Music possesses an incredible ability to propel us beyond our perceived limits, be it as performers, musicians, or individuals. The dedicated study of music expands our horizons and capabilities in ways we might not initially imagine.
Certain elements in music spark our imagination, prompting us to consider previously unseen possibilities. Sometimes, adopting a novel technique or an alternative approach can unlock uncharted territories within the musical realm, leading to an exponential growth in creative potential.
Whether you’re feeling creatively stagnant, just embarking on your guitar journey, or simply seeking fresh inspiration, delving into the diverse world of Different Guitar Tunings can instigate a profound transformation in your playing style and musical expression.
Standard Guitar Tuning: Your Starting Point
Standard tuning, EADGBE, serves as the fundamental groundwork for most guitarists. It’s likely the first tuning you encountered, and for some, it might be the only one ever explored. A vast majority of guitar-based music utilizes this configuration. Strumming the open strings in standard tuning produces an Em7+11 chord, a voicing that, while rich, is not frequently used in its open form, except perhaps in certain musical nuances reminiscent of Stevie Wonder’s style.
You’ve probably amassed a substantial repertoire of patterns and shapes specifically tailored for standard tuning. If your guitar experience has been exclusively in standard, venturing into different guitar tunings might initially require a leap of imagination. However, this exploration can significantly refine your ear and reignite the exploratory spirit you possessed as a beginner.
The realm of six-string guitar tunings extends far beyond the standard, encompassing dozens of variations (a comprehensive list is provided at the end of this article). In this guide, we will delve into several key categories of different guitar tunings and offer insights on how to effectively explore them.
Let’s begin our sonic adventure!
Drop and Down Tunings: Expanding the Low End
The term ‘drop tuning’ carries a dual meaning in the guitar world. One interpretation refers to down-tuning the entire guitar from standard tuning by a specific interval, akin to using a capo in reverse, but across all strings. The other, more common usage, involves primarily lowering the 6th string (low E string), preserving the familiar fretboard layout while extending the instrument’s lower range. Both are valid techniques, but clarity is essential when discussing them. ‘Down tuning’ is often a more precise descriptor for the ‘reverse capo’ concept.
For guitarists new to different guitar tunings who wish to experiment without drastically altering familiar chord shapes and scale patterns, drop and down tunings provide an excellent entry point, particularly for those inclined towards metal genres.
Drop D Tuning: DADGBE – A Gentle Shift
Drop D stands as the most accessible gateway into alternate tunings from standard. It maintains a close resemblance to standard tuning, with the crucial modification of lowering the 6th string by a whole step. This subtle change allows most standard left-hand shapes and patterns to remain applicable.
Drop D has become a cornerstone tuning in rock and metal due to its expanded lower register and the simplified execution of power chords. A single finger can barre across a fret position on the lowest two or three strings (typically the 6th and 5th), instantly producing a power chord. This facilitates rapid chord progressions, and the absence of a major or minor third in power chords contributes to their raw, powerful sound.
Interestingly, Drop D also finds application in acoustic and classical guitar music, though often for different stylistic effects. Its similarity to standard tuning allows for swift transitions between the two, enhancing versatility.
Examples in Drop D:
- Foo Fighters – “Everlong”
- Joni Mitchell – “Furry Sings the Blues”
- Rage Against the Machine – “Killing In The Name”
- John Dowland – “Lady Hundson’s Alman”
Drop C Tuning: CGCFAD – Stepping Deeper
Drop C tuning takes Drop D as its foundation and lowers every string by a whole step. This moves closer to the sonic territory favored in djent music but remains manageable without requiring specialized multi-scale or fanned fret guitars. Consider it Drop D’s more sonically aggressive sibling.
As you venture beyond standard pitch ranges, reconsidering your guitar string gauges becomes crucial. Lowering pitch reduces string tension, while raising pitch increases it. Excessive tension can lead to playing discomfort or even string breakage. Insufficient tension in electric guitar strings can result in a loose feel and diminished note sustain. This underscores the importance of selecting the best guitar strings for drop tuning if you intend to use these tunings regularly. A general guideline is to increase string gauge by approximately one step for each whole step down in tuning. For instance, a standard .010 high E string has roughly 17.8 pounds of tension, while an .011 high D string has about 17.1 pounds. As you tune lower, larger gauge increases are necessary to compensate for tension loss. A professional guitar setup is always a wise investment when exploring lower tunings.
Examples in Drop C:
- Killswitch Engage – “Holy Diver”
- Pretty Reckless – “Going to Hell”
- System of a Down – “Aerials”
- Arch Enemy – “War Eternal”
B Standard Tuning: BEADF#B – The Baritone Realm
An alternative to dropping a single string is to down-tune the entire guitar evenly. B Standard tuning (BEADF#B) exemplifies this. It’s sometimes referred to as ‘Drop B’ due to lowering the overall tuning to B, but ‘B Standard’ is arguably more accurate as it preserves the familiar chord shapes and string relationships from standard tuning, just at a lower pitch. The further you deviate from E standard, the more critical precise guitar intonation becomes. Intonation ensures your guitar plays in tune across the fretboard, typically calibrated at the 12th fret as the midpoint.
