The standard guitar tuning can become a bit boring, I agree. Sometimes, we want to challenge ourselves with alternate guitar tunings or the song we want to learn requires twisting the machine heads a bit.
In this article, I will explore some of the popular tunings, along with the popular songs that use them. Moreover, I will point out some of the main advantages and disadvantages and explain how to tune your guitar to those tunings.
What Is Standard Guitar Tuning?
Standard guitar tuning is the most common tuning for a six-string guitar, starting from the lowest pitch to the highest: E, A, D, G, B, and E. This familiar tuning allows for a vast range of chords and scales, forming the foundation for countless songs across various genres.
To be honest, I play this one most of the time, as it is called standard for a reason. The majority of songs are recorded with this tuning and it’s the one beginners usually stick to most of the time.
Depending on the music genre, you might never have to change the tuning of a single string.
Why Explore Alternate Guitar Tunings?
If you stumbled upon the concept of alternative tunings and are wondering what’s the point, here are a few reasons I can think of:
- Easier playing — Certain tunings are specifically designed to make certain techniques more accessible. For example, drop tunings can simplify power chord playing and make heavier riffs easier to play.
- Easier singing — Dropping your guitar tune for half a note or even an entire note might be more suitable for your voice.
- Diversity in sound — Alternate tunings offer a wide range of sonic possibilities beyond the familiar tones of standard tuning. This allows you to convey different emotions and atmospheres in your music.
- Inspiration for songwriting — Alternate tunings can spark fresh ideas and inspiration for songwriting. Breaking away from the conventional fret patterns encourages you to explore unique chord progressions, melodic sequences, and rhythmic patterns
- Emulating your heroes — Numerous influential guitarists and bassists use alternate tunings in their music. Learning their songs provides insight into their unique approach to the instrument, allowing you to emulate their style and techniques
Alternative Guitar Tuning: The Overview
Here’s a thing even I didn’t know when I started exploring more information for this article: there are SO MANY different alternate tunings for a guitar, that it’s almost impossible to list them all.
Look, if you really want to know ALL of them, don’t bother reading this part below, as I will mention only the ones that are commonly used in popular music. Instead, I recommend reading this Wiki article on guitar tunings.
However, if you’re interested in actually learning how to tune your guitar in an alternative tuning that is used in popular songs, feel free to explore the section below.
Overall, there are three popular variations here: down, drop, and open tunings.
Down Guitar Tunings
Down tunings, or lowered tunings, are just taking the standard E A D G B e and tuning them down. The two most popular options are tuning the guitar half a step down (D# standard) and tuning it a whole step down (D standard).
D# Standard Tuning (E Flat Tuning)
Tuning: D# G# C# F# A# D#
This is perhaps the most popular down-tuning of a guitar. Sometimes, people just do it because they want to sing a bit lower and rest their voice.
Also, some songs are originally played in it, including Sweet Child’o Mine by Guns ‘n Roses and Beat It by Michael Jackson.
To tune it, just turn your guitar pegs half a step down for each string.
E ↓ D#
A ↓ G#
D ↓ C#
G ↓ F#
B ↓ A#
E ↓ D#
If you’re not sure how to do this by ear, make sure to use a chromatic tuner.
I also explained this in detail in my article on tuning your guitar half a step down.
D Standard Tuning
Tuning: D G C F A D
This tuning is just bringing the entire standard tune down for the whole step. One of the most popular songs in this tune is Yesterday by the Beatles.
The reason to use this tuning is pretty much the same as for D# Standard — easier singing and learning songs that already use D Standard.
Here’s an overview of how to tune your guitar to D Standard.
E ↓ D
A ↓ G
D ↓ C
G ↓ F
B ↓ A
E ↓ D
C# Standard Tuning
Tuning: C# F# B E G# C#
Continuing the trend, we will have to tune down each of the strings for one and a half step to get the C# standard tuning. With this and all lower standard tunings, we’re entering the realm of metal, as bands such as Avenged Sevenfold use this often. My favourite song in this tune is BYOB by SOAD
A word of warning: starting from C# standard and below, your strings will not put the standard tension on your neck, as they will be looser. If you strum them harder, loose strings might start hitting your magnets, your neck, or anything really that comes their way. Therefore, you might need to set up your guitar differently. There are a few other things to consider, especially if you’re going to keep lowered tunings for a longer period.
It’s time to exercise your wrist by tuning down the strings as follows:
E ↓ C#
A ↓ F#
D ↓ B
G ↓ E
B ↓ G#
E ↓ C#
C Standard Tuning
Tuning: C F A# D# G C
If you decide to go full metal, you need to tune all strings down by two steps as follows.
E ↓ C
A ↓ F
D ↓ A#
G ↓ D#
B ↓ G
E ↓ C
One thing to consider is that some low-budget tuners might stop picking up lower strings after you go low enough, so make sure that your tuner is approving of you reaching for the abyss of standard tuning.
I think Anesthetize by Porcupine Tree uses the C standard.
B Standard Tuning
Tuning: B E A D F# B
This is the lowest I’d go, but I guess there are cases where one can go lower. Honestly, I am not that into metal to know any songs using this, but I researched and found a bunch of bands that use it on a daily basis. Here’s how to tune down the strings:
E ↓ B
A ↓ E
D ↓ A
G ↓ D
B ↓ F#
E ↓ B
A thing about B Standard tuning is that it’s also used as a default for 7-string guitars, where the top string is in B, while others are E A D G B E (E standard).
How Low Can You Go?
I’d stop here, but you can go lower if you want. Just make sure to use a good tuner that will help you stay in tune when you’re going for the ninth circle of tuned-down hell.
