Some days I just feel old.......

I completed a nice fretted 4-stringer and started stringing it up, then the "Senior Moment" hit. What was the correct tuning? I looked at the string package and it showed G major as DGBD. Then I looked at a chord chart for 4-string Open G which showed strings as GDGB (from the top of the guitar to the bottom).

This makes me think that for open G major I need GDGB not DGBD as shown on the package. What am I missing here and what is the correct tuning (before I start breaking strings).

Thanks

Tom T

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Actually Smoke on the Water isn't played with power cords. The cords played are only two notes each. (low note to high) D, G, Then F, A#, then G, C. The forth cord played is G#, C# As shown in this vid, He starts this song playing this pattern on the 5th fret in the key of D. Then moves it all up to the 10th fret using the same pattern. Still playing on the 6,5, and 4 strings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mCK05dgwgU

This is GREAT musicianship. Playing these cord like this didn't interfere with the bass or keyboard. Allowing each instrument to cary itself. Giving an over all bigger sound to the song. Yes it can be played with power cords. But if you want that cool Deep Purple sound it's the two note cords and single notes all the way! Sounds great live with a bass player holding his own.

Those two note chords ARE the power chords. Power chords are technically dyads, unless you add the octave, but in popular music are referred to as power "chords." And yes, it IS great musicianship. It shows a deeper understanding of musical structure than its simple driving nature would have you believe. The D-G is an inverted G5, with the root above the 5th; same for the F-A# (Bb) = Bb5, G-C = C5, etc. This is a case where the low note is not the root. But no matter. It's a fun song to play, and can be whanged properly on a 3-banger.

Thank you for calling them dyads and not 'double stops' like kids do on all the guitar forums I belong to. No idea why people are calling them double stops. Be like calling a triad a 'triple stop'. LOL

There is nothing wrong with calling them "double stops" or  "triple" stops", because often that's what they are, but that typically refers to when you are "stopping" or fretting the strings. A double or triple stop is when you hold down and sound 2 or 3 strings together, so it's a name for a playing technique rather than a specific chord. The name comes from the fiddle and bowed instrument tradition....the "kids on the guitar forums" are using the accepted traditional and classical musical nomenclature for what they are doing. And a little point..a "power cord" is what you plug your amp in with, a "power chord" is what you play on the guitar....yes, I know that's being unnecessarily pedantic, sorry.

Oh, goody, it wasn't me this time, wondering why people play the Haitch out of their power cords ;-).

A Chord is multiple notes played at once on an instrument intended to do so, such as a guitar, ukulele, mandolin, harp, piano, etc

A double/triple stop is multiple notes played at once on an instrument not intended to do so, such as a violin/viola/cello

Hello! I would like to know if with these four string guitars, you could play accompaniment chords of any song and style, rock, pop .... and that tuning would be the best. I read that gdgb is good because chords are simple to do. The six string guitars are too complicated for me :) GDGB is the good choice for this? another?
Thanks for your reply

Yes BUT

It would get a tad interesting accompanying 'any' music with GDGB tuning, which is a G Major chord, a bar chord on that will always be a major chord and it will take some work to figure out how to finger a minor chord.  a song in the key of G could use any of these chords: G Am Bm C D Em F#dim

that's why the G5 chord/tuning GDG is so popular for the 3 strings, its neither major nor minor and sounds good accompanying either. 

Fast and easy: GDGG or GDGD

Easier than 6 string: GDGBb (B flat) which is a G Minor chord and playing the Bb string 1 fret higher than the other strings makes it a major chord.

GDGB is great for songs in G and D. However, you might find it a tad challenging, chord-wise, for songs in Eb, for example. ADF#B gives you the ability for movable chord shapes, and ADGB is the middle 4 strings of a 6-stringer, on which many chords are played...

There are a ton of tuning options for a four string instrument (standard guitar tuning, open tunings, ukulele tuning, etc.). Here is a link to many options Tunings

My idea is to use the tuning that allows me to play accompaniment chords more easily from the maximum number of songs.

ah! i am violin player, the gdae tuning is a good choice?

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