B Standard allows you to apply all your existing left-hand techniques learned in standard tuning but unlocks a dramatically different sonic character from your guitar, venturing into baritone-like depths.
Examples in B Standard:
- Soundgarden – “Searching With My Good Eye Closed”
- Black Midi – “953”
- Type O Negative – “Black No.1”
- Electric Wizard – “Funeralopolis”
“Open” Alternate Guitar Tunings: Chordal Harmony
Open tunings are defined by their creation of a complete chord when the guitar is strummed openly, without fretting any strings. These tunings are named after the root note of the chord they produce. While both major and minor open tunings exist, major open tunings appear more prevalent in popular guitar music.
Common techniques are applicable across various open tunings.
Similar to Drop D, barring across the guitar neck becomes a straightforward method for creating chord progressions in open tunings. While not all progressions will be musically desirable, sequences of major chords are often more broadly useful than extended minor chord sequences. However, in an open minor tuning, forming a major chord becomes relatively simpler than the reverse. Utilizing a slide guitar in open tunings employs the same principle of barring, but with the distinct sonic characteristics of slide playing.
Arpeggios are naturally facilitated in open tunings. Integrating melody into chords and arpeggios is a hallmark technique for open tuned guitar. Strumming the open chord while fretting one or more strings, and then moving along the fretboard, generates captivating effects and abundant musical possibilities. Open tunings offer an accessible and inspiring entry point into the world of different guitar tunings.
Open D Tuning: DADF#AD – Bluegrass and Beyond
Bluegrass music frequently centers around the keys of G or D, and Open D tuning is particularly well-suited for rapid, intricate picking styles within this genre.
Here are a couple of starting points for exploring Open D:
- E7 Chord Shape (Standard Tuning): In standard tuning, the E7 shape is 020100. In Open D, this same shape becomes a suspended D chord (Dsus, or DBDGAD).
- Shift Up Two Frets: Moving the same 020100 shape up two frets (040300) in Open D yields a DC#DAAD chord, resembling a major 7th chord in quality.
- “E Chord” Shape (Standard Tuning): The standard “E chord” shape (022100) in Open D transforms into a highly suspended chord (DBEGAD; a sus2,4,6). Strum this shape, then release your fretting hand on subsequent strums to create a resolution effect.
These examples offer just a glimpse into the creative potential of Open D tuning.
Examples in Open D:
- Joni Mitchell – “Big Yellow Taxi”
- Bruce Cockburn – “Sunwheel Dance”
- Pearl Jam – “Even Flow”
- My Bloody Valentine – “Sometimes”
Open G Tuning: DGDGBD – Blues, Folk, and Slide Staple
Open G tuning is a frequent choice in blues, folk, and slide guitar styles.
The Rolling Stones famously utilized Open G extensively, with Keith Richards often removing the 6th string entirely from some of his guitars to ensure the root note (G) was always the lowest. The Black Crowes are also renowned practitioners of Open G.
Examples in Open G:
- Rolling Stones – “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking”
- The White Stripes – “Death Letter”
- Chet Atkins – “Spanish Fandango”
- Black Crowes – “Twice As Hard”
Joni Mitchell also employed another variation, GGDGBD (sometimes also called Open G), in songs like “Electricity” and “For The Roses.”
Open C Tuning: CGCGCE (or CGCGCC) – Heavy Riffs and Versatility
Open C tuning is often encountered with 12-string guitars but is equally compelling on six-string instruments. The repetition of C and G across the lower five strings makes it remarkably intuitive and exceptionally well-suited for heavy riffs, similar to drop tunings in its sonic impact.
Open C is also one of the most flexible open tunings. The presence of E on the 1st string gives it a major tonality, but this note can be easily avoided for a more ambiguous or minor-leaning sound. An alternate Open C tuning, CGCGCC, further emphasizes the root and fifth intervals.
Examples in Open C:
- Elliot Smith – “Independence Day”
- Big Thief/Adrianne Lenker – “Wolf”
- Stephen Stills – “Love The One You’re With”
- John Butler Trio – “Ocean”
DADGAD Tuning: DADGAD – Celtic, Folk, and Beyond
DADGAD tuning, named for its string assignments, enjoys widespread popularity across diverse genres.
DADGAD shares similarities with open tunings in that it creates a chord when strummed openly: a suspended fourth (Dsus4). Consequently, many techniques applicable to open tunings can be effectively used in DADGAD.
