer material.

 

 

Sure, that is plain old open D and I always have at least one git tuned that way. Also called Vestapol (after the song)

 

Little Martha, Echowing Guilowitz, Police Dog Blues, Vestapol, John Henry, Poor Boy, Steel Guitar Rag, Watermelon, You've Got To Move, Dark Was the Night.... about a bazillion great songs. plus the cool trick of being able to play all your open G songs one string closer to your chin. But open D minor is a bit rarer.

[Freeman Keller]

OK, I check the FG mag and even tho he calls the song "DADGAD in Baghdad", he sharps the F so it is in open D - sorry

 

However, in Mark Hanson's book on alterate tunings under open D minor he lists, along with Skip James "Hard Time Killing Floor", the Eagles "Bitter Creek", Peter Finger "For Ladies I couldn't Get" and "Wishbone Ash", Martin Simpson's "Bonny at Morn", and Bukka White "Aberdeen Mississippi Blues". He also suggests the variant, Dm7 (drop the first string to C) for Richie Haven's "From the Prison"

 

There, that should keep you busy. Then crank that third string up one and play all those open D things.

[Verne Andru]

I have a 12/baritone doubleneck that I keep the 12 tuned to DADFAD and the bari tuned to the B equiv of DADGAD. Here's a very rough bed track of something I'm working on that's done on the 12 in DADFAD TATF ruff bed track .

[Freeman Keller]

Wow, Verne, thats pretty cool. Do you happen to have a picture of that critter?

[Verne Andru]

Originally posted by Freeman Keller Wow, Verne, thats pretty cool. Do you happen to have a picture of that critter?

Thanks. Here's the beast:

 

 

Neat thing about DADFAD / DADF#AD / DADGAD is all you have to do is tune one string up or down and you're in a whole new world. I do Pages Black Mountain Side in DADGAD, Joni Mitchells Big Yellow Taxi in DADF#AD and that one [plus another I've not recorded yet] in DADFAD. It's so easy to sound good it should be criminal! Tons of fun.