Drop D Tuning Guitar Lesson

Chapter 1: (00:42) Intro Music Welcome back to the Phase 2 Fingerstyle Guitar series with Steve Eulberg! Steve begins this lesson with a brief performance of an original composition called "Neither Lion Nor Lamb." In the scenes that follow, he will breakdown the essential concepts pertaining to drop D tuning. He will also explain how this tuning is used to play "Neither Lion Nor Lamb." Chapter 2: (14:06) Scene 2 Basics of Drop D Tuning Alternate Tunings

Drop D tuning is the most commonly used alternate guitar tuning. It finds its way into almost all styles of guitar playing with the exception of jazz.

Tuning to Drop D

1. When tuning to Drop D, first tune your guitar to standard tuning. Within standard tuning, the open strings are tuned as follows:

6th string: E
5th string: A
4th string: D
3rd string: G
2nd string: B
1st string: E

Make sure your guitar is perfectly in tune with Steve's before proceeding to the next step.

2. Tune the sixth string down to the note D. This step can be accomplished by three different methods. Experiment with all three methods to determine which yields the best results for you. Most guitarists begin with one method. Then, a second method is used to check tuning accuracy.

A. Method 1

Match the pitch of the open sixth string to the open fourth string. Remember that the open fourth string produces the note D.

B. Method 2

Match the pitch of the note played at the 7th fret of the sixth string to the pitch of the open A string.

C. Method 3

Match the harmonic played at the 12th fret of the sixth string to the harmonic played at the same fret of the fourth string. The harmonic at the 12th fret of the fourth string produces the note D. This method tends to yield the best results for most players.

3. When tuning down, it takes awhile for the string to settle into the new pitch. The string will have a tendency to return to its previous pitch. Once you have tuned down, stretch the string out. Then, tune again. After repeating this process a few times, the string will remain in tune.

Advantages of Drop D

-This tuning allows you to play a massive open D major or D minor chord with all sixth strings. The open fifth string is tuned to A, which is the fifth of both the D major and D minor chords. The sixth string is now tuned to the root note of these chords.

-Drop D tuning extends the low register of the guitar. This allows you to play bass lines that are not possible in standard tuning.

-Power chords can be played by barring a single finger across the sixth, fifth, and fourth strings. This enables guitarists to play power chord progressions that feature rapid chord shifts.

-Drop D tuning produces an altogether different timbre or tonal quality from standard tuning, which can add variety to a set list or a recording.

Chord Shapes in Drop D

Typically, most pieces in drop D tuning are played in either the key of D major or D minor. When playing in this tuning, the fingering for many chords must be altered due to the tuning of the sixth string. In the lesson video, Steve explains how the fingering of the I, IV, and V chords in the key of D major must be adjusted.

D Major

The D major chord that you have learned in past lessons utilizes four strings. However, this chord can be played with all six strings in Drop D tuning. This is possible since the lowest string is now tuned to D, the root of the chord. The open fifth string produces the pitch A. This note is the fifth of a D major chord.

G Major

In standard tuning, the root note is fretted on the 3rd fret of the sixth string. In drop D tuning however, this fretboard location now produces the note F. As a result, the root note must be played two frets higher.

Fingering 1

Use the third finger to fret the root note of the chord on the sixth string. Fret the high root note on the first string with the first finger. Since it is almost impossible to fret the B note on the fifth string, lightly mute the fifth string with the third finger. Consequently, the third of the chord is no longer doubled. Play the fourth, third, and second strings open.

Fingering 2

Fret the low root note with the third finger. Then, use the pinkie to fret the D note at the fifth fret of the fifth string. Once again, use the first finger to fret the high root note on the first string. The fourth, third, and second strings are still played open.

A Major and A7

The V chord in the key of D major can either be played as an A major triad or an A dominant seventh chord (A7). The voicings for these chords remain unchanged in Drop D. However, if you apply an alternating bass line to either of these chords, some adjustments must be made. The fifth of the chord, E, is played at the 2nd fret of the sixth string. In standard tuning, this fretboard location produces the note F#. In drop D however, this note is now E. The E note can either be fretted by bringing the thumb over the top of the neck or by simply using the first finger. If you choose to fret this note with the first finger when playing an A major triad, the second, third, and fourth fingers must fret the remaining notes in the chord.

E Major

Many players prefer to use the thumb to fret the low root note of an "open" E major chord . In drop D tuning, E is located at the 2nd fret of the sixth string. Other players prefer to use the second finger to fret this note. Consequently, the third and fourth fingers must be used to fret the notes B and E on the fifth and fourth strings.

"Neither Lion Nor Lamb"

This song was written by Steve several years ago to capture the absence of turbulent weather changes that one normally expects in Kansas City during the month of March.