This tuning is deeply associated with Celtic music, but it also thrives in folk, metal, rock, and numerous other styles. Jimmy Page famously used DADGAD in Led Zeppelin classics like “Kashmir,” “Black Mountain Side,” and “White Summer.” Pierre Bensusan, a virtuoso acoustic guitarist, is a prominent DADGAD exponent, even authoring instructional books on the subject.
DADGAD resonates most effectively in the keys of D major/B minor. The suspended nature of the tuning creates sympathetic vibrations and a rich resonance. DADGAD naturally lends itself to Celtic, Irish, and Scottish musical styles, featuring melodies layered over open drones from the lower strings.
To enhance the suspended quality further, fretting the 4th string at the 2nd fret adds a “sus2” element to a D major chord. Because DADGAD lacks the 3rd of the chord, it can theoretically function in both major and minor key contexts, adding to its harmonic ambiguity and versatility.
Basic Chords in DADGAD:
- Dmaj: 005420
- Gmaj: 550400
- Asus: 002200
- B7: X2122X
- Emin7: 2200XX
- F#min7: 4422XX
- Cmaj: X34030
Examples in DADGAD:
- Led Zeppelin – “Kashmir”
- Russian Circles – “Xavii”
- John Fahey – “Voice of the Turtle”
- Ani Defranco – “If It Isn’t Her”
Open E Tuning: EBEG#BE – Slide and Airy Riffs
Open E tuning is a popular choice due to its sonic proximity to standard E tuning. Open E excels in slide guitar playing and creating airy, resonant riffs, as it allows for easy transitions back to and melodic explorations within a familiar E major framework.
Examples in Open E:
- The Allman Brothers Band – “Statesboro Blues”
- Bo Diddley – “Bo Diddley”
- The Smiths – “Headmaster’s Ritual”
- Bob Dylan – “Blood on the Tracks”
Open F9 (‘American Football’) Tuning: FACGCE – Math Rock and Emo Innovation
This unique tuning, producing a somewhat ambiguously cheerful F9 chord, is favored by modern bands exploring math rock and emo styles. These genres frequently utilize open tunings to leverage the creative possibilities that emerge when tapping and pull-offs are combined with open strings. One of the early and defining examples in this style is ‘Never Meant’ by American Football, giving rise to the tuning’s nickname.
Contemporary players like Yvette Young of Covet and Tim Collis of TTNG have further pushed the boundaries of this tuning and playing style.
Examples in Open F9:
- Covet – “Pelagic”
- TTNG – “Crocodile”
- American Football – “Never Meant”
- Into It. Over It. – “Midnight: Carroll Street”
Intervallic Alternate Guitar Tunings: Beyond Perfect Fourths
Standard tuning largely employs consistent intervals between strings, primarily perfect fourths, with the exception of a major third between the G and B strings. This results in a relatively uniform distance between notes across the fretboard. However, other different guitar tunings are constructed using alternative intervals, opening up new harmonic landscapes.
New Standard Tuning (NST): CGDAEG – Fifths and Expanded Range
Developed by the innovative Robert Fripp of King Crimson, New Standard Tuning (NST), inspired by the cello, utilizes all perfect fifths intervals, except for the top G string, which is tuned down from a fifth (A) to maintain string integrity at that high pitch. NST offers a wider range than standard tuning and facilitates Robert Fripp’s signature quintal harmony approach, requiring smaller hand movements to cover a broader musical spectrum.
Major-Thirds Tuning: CEG#CEG# – Symmetry and Atonality
Ralph Patt, a pioneering guitarist, drew inspiration from the atonal movement initiated by Schoenberg and continued by free jazz improvisers like Ornette Coleman and late-period John Coltrane. To better explore atypical and non-diatonic tonal centers, Patt adopted an all major-thirds tuning. This tuning introduces symmetry to the guitar neck and disrupts ingrained consonant chord shapes, encouraging new harmonic explorations.
Nashville Tuning: eadgBE – Octave Harmonies
Nashville tuning, developed to add rhythmic and harmonic texture in studio recordings without dominating the sonic space typically occupied by a standard guitar, employs the doubled strings from a 12-string set. The first two strings (E and B) are tuned normally, while the lower four strings (A, D, G, e) are tuned an octave higher than standard. This results in a familiar yet sonically distinct fretboard, ideal for creating unique textures. This concept can even be combined with other tunings, such as tuning Nashville tuning down for further sonic variations.
High Strung Tuning: eadGBE – Treble Focus
Similar to Nashville tuning, High Strung tuning is a studio technique for adding unique high-frequency textures. The only difference is that the first three strings (E, A, d) are tuned normally, while the lower three (G, B, E) are tuned an octave higher. This creates a brighter, more treble-focused sound.
