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Easy Alternate Tunings for Guitar

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By Sweetwater on Aug 12, 2019, 8:00 AM

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The harmonious sound of an in-tune guitar is a beautiful thing, but you can also use alternate tunings to
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expand your sonic options with the same six strings. Different tunings open up a whole new world of
sounds and invite experimentation. Besides that, guitar players have been using alternate tunings for a
long time, so there are some well-established, familiar-sounding starting points. In this article, we’ll
explore these common alternate tunings:

1. Open G
2. Open E
3. Drop D
4. Double Drop D
5. DADGAD
6. Open D
Standard tuning on a 6-string guitar from the lowest string to the highest is:

EADGBE

Open G
The first alternate tuning we’ll look at is Open G. It’s called that because the notes that the strings are
tuned to spell a G major chord.

Open G tuning from the lowest to the highest string is:

DGDGBD

Open G is a go-to tuning for a lot of blues guitarists and slide guitarists because you can make a chord
with one finger — or no fingers! Many of the classic guitar riffs from the Rolling Stones feature this
tuning thanks to guitarist Keith Richards. “Start Me Up,” “Brown Sugar,” and “Honky Tonk Women” are
three perfect examples of Open G tuning.

Open E
Open E is another widely used alternate tuning. You can probably guess that the open strings contain
the notes of an E major chord.

Open E from lowest to highest is:

E B E G# B E

This is another tuning that allows you to play a chord with one finger and is also a slide and blues guitar
favorite. Of course, there’s a lot you can do with this tuning. To hear what it sounds like, check out “She
Talks to Angels” by the Black Crowes or “Big Yellow Taxi” by Joni Mitchell.

You’ll notice that even though Open G and Open E sound a major chord, they have different sonic
characteristics. In fact, if you barre your finger across the third fret using Open E, you are playing a G
major chord, but it sounds different than strumming the open strings of Open G tuning. This is because
the intervals (pitch distance between notes) of the strings are different for different tunings.

This is where alternate tunings get fun and interesting. You can play the same fretting-hand shapes,
either chords or single-note lines, and get different sounds from different tunings! Some shapes may be
more useful than others — the point is that you not only get more sounds out of something you already
know, but different tunings also make you look at and think about the guitar in new ways.

Drop D
To get to Drop D from standard tuning, change the pitch of one string. Lower the sixth string from E
down to D, hence the name Drop D.

DADGBE
 This tuning is used extensively. Van Halen’s “Unchained” is a classic example.

Double Drop D
Starting at Drop D, lower the first string from E to D to arrive at Double Drop D. I bet you can guess why
it’s called Double Drop D. In this tuning, the highest and lowest strings are the same note, just like in
standard tuning.

DADGBD

DADGAD
Changing one more string will get you to this tuning. Lower the second string from B to A and the
unique modal qualities of DADGAD will be within your reach. One of the most well-known examples of
DADGAD is “Kashmir” by Led Zeppelin. One fun, easy thing to do with this tuning is to play change
notes up and down the G string while strumming all the open strings. The other five strings create a
drone for the moving note.

DADGAD

Open D
Changing one more string will get you to Open D. Lower the third string from G to F#. This tuning is
another slide/blues staple because the open strings make a major chord. If it seems familiar, that’s
because it is related to Open E tuning. In fact, the strings are at the same intervals for both tunings;
Open D is a lower version of Open E.

D A D F# A D

There are endless variations of alternate tunings that can provide you with new sounds and inspiration
to explore and create music.

Interested in learning more? Check out these articles:

- TAGS NEWS GUITAR

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