EricArden - Posted - 01/08/2011:  14:26:11

I like the sound of Double Drop C Tuning, but not sure what songs to check out.

Is there a Chord Chart I can look at to show me where the chords are?

Emiel - Posted - 01/08/2011:  14:55:42

The two-C tuning (gCGCD) is not the best tuning for chords work (open-G and standard-C gCGBD are better suited for chords work). It is however probably the most popular tuning among oldtime banjoists, especially for those who play clawhammer. You can play a C-chord and an F-chord at two different positions on the neck and also chords that are kind-of G and Am... The tuning is most often used for melody and suggesting the chords. Often also capoed-up to double-D.

Edited by - Emiel on 01/08/2011 14:56:08

neillconnor - Posted - 01/08/2011:  15:00:49

Angeline baker, needlecase, missisisppi sawer, Akansas traveller, Johnston boys, all these are inEric mullers book.
Ken perlmans books have some good ones as well.....Maple Syrup, nancy,

Emiel - Posted - 01/08/2011:  15:01:23

Outside the oldtime tradition many chords are possible:
chordlist.brian-amberg.de/en/f...double_c/

As as said, I believe oldtime musicians playing chords on the 5-string banjo, like Charlie Poole, favored the standard C (gCGBD) over the two-C...

blanham - Posted - 01/08/2011:  15:04:33

For some good chord charts, go to the BHO home page of carlb. Check out his "Dr. Cranium" chord charts in his photos. Double C is on there, and I like the way he gets so much info on one sheet.

oldwoodchuckb - Posted - 01/08/2011:  15:13:30

Chords, at least the few you actually would use on anything less than one of those overly lush singer/songwriter arrangements, are simple enough in Double C. Here is a bunch in text. the first line is the string numbers
54321
00002 C Major
x0203 F Major
02020 G (no 3rd)
0x420 G Major
x0202 A minor

etc

My ebook
rsb.pricklypearmusic.net
contains a batch of D songs in Double C tuning capo 2 (g string up to a) and one or two in C - the tunes tend to be Old Time and most Old Time C tunes are a bit more difficult than the book level.
The book is free and contains a lot of helpful information for banjo players at any level.
You should also look at the Links on my page to other good Old Time sites

Edited by - oldwoodchuckb on 01/08/2011 17:59:02

hoverflytheo - Posted - 01/08/2011:  16:19:56

Full chords may not be the best way to play a lot of songs in Double-C, but my chord generator will find them:

tpn.lowtech.org/banjo.php?deft...efchord=C

Chord chart for C Major:

tpn.lowtech.org/banjo.php?prin...scale=ion

R Buck - Posted - 01/08/2011:  17:10:01

Chords? Yeah there are chords in every tuning.

rendesvous1840 - Posted - 01/08/2011:  17:40:34

hetzlersfakebook.com/
Go here, click on Old Time Midi, and you will find lists of the songs under the keys with which they are normally associated. Some of the C songs may play better in gCDBD, rather than double C. Also, a lot of the D songs are usually played in double C capoed or tuned up to D.
There is also a section of Celtic tunes, but they are not organized by keys. Some of them have been welcomed into the Old Time repertoire.
Paul

oldwoodchuckb - Posted - 01/08/2011:  18:20:35

Theo
I've bookmarked your chord generator. Being rather chord challanged these days I've literally forgotten more chords than I ever knew - your device looks like a lot more fun than those 25,000,000 essential chords for the 5 string banjo books, which never seem to have ANY chords in my favourite tunings - like "Little Birdy" tuning, or quadrupa D tuning (dDAdd) which goes triple D one step beyond.. and probably one step too far.

oldwoodchuckb - Posted - 01/08/2011:  18:22:39

R Buck
There are indeed chords in every tuning but trying to come up with them in Old G (gDGDE) or Sugar Babe tuning can lead to broken fingers.

EricArden - Posted - 01/09/2011:  10:04:21

I never even heard of those tunings.
Are those tunings specific to just those songs?
Probably not very common I'd imagine.

G is nice, because the chord transitions are easy compared to the other tunings, HOWEVER....its a little difficult to come up with licks to go from the "E" chord to a "C" chord.

It just doesn't seem that these two chords are used back to back in BG.

If they are I'd love to hear a song that does use them.