Key of C in GDad Tuning

[Old Vronk]

Hello,

Does anyone have a preferred way of playing in the Key of C on a CBOM tuned in GDad.
I'm referring mostly to song accompaniment as my wife's alto voice tends to favor melodies that fall in this key.
So far I find that placing a capo on the 5th fret and playing in G works well.
Interested in other ideas.

Thanks

[Lord of the Badgers]

Hmm well I'd capo so not sure what to add!

[DavidKOS]

Well, Greek 3 course bouzouki players (DAD tuning) play in various modes of C without retuning nor a capo (which is a good idea anyway).

The basic C chord is GCE, 532, Cm is GCEb, 531.
Try it, it may work for you.

[Lord of the Badgers]

If I'm in unison tuning I use my quickdraw capo which seems to require no retuning. Yeah I was surprised too. My shubb definitely requires a bit of tuning if I over tighten it.
I'm not sure it's better to not use a capo really. Both approaches are valid but we don't know what's preferred here

[Pete Braccio]

C - 0232 or 5500
F - 5300 or 5333
G - 0020 or 0550
Am - 2202 or 2232
Dm- 2000 or 2003

Pete

[Graham McDonald]

Tune everything down two steps to Fcgc. You may have to use slightly heavier strings.

Cheers

[Lord of the Badgers]

C - 0232 or 5500
F - 5300 or 5333
G - 0020 or 0550
Am - 2202 or 2232
Dm- 2000 or 2003

Pete

Also there are modal chords and chords that are suspended/other (too early to look them up and be proper nerdy) which can pass for the chords in C. I typically use:
F (A bass) - 2333
G - 0025 0-9-10-0
Am - 2200 (modal so can be A maj too) 2230
Dm- 7005 7700 (both modal D)
C - 5530 5570
Em - 0222 9-9-10-0

You can barre too...
C- 5575
Dm- 7787
Em - 9-9-10-9
Am - 2232
For example.

I recommend (NFI) guitar toolkit+ if you have a smartphone or tablet for the tuner scales arpeggios and a chord dictionary- but you have to pay a little to get the features.

Also this is useful - online chord dictionary

[Robert Ey]

I think a capo on the fifth fret basically is your answer. But my solution for this, and other situations in which getting into the right key requires a higher capo than I really like, was to get a tenor guitar, which I tune CGdg. The tenor sounds quite different from my Irish bouzouki/octave mandolin, and it's nice to have the variety for some pieces, as well as the use of an effectively longer neck. Of course, if you're playing nearly everything in C, this approach wouldn't let you use your CBOM very much.

[Lord of the Badgers]

There always a reason to justify GAS and get a mandola and go CGDG too ha ha

[KevinThomas]

I agree with Lord of the Badgers, get a mandola!
Or a mandocello!

[steve V. johnson]

I think it might depend on the range of the singer, whether to use the open string chords or to capo up. Whichever complements the voice best. Mandolas are often very, very nice with singers, which suggests the capo.

Enjoy,

stv

[ollaimh]

that's why i use adad, to get c modal d a g easily.and the drone will not be dischordant