Guitar Sessions 27: Play “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” in DADGAD tuning
In this episode of Guitar Sessions, learn a solo guitar rendition of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” in DADGAD tuning.
The Silent Nights digital songbook features six Christmas carols arranged for solo guitar.
This arrangement is one of three additions for 2021 to the Silent Nights guitar songbook, along with “The First Noel” (in dropped-D tuning) and “Joy to the World” (G6 tuning). Listen to all the arrangements here.
“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” fell right into place in DADGAD tuning, as used most famously in Celtic guitar styles. DADGAD works so nicely here because it offers not only open-string bass notes but drone notes on the treble side. Throughout the arrangement, I play the melody against a drone, often alternating the two note by note.
In addition to being a fun arrangement to play, this makes for a great picking workout. And if you’d like to sing this carol, DADGAD sounds great for accompaniment, as demonstrated in the video.
New to DADGAD? Check out this intro lesson.
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