Open G - where to start?

mrkb

Thanks all, very useful suggestions for me to check out.

I cranked out Twice as Hard last night, seems weird going from a CAGED mindset where chord sequences are all in one fret area to one shape being wanged up and down the neck! Kind of liberating!

richardhomer

I’ve always loved this - Ry Cooder’s ‘How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?’:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QL7j_jx0IYs

Legionreturns

Daughter by Pearl Jam? 

mudslide73

Join Mitchell's "A Little Green" is in open G and uses a couple of shapes I hadn't found in Keith's work.

Zeppelin's Dancing Days is also in open G and has some cool slides and riffs amongst the chords. It doesn't sound like it's in G either imo. That's the Way is also in G (not unlike a Joni tune )

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

Legionreturns said:

Daughter by Pearl Jam? 

That's a good one, but need to remember tune the low E string UP to G rather than down to D! Don't know of any other songs that use that alternative open G tuning.

EricTheWeary

I used to play a few things in open G, maybe something for the lockdown. 

Dave Wakeling of The Beat used various open tunings including open G, the only one I’m pretty sure of is Hands Off She’s Mine. It’s only about four chords but it uses those Keith shapes and there’s a bit in the intro where you bounce between the open strings and a one finger chord shape. 

George Thorogood uses open G a lot, fairly sure Bad to the Bone is, there’ll be a bunch. 

Son House used open G so his most famous song Death Letter should work ( and Google says the White Stripes cover as well). 

Anything in open A should work as well - I think Clapton prefers open A. If you find G tuning is a bit slack and clattery for slide then A would give the extra tension and just play the same songs but in the wrong key.

TforTele

(Mississippi) John Hurt's "Frankie & Albert" for the finger-picker.

Cover and tips, not by me:

NelsonP

Remedy by Black Crowes