Guitar Tunings

Standard

The reference every other tuning is measured from.

• Standard tuning (EADGBE)

  E A D G B E

  Open strings: not a chord · from standard: reference · lowest note E2

  E A D G B E, the tuning almost every chord chart, lesson and tab assumes. Fourths between strings, with one major third between G and B.

Open tunings

The six open strings form a major or minor chord, so a straight barre plays a chord at any fret. Good for slide and drones.

• Open D (DADF♯AD)

  D A D F♯ A D

  Open strings: D chord · from standard: 4 down · lowest note D2

  The open strings ring a D major chord. A favourite for slide and fingerstyle because every string stays at or below standard pitch.

• Open G (DGDGBD)

  D G D G B D

  Open strings: G chord · from standard: 3 down · lowest note D2

  D G D G B D: the open strings ring G major. The classic blues and rock rhythm tuning, often played on five strings with the root on string 5.

• Open E (EBEG♯BE)

  E B E G♯ B E

  Open strings: E chord · from standard: 3 up · lowest note E2 · raises strings

  Open D a whole step higher: E B E G♯ B E. Bright and loud for slide, but it tunes three strings up, so check your guitar can take it.

• Open A (EAEAC♯E)

  E A E A C♯ E

  Open strings: A chord · from standard: 3 up · lowest note E2 · raises strings

  E A E A C♯ E: open G a whole step up, so the open strings ring A major. Keeps the outer E strings, but raises strings 4, 3 and 2.

• Open C (CGCGCE)

  C G C G C E

  Open strings: C chord · from standard: 3 down, 1 up · lowest note C2 · very slack strings

  C G C G C E: a C major chord with a very low C bass. Huge and resonant on an acoustic; string 6 drops two whole steps, so heavier strings help.

• Open F (FACFCF)

  F A C F C F

  Open strings: F chord · from standard: 2 down, 3 up · lowest note F2

  The open strings ring F major: F A C F C F. Two strings go down, three go up a half step, so it is a gentle retune with a deep F in the bass.

• Open D minor (DADFAD)

  D A D F A D

  Open strings: Dm chord · from standard: 4 down · lowest note D2

  Open D with string 3 a half step lower, so the open strings ring D minor. Dark drones; one finger on string 3 turns it back to D major.

Drop tunings

String 6 is a whole step lower than the standard pattern above it, so strings 6, 5 and 4 make a one-finger power chord.

• Drop D (DADGBE)

  D A D G B E

  Open strings: not a chord · from standard: 1 down · lowest note D2

  Only string 6 moves, E down to D. A deeper bass for songs in D, and power chords with one finger.

• Drop C (CGCFAD)

  C G C F A D

  Open strings: not a chord · from standard: 6 down · lowest note C2 · very slack strings

  C G C F A D: drop D moved a whole step lower on every string. Heavy, low riffs; slacker strings, so a heavier set helps.

• Drop B (BF♯BEG♯C♯)

  B F♯ B E G♯ C♯

  Open strings: not a chord · from standard: 6 down · lowest note B1 · very slack strings

  B F♯ B E G♯ C♯: drop D three half steps lower. Very low and very slack on a normal acoustic: heavy strings or a baritone guitar.

• Drop A (AEADF♯B)

  A E A D F♯ B

  Open strings: not a chord · from standard: 6 down · lowest note A1 · very slack strings

  A E A D F♯ B: string 6 sits at A1, seven half steps under standard E. Baritone territory: do not try it on light acoustic strings.

Modal tunings

The open strings leave out the third, so they are neither major nor minor and fit melodies of either colour.

• DADGAD

  D A D G A D

  Open strings: Dsus4 chord · from standard: 3 down · lowest note D2

  D A D G A D: the open strings ring Dsus4, neither major nor minor. The Celtic and folk fingerstyle tuning, with open strings that fit almost any melody in D.

Lowered standard

Every string down by the same amount: standard shapes, lower pitch.

• Half step down (E♭)

  E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭

  Open strings: not a chord · from standard: 6 down · lowest note E♭2

  E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭: every string a half step lower. Same chord shapes as standard, sounding a half step down, with slightly easier bends.

Tunings one string apart

Several tunings differ on a single string, so you can move between them in seconds. The step shown is the only change:

• Open D (DADF♯AD) to Open D minor (DADFAD): string 3, F♯3 → F3 (down 1 semitone (half step))
• Standard tuning (EADGBE) to Drop D (DADGBE): string 6, E2 → D2 (down 2 semitones (whole step))
• Open D minor (DADFAD) to DADGAD: string 3, F3 → G3 (up 2 semitones (whole step))
• Open D (DADF♯AD) to DADGAD: string 3, F♯3 → G3 (up 1 semitone (half step))

Which tuning should you try?

• Slide or a big ringing strum: an open tuning. Open D and open G only lower strings; open E and open A raise them, so try those with a capo on open D or open G first.
• A deeper bass under songs in D: drop D. One string, one whole step, easy to undo.
• Celtic or folk melodies with drones: DADGAD, or DADFAD for a darker minor sound.
• Matching a record or a lower voice without new shapes: half step down. For a higher key, keep standard tuning and use a capo; the capo calculator gives the fret.
• Heavy, low riffs: drop C on a normal acoustic with heavier strings; drop B and drop A really need a baritone guitar or a set made for them.