All Fifths Tuning: B♭FCGDA – Symmetrical Low Range
Carl Kress, an American jazz guitarist predating both Robert Fripp and Ralph Patt, sought a symmetrical tuning. Unlike Fripp, whose cello influence limited lower tunings, Kress tuned down to achieve an all-fifths tuning across the entire fretboard, resulting in a very low and symmetrical tuning.
This overview provides an introduction to the expansive world of different guitar tunings. While we’ve covered a broad range of tunings briefly, the internet offers a wealth of information, including numerous video tutorials for in-depth exploration. If you discover a new favorite tuning among these, consider creating a custom guitar strings set to optimize string tension and feel for that specific tuning.
Finally, for further exploration, consider watching Jim Martin’s 4-part video series on alternate guitar tunings. His mastery of the subject is evident, showcasing many of the tunings discussed here and beyond. His ability to seamlessly transition between tunings is particularly impressive.
Embark on your exploration of different guitar tunings and unlock new sonic possibilities! And remember, this is just the beginning. Microtonal tunings like quarter tone tuning, or even unconventional approaches like playing the guitar upside down, offer endless avenues for experimentation.
List of Great Alternate Guitar Tunings
- Standard e2 a2 d3 g3 b3 e4
- Drop D d2 a2 d3 g3 b3 e4
- D# Standard d#2 g#2 c#3 f#3 a#3 d#4
- D Standard d2 g2 c3 f3 a3 d4
- C# Standard c#2 f#2 b2 e3 g#3 c#4
- Double Drop D d2 a2 d3 g3 b3 d4
- Drop C c2 g2 c3 f3 a3 d4
- Drop C# c#2 g#2 c#3 f#3 a#3 d#4
- Drop B b1 f#2 b2 e3 g#3 c#4
- Drop A# a#1 f2 a#2 d#3 g3 c4
- Drop A a1 e2 a2 d3 f#3 b3
- Open D d2 a2 d3 f#3 a3 d4
- Open D Minor d2 a2 d3 f3 a3 d4
- Open G d2 g2 d3 g3 b3 d4
- Open G Minor d2 g2 d3 g3 a#3 d4
- Open C c2 g2 c3 g3 c4 e4
- Open C# c#2 f#2 b3 e3 g#3 c#4
- Open C Minor c2 g2 c3 g3 c4 d#4
- Open E7 e2 g#2 d3 e3 b3 e4
- Open E Minor7 e2 b2 d3 g3 b3 e4
- Open G Major7 d2 g2 d3 f#3 b3 d4
- Open A Minor e2 a2 e3 a3 c4 e4
- Open A Minor7 e2 a2 e3 g3 c4 e4
- Open E e2 b2 e3 g#3 b3 e4
- Open A e2 a2 c#3 e3 a3 e4
- C Tuning c2 f2 a#2 d#3 g3 c4
- C# Tuning c#2 f#2 b2 e3 g#3 c#4
- Bb Tuning a#1 d#2 g#2 c#3 f3 a#3
- A Standard a1 d2 g2 c3 e3 a3
- D A D D D D d2 a2 d3 d3 d4 d4
- C G D G B D c2 g2 d3 g3 b3 d4
- C G D G B E c2 g2 d3 g3 b3 e4
- D A D E A D d2 a2 d3 e3 a3 d4
- D G D G A D d2 g2 d3 g3 a3 d4
- Open Dsus2 d2 a2 d3 g3 a3 d4
- Open Gsus2 d2 g2 d3 g3 c4 d4
- G6 d2 g2 d3 g3 b3 e4
- Modal G d2 g2 d3 g3 c4 d4
- Overtone c3 e3 g3 a#3 c4 d4
- Pentatonic a2 c3 d3 e3 g3 a4
- Minor Third c3 d#3 f#3 a3 c4 d#4
- Major Third c3 e3 g#3 c4 e4 g#4
- All Fourths e2 a2 d3 g3 c4 f4
- Augmented Fourths c2 f#2 c3 f#3 c4 f#4
- Slow Motion d2 g2 d3 f3 c4 d4
- Admiral c2 g2 d3 g3 b3 c4
- Buzzard c2 f2 c3 g3 a#3 f4
- Face c2 g2 d3 g3 a3 d4
- Four and Twenty d2 a2 d3 d3 a3 d4
- Ostrich d2 d3 d3 d3 d4 d4
- Capo 300 c2 g2 d3 d#3 d4 d#4
- Balalaika e2 a2 d3 e3 e3 a3
- Charango g2 c3 e3 a3 e4
- Cittern One c2 f2 c3 g3 c4 d4
- Cittern Two c2 g2 c3 g3 c4 g4
- Dobro g2 b2 d3 g3 b3 d4
- Lefty e4 b3 g3 d3 a2 e2
- Mandoguitar c2 g2 d3 a3 e4 b4
- Rusty Cage b1 a2 d3 g3 b3 e4
