               
Low C Tuning--It's Like DADGAD,
But More!
IMPORTANT NOTE: Before studying the material
on this page, read through my Open D Tuning page. There you'll find some helpful information on chord patterns/substitutions
and theory that I won't be repeating here.
After studying this page, check out my reviews of
Low C master El McMeen's concert with Larry Pattis, and of El's new CD,
"The Lea Rig." Also please take advantage of the free
Tabs and Midis that El has made available to this site exclusively!
INTRODUCTION TO LOW "C" TUNING
Recently, I was visiting my local Barnes and Noble megastore, and I stopped to listen to a young lady playing a Celtic harp.
It was beautiful, and I wondered what it was about the sound that I liked
so much. First of all, because of the many strings available on the
harp, she was able to get deep bass tones along with high treble notes.
This not only helped to set off the melody in a way that was very difficult
to achieve on the guitar, but it also allowed her to strike beautiful open
chords, with deep root tones, thirds and fifths in the middle, and shimmering
highs. I despaired of ever achieving similar effects on the guitar,
until, that is, I encountered low "C" tuning.
Very rare among alternate tuning enthusiasts,
low "C" is almost identical to DADGAD. The only difference is that
the sixth string is tuned to C instead of D and the fifth string is tuned
to G instead of A. But these variations make all the difference because
they change everything. The primary keys, for example. Whereas
most songs in DADGAD are in the key of D, most songs in low C are in the
key of C or G. And that low C on the sixth string delivers a beautiful
low bass tone every time. The great thing is that while low C extends
the tonal range of your playing, it still preserves all the wonderful qualities
of DADGAD--the GA on the second and third strings, for example, that enables
a clawhammer banjo and ringing strings effects, and the multiple Ds that
enable a drone. While low C is rare among guitarists, one, El
McMeen, uses it almost exclusively, and has exploited its potential
to the fullest. El's CDs are the best "lesson" on this tuning, and
are available at El's website, www.elmcmeen.com.
I strongly suggest you get your hands on one or more
of El's CDs if you are serious about this tuning. He's an extraordinary
guitarist, and clearly "owns" this tuning.
Low C is great for Celtic tunes (as El McMeen
so beautifully demonstrates) but it is also fantastic for country
effects (the classic 9 resolving into the tonic with the third on top)
and for any song where melody (rather than chord tones) is the dominant
factor. In my estimation, no tuning is better suited to highlighting
melodies than Low C, and yet, you can still get the beautiful, quirky chord
tones that are impossible to achieve in standard tuning. All told,
in my book, low C is a huge winner and is fast becoming my alternate tuning
of choice.
[Note to Church Guitarists: There
is no better tuning for playing hymns than Low C. If you doubt me,
check out El's "Soul
and Spirit" CD, the best solo guitar renditions of sacred music that
I've ever heard.]
TUNING YOUR GUITAR
The easiest way to get your guitar into Low C
tuning, is to go to my DADGAD
page and follow the instructions there on how to tune to DADGAD.
Then come back here. Go ahead, I'll wait!
OK so now you're tuned to DADGAD. Lower the sixth
string one whole tone until it sounds like the note on the third fret of
the second string, except an octave lower. Lower the fifth string one whole
tone until it sounds like the third string open, except one octave lower.
If you have an electronic tuner, set it to chromatic to get the right notes.
The following notes should light up from sixth string to first: CGDGAD.
Congratulations! You are now in Low C tuning.
CHORDS
First, all you need is one finger to get a great
sounding chord in Low C tuning. Place the first finger of your
left hand on the second fret of the second string and strum the first five
strings. This will give you a G chord. (This takes three fingers
in standard tuning!) The following diagram illustrates how
to form a G major chord in Low C tuning. G major is the most common key
for Low C tuning, so that's what I'll be using here. If you don't
understand the diagram, read more about it on my Open D tuning page.
1||---|---|---|---|---|--
2||---|-I-|---|---|---|--
3||---|---|---|---|---|--
4||---|---|---|---|---|--
5||---|---|---|---|---|--
6||---|---|---|---|---|--
Doesn't that sound great? And imagine--only
one finger!
By the way, it is also very common for users of
Low C tuning to capo up to the fourth fret, effectively changing
the key to B. The wonderful thing about Low C, is you can capo up
four frets and still get very low bass tones on the the fifth and sixth
strings. In effect, it doesn't sound like you are using a capo at
all. So feel free to try any of these chords with a capo on your
fourth fret.
[IMPORTANT NOTE: Because the fifth
and sixth strings are tuned down so low, some guitars might buzz on these
two strings. If this is your case, try using a slightly higher gauge
of string for this tuning. But please consult the manufacturer of
your guitar before using a gauge of strings different from that with which
it was originally strung.]
