In this video
This lesson transfers all your open G electric techniques to acoustic guitar, using Wild Horses as the vehicle and exploring the beautiful chord voicings this tuning offers.
What You Will Learn:
How the Keith Richards power chord shape translates to acoustic
Sus chord voicings unique to open G tuning
The Wild Horses chord progression with embellishments
Connections to Stereophonics' "Step on My Old Size Nines" and Oasis' "Who Feels Love"
Am7, Bm, C, D, and Em voicings in open G
Optional embellishments using the little finger
The Power Chord Foundation
The starting point for open G acoustic is treating the root note on string 5 as a power chord with the two thinnest strings ringing open. Play a major scale on string 5 and turn each note into this shape – instant chord progression with beautiful sus-like voicings.
Wild Horses Chords
The intro uses G (fret 5 with specific voicing) and Am7 (a shape similar to standard Am7 but repositioned). The B minor and E minor voicings in open G are particularly beautiful – they contain sus2 and sus4 colours you can't get any other way.
Why Open G on Acoustic?
The question "why use open G tuning?" is answered by playing these voicings. Compare the open G Em to a standard Em – the richness and complexity of the open tuning version is immediately apparent. You simply can't achieve these sounds in standard tuning.
Wild Horses - Standard tuning tutorial
