Hi Neil, I was wondering if you could do a lesson on the exotic and little known alternate BAGHDAD tuning? I have heard it is used to invoke the mysterious sounds of the desert!
Thanks, from Beaker!
BAGHDAD tuning.....
Beaker- I had to laugh because it sounds like a new tuning for the Iraqi desert!! I had visions of nomads and camels trying to keep their guitars in tune! lol!
What I think you are referring to is DADGAD tuning. It does kinda sound like Baghdad but it has little to do with the Middle East unless you consider Morocco the Middle East.
DADGAD is also called Celtic tuning and is the backbone of many hauntingly beautiful Irish fold songs. It was made popoular by an Englishman named Davey Graham in the 60's and 70's. It is certainly not "little known" and is one of the primary alternate tunings used by many guitarists. Many musicians have built whole careers around this one tuning.
DADGAD is a really fun modal tuning that even beginning guitarists can enjoy. Many of the chords in this tuning are really simple and the Celtic effect is enhanced because the chords use many open notes which are allowed to ring through chord changes. In that way it's similar to many of the "open" tunings like open G used in Hawaiian slack key music. It's also easy to tune into from standard tuning as three of the strings stay the same and the other three only move a step.
We've been after Neil to do a few DADGAD songs and he has promised to do so, so here's hoping. If you just can't wait, Homespun Music produces a really good video series by the late Artie Traum that is a great place to start.
Try this tuning sometime and I guaranty you will love the sound! Good luck! Now if Neil would just quit doing all these cool Pink Floyd songs I would have some time to practice DADGAD! :laugh:
Cheers! :cheer:
What I think you are referring to is DADGAD tuning. It does kinda sound like Baghdad but it has little to do with the Middle East unless you consider Morocco the Middle East.
DADGAD is also called Celtic tuning and is the backbone of many hauntingly beautiful Irish fold songs. It was made popoular by an Englishman named Davey Graham in the 60's and 70's. It is certainly not "little known" and is one of the primary alternate tunings used by many guitarists. Many musicians have built whole careers around this one tuning.
DADGAD is a really fun modal tuning that even beginning guitarists can enjoy. Many of the chords in this tuning are really simple and the Celtic effect is enhanced because the chords use many open notes which are allowed to ring through chord changes. In that way it's similar to many of the "open" tunings like open G used in Hawaiian slack key music. It's also easy to tune into from standard tuning as three of the strings stay the same and the other three only move a step.
We've been after Neil to do a few DADGAD songs and he has promised to do so, so here's hoping. If you just can't wait, Homespun Music produces a really good video series by the late Artie Traum that is a great place to start.
Try this tuning sometime and I guaranty you will love the sound! Good luck! Now if Neil would just quit doing all these cool Pink Floyd songs I would have some time to practice DADGAD! :laugh:
Cheers! :cheer:
Big Bear,
Wow! I really appreciate you very ernest and thoughtful response! You are one stand up dude and I sure know who to ask if I have another question, BUT.........
I am sure glad that I made you laugh because that is what I was trying to do! I was just trying to elicit a little bit of holiday merriment and laughter for the benefit of all my fellow Target students.
You see, I was jogging today and saw a big billboard that was saying something about Baghdad and I could'nt help but notice that the word Baghdad was made up almost entirely with letters that were the names of strings (I have been thinking a lot about guitar because I have been studying the Acoustic Genius series), So I was joking to myself that Baghdad sounded kinda like DADGAD and I thought I could make a few people laugh if I asked for a lesson about it.
Thanks Big Bear, You Rock! Beaker.
Wow! I really appreciate you very ernest and thoughtful response! You are one stand up dude and I sure know who to ask if I have another question, BUT.........
I am sure glad that I made you laugh because that is what I was trying to do! I was just trying to elicit a little bit of holiday merriment and laughter for the benefit of all my fellow Target students.
You see, I was jogging today and saw a big billboard that was saying something about Baghdad and I could'nt help but notice that the word Baghdad was made up almost entirely with letters that were the names of strings (I have been thinking a lot about guitar because I have been studying the Acoustic Genius series), So I was joking to myself that Baghdad sounded kinda like DADGAD and I thought I could make a few people laugh if I asked for a lesson about it.
Thanks Big Bear, You Rock! Beaker.
beaker wrote:
Yea, I figured you might be pulling our leg but it was so funny that I couldn't resist an honest reply just in case. You got me fair and square!! LOL! And I saved Neil from having to respond!
Cheers! :cheer:
Big Bear,
Wow! I really appreciate you very ernest and thoughtful response! You are one stand up dude and I sure know who to ask if I have another question, BUT.........
I am sure glad that I made you laugh because that is what I was trying to do! I was just trying to elicit a little bit of holiday merriment and laughter for the benefit of all my fellow Target students.
You see, I was jogging today and saw a big billboard that was saying something about Baghdad and I could'nt help but notice that the word Baghdad was made up almost entirely with letters that were the names of strings (I have been thinking a lot about guitar because I have been studying the Acoustic Genius series), So I was joking to myself that Baghdad sounded kinda like DADGAD and I thought I could make a few people laugh if I asked for a lesson about it.
Thanks Big Bear, You Rock! Beaker.
Yea, I figured you might be pulling our leg but it was so funny that I couldn't resist an honest reply just in case. You got me fair and square!! LOL! And I saved Neil from having to respond!
Cheers! :cheer:
There used to be an H in music. Instead of me typing it all out.... Cut and paste...
In German music there is no "H" chord. the nomenclature was changed in 1994/1995. "h" is forbidden. Germany was the only country in the world, where this chord - or better . this name for a chord was used. "H" means the same as "b" in all other countries. J.S.Bach has called the "b" as "h", because he thought of difficulties with "Bb". in Germany there was - to make the confusion complete - no "Bb". all this chords were called "b".
so, to make it clear: German "H" is in fact "B" and German "B" is in fact "Bb". but only in old literature and in newer ones written by people, that don´t know the nomenclature, means most pop-musicians without real abilities and classical musicians that are too arrogant to think that anything could have changed in the last 200 years.
(From a quick search.)
In German music there is no "H" chord. the nomenclature was changed in 1994/1995. "h" is forbidden. Germany was the only country in the world, where this chord - or better . this name for a chord was used. "H" means the same as "b" in all other countries. J.S.Bach has called the "b" as "h", because he thought of difficulties with "Bb". in Germany there was - to make the confusion complete - no "Bb". all this chords were called "b".
so, to make it clear: German "H" is in fact "B" and German "B" is in fact "Bb". but only in old literature and in newer ones written by people, that don´t know the nomenclature, means most pop-musicians without real abilities and classical musicians that are too arrogant to think that anything could have changed in the last 200 years.
(From a quick search.)
-
neverfoundthetime
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- Joined: Sat Aug 01, 2009 2:14 pm
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The H is very present and correct in German guitar notation today. All my guitar friends us an H instead of a B and they use B for Bb. Bear and Andy may have found a few in my songbook as I used German and English notation willy nilly in it! Now I actually could try out the BAGHDAD tuning because I do have more than 6 strings on my guitar.....