making tabs + guitar in standard or dadgad

[Narayan Kersak]

When I create tabs, I have the option of converting them to guitar too. Question is, for irish music, is it more likely they would be better in DADGAD than standard tuning? I don't want to crank out both, and would like to use the one most used. Any thoughts?

The guitarists around here play in three different tunings, standard, drop d and dadgad, what's it like in the rest of the world?

Then again, the guitarists around here don't flat pick the tunes, but I'm sure a few guitarists would find it fun.

[DougC]

You'd have to know who is going to use your TABs. There is no right answer but my guess is that mandolin players in Asheville don't use DADGAD. On the other hand someone who only plays Irish guitar probably would. You'll have to ask them.

[Narayan Kersak]

True, and good point. I used to play guitar before mandolin, and so know there are guitarists out there looking for tab. I was just trying to get a poll or sense of anyone else's ideas about this. Thanks for the input though!

[EdSherry]

The choice between standard, open-D and DADGAD is largely driven by the choice of accompaniment styles. I assume that you're talking about creating tab for lead lines. Irish guitar players rarely play lead (melody). Of those that do, in my experience most play out of standard tuning. I've never seen lead-line tab for DADGAD.

[foldedpath]

My advice would be to forget adding additional tab for guitar. Any guitar player who flatpicks the melodies in this music will probably be working out their own approach to it, and not looking for online TAB, is my guess.

FWIW, I was at a workshop last summer led by John Doyle, one of the preeminent guitarists who flatpick these tunes, although his main gig is an accompanist and singer-songwriter. Most of the 4-day workshop was on accompaniment, and he spent just one day on flatpicking tunes. It was all on the upper strings because that's just how it sits on guitar in either standard or Drop-D.

DADGAD is a whole other universe, and I think those who pick the tunes in that tuning will probably be doing it fingerstyle. I could be wrong... I don't relate well to DADGAD. I'm a Drop-D guy for Irish guitar, so take that with a big grain of salt.

[zoukboy]

I guess it depends on who will be using your tabs other than yourself. If it were me I would put the melody in DADGAD and set the capo when necessary, such as for tunes in A major/mixolydian/dorian, E dorian/aeolian, etc.