Drop Guitar Tunings
Drop tunings usually involve just dropping the 6th (lowest) E string, one step lower than the rest. Let’s check out the three most popular drop tunings: D, C, and B.
Drop D Tuning
Tuning: D A D G B E
This is the most popular tuning after the standard one. Essentially, you just tune down the sixth string from E to D (one whole step). This makes power chords super fun to play. The instructions are pretty clear:
E ↓ D
Everlong by Foo Fighters is often cited as a popular example of this, although there are thousands of guitar players who love Drop D. My favorite is Tom Morello.
Drop C Tuning
Tuning: C G C F A D
The principle here is to tune down the sixth string by two steps (from E to C), and the rest by one step. Essentially, it’s like tuning down drop D one whole step, so that the sixth string is still one step lower compared to the rest.
Another way to look at this is that this is a D Standard tuning, but with sixth string lowered even more — to C. Chop Suey! is in Drop C.
E ↓ C
A ↓ G
D ↓ C
G ↓ F
B ↓ A
E ↓ D
Drop B Tuning
Tuning: B F# B E G# C#
If you decide to go one step lower, just turn all strings half a step down from Drop C to Drop B. Here’s how to do it if you’re in the standard E tuning.
E ↓ B
A ↓ F#
D ↓ B
G ↓ E
B ↓ G#
E ↓ C#
Slipknot used this in Before I Forget and several other songs.
Explore Drop Tunings
I missed the Drop C#, and probably several others, simply because they are not popular enough to be mentioned here. Still, now that you know how Drop tunings work, feel free to explore them on your own.
Open Guitar Tunings
Open guitar tunings technically resemble a chord. Essentially, you’ll get a major or minor chord just by strumming the strings, without pressing any frets.
Open E Tuning
Tuning: E B E G# B E
Open E is known for its bright and vibrant sound. It’s commonly used in slide guitar playing and is associated with blues and rock genres.
So, what are we exactly doing here? Below, you’ll see the E major chord.
E|———-0————-|
B|———-0————-|
G|———-1————-|
D|———–2————-|
A|———–2————-|
E|———–0————-|
We press the A, D, G strings, while we leave the other three open. In Open E, we’re actually tunning up the three strings we press so that when we strum without pressing anything, we play E Major.
This is the same principle with other open alternative tunings. Here are the three strings you need to tune up to get Open E.
A ↑ B
D ↑ E
G ↑ G#
See my deep dive into Open E tuning.
Open D Tuning
Tuning: D A D F# A D
Tuning to a D major chord, Open D is favored by many acoustic and slide guitarists.
When the guitar is strummed open in Open D tuning, it produces a D major chord. This inherent chord structure simplifies the process of playing in the key of D, allowing for easy access to chordal harmonies and melodies.
Here’s what you change:
E ↓ D
G ↓ F#
A ↓ B
E ↓ D
The A and D strings remain untouched.
Blood on the Tracks, the 15th album by Bob Dylan is probably one of the most iconic pieces of work recorded in this tuning. Joni Mitchell and Keith Richards also loved to experiment with it.
Open G Tuning
Tuning: D G D G B D
Open G is another type of tuning that gives you a major chord when you make an open strum. In this case, the chord is G. Here’s what you need to change.
E ↓ D
A ↓ G
E ↓ D
The D, G, and B strings remain untouched.
Start Me Up by Rolling Stones is a popular example of Keith Richards using Open G (he loves open tunings)
Other Alternate Guitar Tunings
Sometimes, guitar players like to play around with tuning their beloved instruments, and that’s how we get some really interesting solutions. Let’s explore some of them.
Crossnote Tunings (Minor Open)
Crossnote are also known as minor open tunings because you’ll make an open tuning and then just change one note to make the minor open chord instead of a major.
For example, Open E is E B E G# B E. In E minor, you play G instead of G#, so just tune back the G# to G and you get an open E. In other words, you will have E B E G B E. Pretty neat!
Double Drop D (or DDD)
Tuning: D A D G B D
If tuning the sixth E string to D isn’t enough, you can tune the first E string to D as well, which makes it super interesting to play.
E ↓ D
E ↓ D
According to the Internet, Lindsey Buckingham uses this in Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain.
Read my detailed breakdown and instructions for Double Drop D tuning.
DADGAD
Tuning: D A D G A D
This is also called Celtic tuning, as it’s often found in Celtic music. Essentially, it’s an open D suspended chord, but I’ll not go into music theory of why people tune their guitars in SUS. To tune it, the first, second, and sixth strings go down for one tone. Like this.
E ↓ D
B ↓ A
E ↓ D
Kashmir by Led Zeppelin uses DAD GAD.
BADGBE
Tuning: B A D G B E
In this one, you just turn your sixth E string all the way down to B, while others remain untouched.
E ↓ B
Soundgarden is the band to listen to if you want to explore this tuning.
Many More to Come
This list is endless. I’ll add new interesting tunings in the future if I decide they are worth it.
How to Tune Your Guitar Into an Alternative Tuning?
You have two options: tuning by ear or using a chromatic tuner.
If you’re not a guitar or bass pro who can do it by ear and using other strings for reference, I suggest using a tuner. I’ve created a comprehensive guide on tuners, so check it out if you want to find the best one for you.
Essentially, just turn the pegs up or down until the tuner shows the note you’re getting.
If you decide to do it by ear, you just need to use other strings for reference. For example, if you tune in Drop D, use the D string, and then adjust your E string to be exactly one octave lower.
Still, strings can get out of tune if you change the tuning and leave them that way (especially if they’re new), so I recommend using a tuner either way.