Discover a Most BEAUTIFUL Sound (OPEN "G Minor" Tuning)
If you have 10 min. I am going to help you learn about a great guitar tuning that will give you both a rich sound and an altered melodic range... It’s called “Open G Minor” tuning…
Be sure to take notes at the end because I posted a song-list that you can check into which contains songs that apply this open tuning.
The first thing that we will start with is going to be learning how to get the guitar into this unique Open “G Minor” sound.
THE OPEN “G MINOR” TUNING:
Open “G Minor” Tuning has the same note layout starting from three open “D” strings across the 6th, 4th and 1st strings. The same thing happens off of “Open G’s” found from the open 5th and 3rd strings.
The one unique string is the 2nd where we have an “Open Bb” string. Take some time (and have fun) …get creative with the notes by building a few riffs and chord ideas that function with the sound of “G Minor.”
1ST POSITION NOTE LAYOUT
The note layout from the nut (open position) is very uniform. The "D" open and "G" open share a similar interval design. The unique string is once again found from the 2nd-string.
PRACTICE TIP:
Study the note layout and the interval relationships found in the first position of this tuning to both better understand, and also discover, a few interesting chord strategies, as well as, melodic applications of this tuning.
THE FULL 6-STRING OPEN
(and BARRE CHORD MINOR):
One of the most important ideas that presents itself with many an open string tuning is that they almost always create a full chord layout which incorporates all of the open strings.
In our case, the open strings obviously give us an open “G Minor” chord. This also means that we can pull that vertical alignment of notes across the neck laterally.
If we establish a fully vertical barre across all of the strings we produce a movable minor chord pattern. Here’s what a “C Minor” would look like in 5th position…
MOVEABLE UPPER-STRING MAJOR:
When it comes to the sound of Major tonality, a nice shape for the major chord (that can be made moveable along the span of the entire fingerboard) is one that’s organized off of the top 4 guitar strings.
Below is an example of this chord pattern set into the 2nd position, and thus creating an, “F Major” chord.
NOTE: The open 5th-string “A” can also be added to the low register of the “F Major” chord layout for creating the sound of a first inversion chord of (in this case), “F/A.”
MOVABLE DOMINANT 7th CHORD:
The Dom. 7th “V-chord” (of the key of “G Minor”), is a “D Dom. 7.” This shape requires a slight stretch out to reach the high 10th fret of the first string.
The chord is manageable but will likely require a little addition practice to manage the stretch. Since it’s an important chord in harmony, this Dominant 7th pattern is an excellent chord to get down because it allows for a strong Minor Key resolution back to the primary Tonic chord of “G Minor.”
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I wanted to take a minute to let you know, that if you want to learn even more about scales and theory I have a great offer for you.
With any donation over $5, or any merchandise purchase from my Tee-Spring store, I’ll send you free copies of THREE of my most popular digital handouts.
One is called, “Harmonized Arpeggio Drills” (it’ll train you on developing your diatonic arpeggios).
Another one is my “Barre Chord” Handout which includes a page showing all the key signatures along with a chord progression that applies barre chords.
Plus, you’ll get my Notation Pack! It has 8 pages of important guitar worksheets for notating anything related to; music charts, guitar chord diagrams, and TAB.
As a BONUS, (from my "Over 40 and Still Can't Play a Scale" video), I'll also throw in a breakdown of all of the chords that are diatonic to the "F Major" scale.
As an EXTRA BONUS for my Phrygian Dominant video, I'll also throw in a breakdown featuring all of the chords that are diatonic to the Phrygian Dominant scale.
Just send me an email off of the contact page of CreativeGuitarStudio.com to let me know about either your donation or your Merchandise purchase and I’ll email you those digital handouts within 24 hrs.
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OPTIONAL “IV-MAJOR CHORD”
(“G” DORIAN MODE):
As a bonus idea, (to be able to open up your playing to the sounds of the Dorian mode), and so we can inject the sound of “G Dorian,” our last example will introduce the use the, “C Major” chord.
The chord pattern for “C Major” offers a popular sound to use when playing in, “Open G Minor” Tuning because it presents a color off of the "Dorian Minor" sound.
SONG SUGGESTIONS:
If you like open tunings and all of the interesting sounds that they produce, I think you’ll really enjoy working with the; Open G Minor Tuning.
If you have an interest in trying to play some songs that use this tuning then look into; John Renbourn’s song, “The Mist Covered Mountains of Home.”
There’s also John Fahey’s piece, “Dance of Death.”
One other song to look into is a number composed by German guitarist Peter Finger, and it is his piece called, “Elf King.”
Of course, there’s always the other direction, (a pure fun option), of simply using this tuning to write an all original song - all of your very own!
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