Davy Rogers' Traditional Irish Guiter Tabs and MIDI's/Guitar Tunings

*TUNING*	*USUAL NAME*	*COMMENTS*
EADGBE	"Standard" or "Universal" Tuning	*universal tuning useful for all keys*
DADGBE	Dropped D	*gives a better sounding basic D chord*
DADGAD	"DADGAD" or D Modal	*my most favoured tunings for Irish Traditional tunes* *(a capo is needed for certain keys)*
DGDGBD	Open G major also known as "slack key", "Hawaiian", "Spanish" or "Sebastapol" tuning
DGDGBbD	Open G [minor]	*great harmonics (minor version of above)*
EADEAE	Open E [modal]	*good "droney" feel. Used by Dick Gaughn*
CGDGBD	Open G [major] (with C bass)	*bass C useful in some tunes*
DADF#AD	Open D [major] also known as "Vestapol" tuning	*much used in blues & slide guitar*
DADFAD	Open D [minor] also known as "Crossnote" tuning	*minor version of above*
CADFAD	Open D [minor] (with C bass)	*bass C is very handy in some tunes*
*CGCGCE*	Open C	*watch out for broken B strings*
Convention used in expressing a tuning is Bass (6th) string first (left) - Highest pitched (1st) string last (right)

For an excellent chord finder in DADGAD tuning (by Paul McSherry) ~ click HERE

DADGAD GUITAR TUNER

GUITAR TUNING NOTES

Tuning your guitar to sound a major, minor or modal chord is very useful in performing traditional Irish music, especially in interpreting music originally played on the harp.
A modern harpist would use semitone levers to raise the pitch of selected strings
one semitone in order to tune the harp to any major or minor key. A guitar player can emulate this by using the any of the above "open" or "alternative" tunings.

The TablEdit programme comes with a built-in tuner for the guitar tuning used.
A good quality capo is also required. I use a "Kaiser" clothes peg-type for quick changes, or a "Quickdraw" (recommended).

The most basic alternative tuning is DADGBE (by convention from the bass or 6th string) or "Dropped D tuning". This tuning's better suited to tunes in the key of D or Dm, than standard tuning EADGBE, where the bass string is tuned to E and is effectively redundant when the first position D chord is played. A much fuller and richer basic D chord can be produced with the bass string tuned to low D. As with most open tunings strings are lowered rather than raised in pitch to prevent breaking strings. If you decide to tune your guitar to any of the above tunings you'll be slackening tension only in selected strings. You'll never need to tighten the tension in any string higher than standard tuning, so don't be afraid of breaking strings. Exception to this is Open C (CGCGCE) where the B string is raised in pitch 1 semitone to C.

For your convenience use has been made of colour coding in the tabulated lists of tunes
(on Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, and Page 7).

There are many more open tunings for the guitar. [See Steve McWilliams's comprehensive list at: CLICK HERE FOR LIST. I have found, like many other guitarists, that the above 11 alternative guitar tunings are the most useful for playing both traditional Irish tunes and other types of folk and modern music. DADGAD and Open G (DGDGBD) are my favourites and I use them more than any other tuning. There may be more tunings out there such as "Orkney" tuning (CGDGCD) with which I am currently experimenting and discovering new possibilities. Thanks Steve Baughman).
Also thanks to Simon Prager, blues & ragtime guitarist from the U.K. for suggesting DADEAE. To quote from Simon's message in my Guestbook ". . . .because you can play in D, G, A, E and a few other keys without a capo". It would seem to be a variation on Open E modal (EADEAE) which was kindly given to me by Dick Gaughn many years ago
(see "Baptist Johnston" on the O'Carolan page)

Happy plucking, Davy Rogers


	NOTES FOR BEGINNERS I've been asked by several people to write some advice for beginners struggling to master these arrangements. Well........... Firstly, learn how to read guitar tablature (TAB) It's much easier to read than standard musical notation and an excellent guide to this can be found on my fellow tabber Steve McWilliams' (Guitar TAB) Website CLICK HERE to visit. Not wishing to re-invent the wheel I take the liberty of steering you there. Secondly, experiment with open guitar tunings and then begin with relatively easy pieces such as the jigs "Tripping Upstairs" , "Off She Goes", "The Swallowtail" & "The Humours of Ennistymon" which can be found here on the JIGS page AND ARE ALL FREE TO DOWNLOAD There are also FREE MP3s for these tunes Thirdly, try to play along with the playback through your computer speakers or earphones, adjusting the speed of playback in TablEdit to very slow to begin with, and gradually increasing the pace up to session speed as you progress. Finally, get to know the tunes by repeated listening to the MIDIs, then try to build up your speed. I've arranged each tune to be as easily playable as possible on the guitar, but some are really tricky to play. Practice makes perfect, as they say. I suggest you set aside at least a half-hour every day for practicing. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Advice to young musicians Q. Willie Clancy, if you were asked to give advice to young musicians today what would it be? A. Get a grasp of the Gaelic tongue and develop a love for it. Go to the Gaeltacht and the old people who have it and learn it. I feel that a knowledge of our language is essential if you are to express the true spirit of our music and, as the saying goes, "Don't settle for the skim milk when the cream is at hand". Apart from that have patience; learn to walk before you run. You might have a flair for the music, you might think you're good at it, and you might be tempted to plunge ahead without perfecting your technique; well it might be in your head but your fingers will let you down. So, start playing early and develop your technique with patience, practice and perseverance
	Good Luck Keep on Plucking Davy Rogers

Advice to young musicians