OK. So the chord above represents the "one" (I)
chord of the I IV V chord pattern in the key of G. The following diagram
will give you the chord that will substitute for the C major, or IV chord.
(Don't play the first string. If you sound the first string, you'll
get a C major 9th, also a great sounding chord!)
1||---|---|---|---|---|--
2||---|---|-R-|---|---|--
3||---|---|---|---|---|--
4||---|-I-|---|---|---|--
5||---|---|---|---|---|--
6||---|---|---|---|---|--
Now, to complete the pattern, let's do the "V"
chord, that will take the place of D major. Use the pad of your middle
finger to mute the fifth string.
1||---|---|---|---|---|--
2||---|---|---|---|---|--
3||---|-R-|---|---|---|--
4||---|---|---|---|---|--
5||---|---|---|---|---|--
6||---|-M-|---|---|---|--
I love the way that sounds! Notice that
the second and third strings sound the same note. There's that DADGAD
drone!
For practice (ear and hand) alternate these chords
a few times, strumming each four times.
APPLYING THE I, IV, V CYCLE TO SONGS
As with other open tunings, you can play many
songs using just these three chords. If you've worked out songs in other
tunings based on the I IV V pattern , try the same songs using this pattern
in Low C. They sound quite different, don't they?
IT'S NEVER TOO SOON FOR THE HOLIDAYS!
I mentioned earlier that Low C is a great tuning
when you want to emphasize melody. See what I mean by trying the
following simple arrangement of Jingle Bells. Remember: Hammer
on's and pull off's add tremendously to this tuning. Experiment,
particularly with the G Chord, where the first finger can easily hammer
on the second fret. (You'll get the country effect I mentioned before.)
Have fun with it JINGLE BELLS
(CAPO--4TH FRET)
D|-------|-------|---0-----|---|---------|---------|---------|---0-|---
A|-2-2-2-|-2-2-2-|-2-----0-|-2-|-3-3-3-3-|-3-2-2-2-|-2-0-0-3-|-0---|-2-
G|-------|-------|-----0---|---|---------|---------|-0---0---|-----|---
D|-0---0-|-0---0-|-0-------|-0-|-2---2---|-0---0---|---------|-0-0-|-0-
G|-0---0-|-0---0-|-0---0---|-0-|---------|-0---0---|-2---2---|-----|-0-
C|-------|-------|---------|---|-0---0---|---------|---------|-2-2-|---
D|-----|-------|---0-----|---|---------|---------|-0-0-----|----||-
A|-2-2-|-2-2-2-|-2-----0-|-2-|-3-3-3-3-|-3-2-2-2-|-----3-0-|---*||-
G|-----|-------|-----0---|---|---------|---------|---------|-0--||-
D|---0-|-0---0-|-0-------|-0-|-2---2---|-0---0---|-----0---|-0--||-
G|---0-|-0---0-|-0---0---|-0-|---------|-0---0---|---------|-0-*||-
C|-----|-------|---------|---|-0---0---|---------|-2---2---|----||-
A GREAT TUNING FOR CELTIC
As guitarist El McMeen has so brilliantly demonstrated, Low C is an
ideal tuning for Celtic or Celtic-style music. In the following arrangement
of "Danny Boy", I've tried to exploit some of the characteristics of the
tuning that make it so, especially the ability it gives you to play consecutive
tones on open strings. Ringing strings are essential to the harplike
effects you want to achieve in Celtic arrangements, so, when playing Danny
Boy, allow the strings to ring as long as possible. Even the sometimes
dissonant effects of doing this add to the beauty.
The first part of this arrangement is much easier than the second part.
So you might want to reserve part II until you have a bit more experience
with this tuning. However, don't be afraid to try it! You just
might find that it's not as hard as you (or I) think it is. You can
still get the essential "Danny Boy" tune in Part I, and it's very satisfying! In any case, once you have learned the arrangement, try embellishing
upon it by adding hammer-ons, pull-offs, and bends, and by using more bass
tones and fuller harmonies. This arrangement is really just to get
you started. What you ultimately do with it is entirely up to you!
If you would like to hear a more elaborate arrangement of Danny Boy than the one
presented here, go to my Songs
page. Have fun and enjoy!
