19 Guitar Songs In D Standard [With Tabs]

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“Waltz #2 (XO)” by Elliott Smith

Tab

Every album that Elliott Smith released shows a progression of evolution in his songwriting. While his early releases feature sparse instrumentation, his later releases were more developed.

The release, XO, came at a time when Smith signed with a major record label. He had previously achieved mainstream success by having a few songs on the film, Good Will Hunting.

This allowed Smith to have a larger budget for his work, resulting in powerful tracks like Waltz #2 (XO). While many of the songs on the album are gems, it’s Waltz #2 (XO) that stands out on the album. 

If you’re studying songwriting, you need to add this song (played in D standard) to your repertoire. Powerful lyrics enhanced by haunting musicality are just a taste of what you’ll find here.

“Sad But True” by Metallica

Tab

Metallica had been building an army of fans throughout the 1980s, which would culminate to a pinnacle in 1991. That year saw the release of Metallica’s self-titled album, which was their biggest commercial success.

Unfortunately, their legion of fans began to become divided by the sentiment that Metallica had lost its edge. They felt that they had softened up to appeal to a wider commercial audience.

While The Black Album might be their most accessible, it does signal a pivoting point in the band’s career. Many jokingly associate the song, Sad But True, to correlate with the band’s “selling out” for commercialism. 

Even so, Sad But True has its iconic moments, and makes for a great song to learn in D standard. Plus, even casual fans are familiar with it, since it’s on the same album as Enter Sandman.

“Stuck In The Middle With You” by Stealers Wheel

Tab

The 1970s continued to build upon the hit-factory industry standard set back in the 1950s. Too many 70s songs to list have become pop culture hits far beyond their original release date.

You could certainly say that about the Stealers Wheel hit, Stuck In The Middle With You. While the song charted quite well, it’s perhaps become even more famous as time has gone by.

This song has an undeniable feel-good vibe to it, and just about everybody can appreciate it. It makes for a perfect song to add to your repertoire, especially one centered around the D standard tuning.

The song itself is based around some simple chord shapes, which lends itself to be convenient. No matter how far gone you might be, you’ll be able to bust this out at any party.

“Things Ain’t Like They Used To Be” by The Black Keys

Tab

The Black Keys were an absolute force to be reckoned with during their early years. Audiences found it baffling how a band of just drums and guitar could have such a large and powerful sound.

This all culminated at a peak around 2008 with the band’s album, Attack & Release. Many consider this to be one of their best albums, no doubt aided by Danger Mouse’s production. 

Things Ain’t Like They Used To Be is a slow, sprawling track appearing towards the end of the album. It features Dan Auerbach’s penchant for mixing rhythm and lead concepts is on full display here.

Plus, if you listen closely, you’ll get to hear some tasty organ lines laid down by Danger Mouse himself.

“Heroes” by David Bowie

"Heroes" by David Bowie

Tab

David Bowie will forever be one of the greatest musicians to have ever graced the Earth. Few people have managed to realize their artistic visions to the extent that Bowie was able to do.

And while anyone can work hard, Bowie continually proved that he was to always be considered relevant. For a pop star working through different genres, many consider Bowie to be extremely innovative.

Take the song, Heroes, for instance, which came out in 1977. If you didn’t know any better, you might guess that the song would have come out an entire decade later.

Many consider Heroes to be Bowie’s biggest commercial hit, likely because of its lyrics. Learning this song in D standard is a breeze, utilizing 5 different normal open chord shapes.

“Lullaby” by Low

Tab

Low is an interesting band originating from the 1990s that might have missed your radar altogether. This band is noted for being extremely down-tempo, often with very delicate sounds with a hint of desolation.

Low’s music often requires a bit of patience, but this is usually rewarded in surprising ways. Considering what was popular on the radio at the time, it’s not hard to see why Low never blew up.

The song, Lullaby, comes from Low’s 1994 debut album, I Could Live In Hope and features the D standard tuning. When playing this, you’ll find the guitar’s part is based on 3 different arpeggios.

Once the song picks up in intensity, you’ll primarily be playing simple power chords. Keep your guitar slightly clean with just a hint of delay to achieve a similar sound.

“Between The Bars” by Elliott Smith

Tab

Elliott Smith’s 3rd album, Either/Or, features Elliott at his most raw and unrefined. Many of the album’s tracks feature instrumentation played by Smith himself, which dresses up the haunting messages of his lyrics.

One of the tracks on this album is Between The Bars, which many consider to be one of his best. The song touches on the topic of love in the late night hours and the distances between drinking establishments.

Out of all of Smith’s songs, this is probably the most known by even fairly casual fans. It has a serious potency that cannot be denied.

When you learn this song, you’ll see why Smith opted to write the song in D standard. The tuning perfectly fits his soft and delicate voice, which often delves into falsetto territory.

“Come As You Are” by Nirvana

Tab

While Smells Like Teen Spirit might have ignited grunge, Come As You Are could be considered grunge’s anthem. Take a listen to the lyrics and you’ll see that this is actually quite an inviting song.

It’s almost as if Cobain wrote the song from the point of view of an all-inclusive club. People from all walks of life certainly took notice, which is one small fraction of the reasoning behind Nirvana’s success.

Come As You Are is also one of the few songs that really made the chorus guitar effect cool again. The song just does not sound the same when being played without this watery effect.

Many beginners often flock to learn Come As You Are early in their journey of learning the guitar. Its main riff centers on 2 strings, utilizing some basic chords to deliver the extra bit of punch.

The song also has a fairly easy guitar solo that any beginner will fare well with. It has a hummable melody, which only makes things easier to play from memory.

“Burn One Down” by Ben Harper

Tab

Ben Harper is a musician that toes the line between the sounds of reggae, folk, and soul. His career is littered with accolades, but it’s a track from 1995 that remains one of his most famous.

That track, Burn One Down, has a musicality that mimics reggae without any of the hallmark reggae features. Instead, the guitar emulates a typical reggae bass line in the context of folk guitar.

It doesn’t take a genius to decipher what Harper is talking about in the song. But, beyond its obvious meaning, it is a song about living and celebrating your uniqueness, even if others don’t agree.

Burn One Down is great for learning how to incorporate a moving bass line with the strumming of chords. It’s also a guarantee that an audience will lose their wig if performed in front of the right people.

As a side note, the recording itself features the guitar tuned in D standard. If you’re playing along to a live recording, Harper often plays the track in regular E standard tuning.

Best Guitar Songs In D Standard, Final Thoughts

You might be wondering why anyone would want to play in D standard. Capos are great for transposing upwards, but the only way to go lower is to tune down. 

If you’re a songwriter, you might find that your regular chord shapes suit your voice much better in this tuning. Nevertheless, it’s a fun and easy way to explore the rich tonal timbres that are unlocked with alternate guitar tunings.

P.S. Remember though, none of what you've learned will matter if you don't know how to get your music out there and earn from it. Want to learn how to do that? Then get our free ‘5 Steps To Profitable Youtube Music Career' ebook emailed directly to you!

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