Alternate Guitar Tunings and How to Use Them: The Kirklees Guitar School Podcast S2 E26

In this episode of The Kirklees Guitar School Podcast, we dive into alternate guitar tunings and explore how changing your tuning can completely transform the way you approach riffs, rhythm parts, and songwriting. Alternate tunings are often misunderstood or avoided by players, but they can be one of the most powerful tools for unlocking new sounds and creative ideas on the guitar.

We break down several of the most commonly used alternate tunings and explain how and why guitarists use them in real musical situations. Along the way, we discuss Drop D, Eb tuning, DADGAD, Open G, and F# standard, looking at what each tuning offers and how it changes the feel and layout of the instrument.

To keep everything practical, we relate each tuning to well-known songs that many guitarists will already recognise. We explore Drop D through the lens of Killing In The Name by Rage Against The Machine, Eb tuning via Heart Shaped Box by Nirvana, and DADGAD with Kashmir by Led Zeppelin. We also look at Open G using Start Me Up and Brown Sugar by The Rolling Stones, and discuss lower tunings with Psycho by Muse to show how modern bands push tuning even further for heaviness and impact.

Throughout the episode, we talk about how these tunings influence riff writing, chord shapes, and groove, and how guitarists can experiment with them without feeling overwhelmed or lost. Whether you’re a bedroom player, a gigging guitarist, or someone looking to break out of familiar shapes, this episode is packed with practical insight and inspiration.

A big thank you to Elevated Jam Tracks for allowing us to use their backing tracks on the show. Their tracks are a fantastic resource for practicing riffs, improvising:

   / elevatedjamtracks  

This episode is ideal for beginner to intermediate guitarists, especially players aged 40+, who want to better understand why their favourite songs sound the way they do and how to bring those ideas into their own playing.

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