Description
In this lesson we'll check out another classic tool that is used all the time in almost any style of music that uses guitars. For this trick you tune down your low E-string to D and it'll open up a whole new world of sounds for you to use.
To tune your low E-string down a whole step, and there are a couple of different ways to do this.
You can use a chromatic tuner, and just slowly turn it down until it's a little bit below D, and then turn it back up. I always tune up to a note, rather than down. That way I find that it stays in tune better.
Another way is to match it to the open D-string. But since there's a whole octave difference, this can be a little tricky.
For that reason it can help to use the 12th fret harmonic of the low E-string. You find this by touching the string (not pressing down) right above the 12th fret. Not right behind it, where you'd normally fret, but right above it.
Now we have our lowest string be an open D. Check out how cool a D-chord sounds now!
This gets a little tricky with the other chords, so this tuning is great for something and not ideal for others. You can play all the chords, and just avoid the low E-string or you can adapt the chords to fit this tuning.
Lesson Info
