Q&A: How to learn a song played in open tuning?

Lesson #409 • Jan 8, 2022

Video lesson

Instructional PDF 1 page

Follow along with the print-friendly PDF! It includes all of my notes for this lesson, allowing you to follow along at your own pace. You're free to download, print, and share the PDF across your devices.

Thanks for being a Premium member of Song Notes! Your support makes these lessons possible.

Download PDF

Follow along with the print-friendly PDF!

It includes all of my notes for this lesson, allowing you to follow along at your own pace. You're free to download, print, and share the PDF across your devices.

To download the PDF, upgrade to premium or log in.

Editor’s notes

I’d never messed with Open D tuning until this video! Patreon supporter Michael asks about learning a song that isn’t in standard tuning, and I show him how I’d go about it.

In the video I’ll reference the song Michael sent in – “Wild Child” by Ghost of Paul Revere – and give my reaction & advice in real time, as I watch the video. I show my process of figuring out which key the song is in, what chords the song uses, and then wrap my head around open D tuning, which admittedly is 100% new to me. If you want to see what it’s like for a relatively experienced guitarist (me) to figure all this out on the fly, with zigs and zags included – give this a watch!

The question that inspired this lesson

Patreon supporter Michael asked the following question:

“I am a big fan of the song Wild Child by Ghost of Paul Revere (below) and wanted to learn it but haven’t found a tab that looks accurate. Does it look like he is in different tuning to you? It does to me since he plays a lot of open in between riffs/chord changes. Don’t need a full tab or lesson (all though it would be nice lol) but if you get a chance could you take a look and see if you can tell what tuning he is in and what the chords are?”

The song that I’m referencing during the lesson

Here’s the song I’m watching during my video. It’s called “Wild Child” by Ghost of Paul Revere.

Lessons about tuning:

Lessons about the fretboard:

Unlock My Secret Stash!

Gain instant access to my library of 304 print-friendly cheat sheets! Also includes my extended video lessons, jam tracks, courses, and more.

Join Song Notes Premium

Have questions? Watch video tour »

Browse Related Lessons

Click any tag below to view other lessons I've made in that category:

Enjoy My Lessons? Show Your Support!

Most of the lessons on my website are 100% free. If you have the means, please show your support with a tip jar contribution. I put many hours into every lesson — but it only takes you a minute to make a donation. You have my thanks!

Donate

Looking for More Song Lessons?

Featured Courses

Fun & Helpful Tools I've Made

Coming soon is Jambox – which shows all the video jam tracks I've made. It's note quite ready for the spotlight, but check it out if you like!


Subscribe to my YouTube channel

Be sure to never miss a lesson by subscribing on YouTube. I put out 2-3 new videos every week. These include full song lessons, as well as covers, practice tips, behind-the-scenes updates. Thanks!


Recent Lessons

  • April 10, 2026

    "Free Fallin'" by Tom Petty

    Learn to strum and sing Tom Petty's 1989 classic. I include a campfire version (no capo), as well as the colorful chord variations used in Key of D (capo 3) and Key of E (capo 1) versions. Rhythm & strumming tips too!

  • March 23, 2026

    "I'm a Little Crazy" by Morgan Wallen

    A step-by-step fingerstyle guide to Morgan Wallen's hit from 2025. I demonstrate a handful of ways to approach Trais-style fingerpicking, where each layer builds upon the last.

  • March 17, 2026

    [Fixed] Minor Pentatonic Cheat Sheet - Download Link Fixed!

    Back in lesson #583, I published 40 pages of scale cheat sheets... but just realized the minor pentatonic summary PDF had a broken download link! I've fixed it.

  • March 13, 2026

    Guitar Tech Tip: Change the Key of Any YouTube Video

    A must-know tip for guitarists in the modern age! I teach you how to change the key of ANY video on YouTube, allowing you to play along in standard tuning.

  • March 12, 2026

    [Updated] Strum & Riff Guide for "About a Girl" by Nirvana

    I've updated my practice notes for this Nirvana classic! Learn the rhtyhm & strumming, along with the recognizable guitar riff.

  • March 3, 2026

    Strumming Issues? Try the "Pyramid" Rhythm Drill

    This is the #1 most helpful strumming & rhythm exercise out there, in my book! It'll help you with staying on the beat, strumming smoothly, counting 8th & 16th notes, and so much more.

  • Feb 13-20, 2026

    Save Your "Favorite" Lessons, with Custom Collections!

    The biggest new feature I've added in years! Build a list of your "Favorite" lessons, organized into custom collections of your choosing. Tons of requests for this... hope you enjoy!

  • February 4, 2026

    Sing & Strum "Piano Man" by Billy Joel

    Learn how to play Billy Joel's 1973 classic on your six string! This lesson includes plenty of practical ways to simplify some of the tricky piano chords, to suit a range of skill levels.

  • Jan 26, 2026

    Member Q&A: January 2026

    Here's a round-up of the video Q&A I made for Song Notes members over the last few weeks. Plenty of handy practice tips included!

Browse All Recent Lessons →

← back to homepage


YouTube URL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qf1Ltg2Cq0I
Thumbnail (video)
Video thumbnail for Q&A: How to learn a song played in open tuning?
Thumbnail (pdf)
PDF thumbnail for Q&A: How to learn a song played in open tuning?
Slug
409
Lesson URL
/lessons/409/
PDF num pages
1
Patreon URL
https://www.patreon.com/posts/60895429
Discussion URL
n/a
Add to Favorites
List of Favorites