Can you play a song despite it being in a different tuning? 

Welcome to chordbook SvartVin, yes, you can is the short answer. I do that all the time since i'm not about to re-tune my guitar everytime i see that the song shows an alternate tuning. Others may have a better answer but if i'm not mistaken, the chords shown for a song will be the same chord no matter what tuning is shown, though they'll likely sound somewhat different while still retaining the requirements of each chord, perhaps just more so. Drop D comes to mind where the D chord has more D notes included in the shape.

As always, ppl here will correct me or add to what i've mentioned i hope, especially if i'm wrong !

GuitarZen

lol. yeah i think your right. Like you said it will sound different. But i am not certain if it will have the same feel as normal. For me changing tuning to a song makes it have a different meaning. I think music is like the way to ... well. IDK. You ever notice how differnet music has different effects on the way you feel. Yeah there was once this great composer who wrote a song so powerfull it caused the entire crowd to break out in a riot. yeah and of course everyone knows about mash pits at the metal concerts. yeah... i got a little off subject. Sorry.

ah yes the mashing of the mosh pit .  You can for some songs...like if the tune in Eb or whatever .... but if its in DADGAD I would suggest using that tuning cause the chords have a whole different tone....and in my opinion tone is as or more important than "just playing the notes"

Hey guys,

Give these a try:

D G C G C D

and/or

E A D A D E

The two tunings Jimi Page used on "The Rain Song"

J

haha well that what i though, i am still trying to find which tunings i would want to use more, since standard tuning limiting what kinds of sound i like to use.

Full chords aside, I'm using D Standard and Dropped C and other than those two tunings I can play some things that are in E Standard and C Standard. Some things work better than others.