Practice Log
"The Chain" and Double-Drop D tuning
Lesson #168
Letβs play around with Double-drop D tuning!
A recent request came in for βThe Chainβ by Fleetwood Mac. I decided to check it out, and learned it requires double-drop D tuning - which is something Iβve never played with before. Fresh off of watching a fantastic video about βThe Chainβ by Polyphonic (an excellent YouTube channel I recommend greatly), I decided to give it a whirl. Hereβs the notes from my practice sessionβ¦ follow along to have some fun with double-drop D and the opening bars of βThe Chainβ
Hereβs my video lesson where I demonstrate and share some of what I learned:
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First, tune to double-drop D
That means your thickest string and thinnest string (both βEβ in standard tuning) will need to be tuned one whole step down to a βDβ.
Standard tuning = E A D G B E
Double Drop D tuning = D A D G B D
A good way to make sure youβre all tuned up and ready is to rock a D-major chord in double-drop D. It should sound nice and full, given 3 of the 6 strings are tuned to the same note.
D ββ0ββ
B ββ3ββ
G ββ2ββ
D ββ0ββ
A ββ0ββ
D ββ0ββ
Optional next step: add a capo
If you want to play along with Fleetwood Macβs version of The Chain, add a capo on the 2nd fret and follow everything I show below. In my video lesson, I donβt bother with a capo. Just a heads up there.
Chord shapes needed in βThe Chainβ intro riff:
Before diving into βThe Chainβ riff, get familiar with these two chords. Youβll need to use your left pinky on the 3rd fret of the B string when playing the second chord - which allows you to switch back to the first chord by simply lifting your finger.
D ββ2ββ <-- left ring D ββ2ββ
B ββ1ββ <-- left index B ββ3ββ <-- use left pinky for 3rd fret note,
G ββ2ββ <-- left middle G ββ2ββ (and keep left index on 1st fret)
D ββ0ββ D ββ0ββ
A ββ0ββ A ββ0ββ
D ββ0ββ D ββ0ββ
Intro phrases from βThe Chainβ by Fleetwood Mac
Here are the three main phrases heard in the opening part of this song. These are very fun to play around with in double-drop-d tuning. Start off without the pulsing bass note (master the treble notes first). Then, when youβre ready, add the bass note to add some rhythmic pulse.
Phrase 1:
D ββββββββββββββ2βββββββββββββββββββ
B ββββββββ1βββββββββββββββββββββββββ
G ββββββ2βββββ2βββββββββββββββββββββ
D ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
A ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
D ββ0βββββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Phrase 2:
D ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
B ββββββββ1βββββ1h3βββββββββββββββββ
G ββββββ2βββββ2βββββββββββββββββββββ
D ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
A ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
D ββ0βββββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Phrase 3:
D ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
B ββββββββ1βββββ1βββ1h3βββββββββββββ
G ββββββ2βββββ2βββββββββββββββββββββ
D ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
A ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
D ββ0βββββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Turnaround & walkdown
Hereβs a good way to βendβ a series of these phrases, as to either stop the song or just start over again from the top. This isnβt really from The Chain per se, though itβs a bit inspired. See my video lesson for reference.
D ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|βββββ
B ββββββββ3βββββ3βββββββββ3βββββ3βββββββββ3βββββ3βββββββββββββββββββ|βββββ
G ββββββ0βββββ0βββββββββ0βββββ0βββββββββ0βββββ0βββββββββββββββββββββ|βββββ
D ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ3β0βββββββββ|βββββ
A ββ3βββββββββββββββ2βββββββββββββββ1βββββββββββββββ0βββββββ3β0βββββ|βββββ
D ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ3~~β|ββ0ββ
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1
βThe Chainβ outro bass line
Hereβs the tab for the bassline heard at the end of βThe Chainβ. Itβs another fun one to practice, though a bit tricky to work out smoothly. To practice this, I suggest breaking these notes into two sequences: the first moving between 5-7-8; and the second moving between 3-5-7.
D ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
B ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
G ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
D ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
A ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
D ββ5βββββββββββ5β7β8βββββ7β5β3β5β7β0βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
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