DANNY BOY
(CAPO--4TH FRET)
D|-------|-----------2-0---|-----------------|-0-----2-0-------|-------
A|-----0-|-2-----0-2-----2-|-0-----------2-3-|-----------2---2-|-0-----
G|---0---|-----0-----------|---0-------0-----|-----0-------0---|-------
D|-4-----|---0-------------|-----2-----------|---0-------------|-----2-
G|-------|-0-------0-------|-------0---------|-0-------0---0---|---0---
C|-------|-----------------|-0-------0-------|-----------------|-0-----
D|-----------|-----------2-0----|-----------------|-----------------|---
A|---------0-|-2-----0-2------2-|-0-------------0-|-2-----3-2-0---0-|---
G|-------0---|-----0------------|---0---------0---|-----0-------0---|-0-
D|-----4-----|---0--------------|-----2-----4-----|---0-------------|---
G|-----------|-0-------0--------|-------0---------|-0---------------|-0-
C|-0-2-------|------------------|-0-------0-------|---------0---2---|---
D|---------||-0-2-4-|-5-----4-4-2-0-2-|-0---------0-2-4-|-5-----4-4-2-0-
A|---2-----||-------|-----------------|---2-------------|-----2---------
G|---------||-------|-----0-----------|-----0-----------|---0-----------
D|-0---0---||-------|---0-------------|-------0---------|---------------
G|-------0-||-------|-0---------------|-0-------0-------|-------------0-
C|---------||-------|---------0-------|-----------------|-4-------2-----
D|---|-----------0-0-0-|-9-----7-7-5---5-|-0---------------|---2-0-----
A|-2-|-0---------------|-------------7---|---2-------------|-2-----2-0-
G|---|-----------------|-----0-----------|-----0---------0-|-----------
D|---|-----2-----------|---0-------------|-----------4-0---|-----------
G|---|---0---0---------|-0---------------|-0---------------|-0---0-----
C|---|-0-------2-------|---------0-------|-------2-3-------|---------0-
D|-------|---------|---*|-
A|-------|-----2---|---*|-
G|-0-----|-0-------|-0-*|-
D|---2-4-|---0---0-|---*|-
G|-------|-0-------|-0-*|-
C|---2---|---------|---*|-
MORE CHORDS
Here are some more chords in Low C tuning
for you to experiment with.
Major chords.
This is a another G Major with the root (G) on
top. X means mute (don't play) the string.
1||---|---|---|---|-P-|--
2||---|-I-|---|---|---|--
3||---|---|---|---|---|--
4||---|---|---|---|---|--
5||---|---|---|---|---|--
X||---|---|---|---|---|--
Minor Chords
This is an A minor. Barre the second fret
with your index finger:
1||---|-I-|---|---|---|--
2||---|-I-|-M-|---|---|--
3||---|-I-|---|---|---|--
4||---|-I-|---|---|---|--
5||---|-I-|---|---|---|--
X||---|-I-|---|---|---|--
This is an C Minor. By not muting the first
string, you'll get a C minor 9th:
X||---|---|---|---|---|--
2||---|---|-P-|---|---|--
3||---|---|---|---|---|--
4||-I-|---|---|---|---|--
5||---|---|---|---|---|--
6||---|---|---|---|---|--
This is a D Minor:
1||---|---|-R-|---|---|--
2||---|---|---|---|---|--
3||---|-I-|---|---|---|--
4||---|---|---|---|---|--
X||---|---|---|---|---|--
X||---|---|---|---|---|--
This is an E Minor Seventh. This is a lot easier
when you're capoed up to the fourth fret:
1||---|---|---|---|-P-|--
2||---|-I-|---|---|---|--
3||---|---|---|---|---|--
4||---|---|---|---|---|--
X||---|---|---|---|---|--
6||---|---|---|-M-|---|--
Dominant Seventh Chords
This is a D Seventh:
1||---|---|---|-I-|---|--
2||---|---|---|---|-R-|--
3||---|---|---|---|-M-|--
4||---|---|---|---|---|--
X||---|---|---|---|---|--
X||---|---|---|---|---|--
Major Seventh Chords
This is an Eb Major Seventh (an important one
if you try "Danny Boy" in this tuning in the key of G:
1||---|---|---|---|---|--
2||-I-|---|---|---|---|--
3||---|---|---|---|---|--
4||---|---|---|---|---|--
X||---|---|---|---|---|--
6||---|---|-R-|---|---|--
And don't forget to try some standard tuning formations
in DADGAD and see what happens. Try playing a C Major chord as you would
in standard tuning. What does it sound like? (Hint: A diminished
chord?)
FINGERPICKING
Low C tuning is great for fingerpicking,
both for solo work and accompaniment. Check out my finger
picking page to learn some basic patterns.
MORE TABS
If you visit El
McMeen's website, you'll be able to pick up a few more tabs in Low
C tuning from a few of El's books published by Mel
Bay. You can also listing to a few sound clips from El's CDs.
The tabs are somewhat more difficult than the ones I've posted here, so
be prepared for that. It's nice to know they're there, however, when
you're ready for them.
YOUR FEEDBACK IS IMPORTANT
Please let me know what you thought of this lesson
and of this site in general by sending an email to:
(See home page.)
And please sign in to my guest book. Click
below and then click "Reply" to post your message.
Copyright 1999-2005. All Rights Reserved.
| 