Note: Open "Drop D Tuning" listed under the "Supplemental Content" tab.

"Neither Lion Nor Lamb" features double stops played on the third and first strings. These double stops are diatonic sixths played in the key of D major. The first and third measures of the piece feature a descending line consisting of these double stop shapes. Each double stop implies a specific chord in this key. For example, the first double stop implies a G major chord. The second double stop implies A major. You are probably already familiar with this concept if you have been following along with Mark Nelson's Phase 2 Slack Key Guitar series.

Right Hand Fingering

Watch carefully as Steve breaks down the proper right hand fingering for these double stops. A low bass note is plucked immediately before the first double stop. Since the thumb must be used to pluck the bass note, use the index and ring fingers to pluck each double stop shape.

Left Hand Fingering

Steve breaks down the left hand fingering for these double stops at 06:12 in the lesson video. Use fingers three and four when playing a double stop that features notes played at the same fret. Use fingers 1 and 2 when playing a minor sixth interval (notes on different) frets. The second double stop (C# and A) forms this interval. Use fingers two and three for the final double stop that implies the D major chord at the second fret.

Practicing Double Stops

Work through the first few measures along with Steve at 07:56. You must be able to play the double stops cleanly and in time. Make sure that each note rings clearly into the next.

G Major (Third Position)

In measure 2, the double stops resolve to a G chord played in third position. The third finger frets the root note at the 5th fret of the sixth string. The notes B and D are played on the third and second strings. The middle and index fingers are respectively used to fret this note. Within this fingering, the fourth string is played open. The open first string can also be added to the chord for extra color. When this string is included, a G6 chord is formed.

Bass Notes

The first time the double stops are played, a D pedal tone is played at the beginning of the measure. A pedal tone occurs when multiple notes or chords are played against a note that remains static. The root notes of the I, IV, and V chords are used most often as pedal tones. When the double stop figure is repeated in measure 3, a G bass note is used. Hold this note while playing the first double stop. Then, you must release the bass note in order to play the remaining double stops in the measure.

D Major (Third Position)

The double stop figure that occurs in measure 3 resolves to a tonic D chord played in third position. This chord shape resembles the "open" C chord. Simply slide the C shape up three frets to form a D major chord. An open bass note is played on the sixth string. The open third and first strings can be added to the chord for extra color. The inclusion of these notes produces a Dadd9,11 chord. Chapter 3: (09:14) Working on the Song At the beginning of this scene, Steve brings the first four measures together. Watch and listen carefully to make sure that you understand what is happening during this section. Then, pause the lesson video and practice these measures on your own. Make sure that you can play them in time with a metronome! When you feel ready, return to the lesson video and play along with Steve at 01:48.

Arpeggiation of Chords (Measures 2 and 4)

The notation included under the "Supplemental Content" tab provides one possible way to arpeggiate the chords in measures 2 and 4. Feel free to experiment with your own arpeggio patterns for these chords. As you will notice throughout the lesson, Steve arpeggiates chords differently each time that he performs this section.

Second Section

The second section of the song centers around the V chord, A.

Measure 9

In measure 9, a hammer-on figure is played on the fourth, third, and second strings in conjunction with an open A pedal tone. On beat 2, pluck the fourth, third, and second strings open. Then, simultaneously hammer onto each string at the second fret. The hammer-on figure produces a rapid change from a G chord to an A chord.

Keep Slurs Even!

Do not perform this hammer-on too quickly! Do not cut the open notes short! All of the notes under the slur line must receive the EXACT same value. Check out Danny Voris' seventh Phase 2 Classical Guitar lesson for more information on this topic. Danny provides some exercises that will help keep slurs even.

Steve performs the triple hammer-on with fingers two, three, and four. This fingering is most conducive to playing the figure smoothly and in time. If you find measure 9 difficult, drill it until it becomes second nature. Steve demonstrates this miniature exercise at 05:19 in the video.

Double Stops

Check out the left image on Steve's marker board. This image can be found under the "Supplemental Content" tab. The blue and green notes on the fourth and second strings indicate the locations of some important double stops that occur in this section. These double stops are played in sixths that are diatonic to the key of D major. In measure 12 of this section, the double stops are played in an ascending fashion to provide some contrast with the double stops taught in the previous scene.

Pay careful attention to the left hand fingering that Steve uses to play these new double stops. This fingering will allow you to play the melody in a smooth, legato style.

Practice Time

Pause the lesson video and practice measures 9-12 along with a metronome. Once you can play these measures cleanly and in time, proceed to the next scene. Chapter 4: (05:54) Putting the Song Together Steve provides you with an opportunity to play "Neither Lion Nor Lamb" along with him in this scene. At 01:10, he plays the piece at a modest tempo. Later, at 03:10, he demonstrates the piece at performance tempo.

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