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

Lesson #409 • Jan 8, 2022

Video lesson

Instructional PDF 1 page

A visual companion to help you follow this lesson. Expands on what I teach in my video with step-by-step guidance, easy-to-follow graphics, and practical tips.

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

Download PDF

Follow along with the print-friendly guide!

A visual companion to help you follow this lesson. Expands on what I teach in my video with step-by-step guidance, easy-to-follow graphics, and practical tips.

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 326 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


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

  • November 6, 2026

    Q&A: 8 Fun Songs for Two Guitars

    Got a guitar buddy but need a few songs to jam on? Here are 8 of my favorites, with ideas for how one of you can strum while the other plays riffs or fills.

  • October 30, 2026

    Chords Up the Neck — First Steps

    In reply to several different member questions asking about this topic, learn how to play any chord shape up the neck. I show you the three must-know shapes for getting started with this technique.

  • October 23, 2026

    [NEW] Metronome & Tempo Timer Tool!

    I'm excited to unveil a brand new tool to help you with your rhythm! Metronome, tap tempo, drum machine, and beat visualizer all rolled into one easy-to-use tool.

  • October 12, 2026

    "Love Me Two Times" by The Doors

    Learn to play this bluesy classic from 1967! This tune features ~4 guitar riffs, each of which is tricky to learn... but I'll walk you through it all, step by step, as per usual.

  • September 30, 2026

    Shuffle vs. Straight Rhythm... Hear the Difference!

    Learn to identify the rhytmic feel of a song, just by listening! In this lesson I break down the straight vs. shuffle rhythm, using 5 different riffs... each of which is played both ways.

  • September 25, 2026

    Red River Valley - Travis Picking Deep-Dive!

    Behond! 10 new videos from my Travis Picking Essentials course, focusing on the classic tune Red River Valley. Includes print-friendly tabs for everything taught in each of the videos.

  • September 16, 2026

    "Sweet Jane" by Velvet Underground

    Let's dive into the 1970 classic by the Velvet Underground! This one mostly uses a two-measure progression from start to finish, but there's a ton of strumming & rhythm nuance you'll need to capture the sound. I teach it all, including several different ways to play the chords needed.

  • September 14, 2026

    Practical Music Theory: 1-4-5 Chords & Why They're Important

    An explanation of the three most commonly used chords in each musical key, and why they're important. Say hello to the one, four, and five chords!

  • September 9, 2026

    Q&A: Understanding Secondary Dominants (ft. Sierra Ferrell)

    I answer a member question about chords that seem to fall outside the key, using secondary dominants to explain what’s happening. Featuring the catchy opening riff to Sierra Ferrell's Bells of Every Chapel.

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