This is the most common tuning but it is not the only way to tune a guitar. Since each string can be tuned to any note, there are a large number of possible (alternate) tunings. Let’s look at one of the most common: Drop D.
Drop D tuning is popular because it is easy to do, sounds good, and makes it possible to play power chords using only one finger. It is very common in many types of rock and metal music. The tuning for Drop D is (from 6th string to 1st string):
You can tune your guitar to Drop D tuning by using an electronic tuner. If you have a chromatic tuner you simply tune to a D note. If you have a guitar tuner, the 4th string D note may or may not be able to recognize the 6th string D note. If your tuner has a “Bass” setting, this should work using the bass D note (2nd string on the bass.) Or if your tuner has a flat button, you can set it to two flats (bb) and the D note should register as a 6th string E (bb).
Drop D Tuning On Guitar
Another way to tune to Drop D is to do it by ear. Begin by picking the 4th string open, which is a D note. Let that D note ring and pick the 6th string and start tuning it down until it sounds like the 4th string D note. The 6th string D note will be one octave lower, but you should be able to tell when they are in tune with each other. The notes will not beat against each other but will sound like one note.
Once you have tuned the 6th string down to D you are in Drop D tuning and ready to try some new fingerings.
Tuning the sixth string down to D gives your guitar a deeper, or heavier, sound when you use the 6th string in a chord. It also allows you to play power chords with a single finger. Let’s look at G power chord in standard and Drop D tunings. The first measure is the two and three finger version of the G5 chord in standard tuning. The second measure is the two and three finger version of the G5 chord in Drop D tuning.
Drop Guitar Tuning
Because the 6th string is now tuned to a D note — which is one whole step or two frets lower than Standard tuning — when you play a chord in Drop D you need to play the 6th string notes one whole step or two frets higher than in Standard tuning. So the 3rd fret G note in standard tuning becomes a 5th fret G note in Drop D tuning. Since the notes are all on the 5th fret in Drop D you can play the chord by barring one finger across the 6th and 5th strings, or the 6th, 5th, and 4th strings. You need to remember that power chords are two frets higher in Drop D than Standard tuning.Drop D tuning is the most popular alternate tuning for guitarists. If you’ve only played in standard tuning, you need to give Drop D a try.
Drop D is an easy alternate tuning to learn and gives you a good idea of why alternate tunings are so useful. While some guitarists will go through their entire lives never moving away from standard tuning, Drop D is a great example of how those guitarists are missing out.
Any guitar tuner can be used to tune your guitar in Drop D. If you don’t have a tuner, check out this guide on the Best Guitar Tuners to find one that suits you.
Ultimate Drop D Tuning Resource: Chords, Songs, Tab
After you read through this guide, find out how to play in Drop D Tuning in this lesson. The lesson shows you how to play and write your own riffs in Drop D tuning.
To tune your guitar in Drop D, tune your low E string down to D. All the other strings remain the same. You will end up with your guitar strings tuned to D A D G B E.
The name ‘Drop D tuning’ comes from the simple idea that you ‘drop’ the tuning of your low E string down to D.
Drop D Tuning For Acoustic Guitar
Drop D tuning is different than ‘D Standard’ or ‘D tuning’. In ‘D Standard’ tuning, you tune all six strings down the same amount so the strings end up as D G C F A D. D Standard tuning feels the same to play as standard tuning, while Drop D feels different to play.
While it is always recommended you use a guitar tuner to tune your guitar (tuners are more accurate than our ears), you can tune to Drop D by ear.
The first method is to compare the seventh fret on the sixth string to the open A string and tune the sixth string down until both notes match.
Drop D Songs For Blues
When you tune your low E string down far enough, the seventh fret will match the pitch of the open A string.
The second method is to play the open D string (fourth string) and tune the low E string down until you hear it resonate as an octave.
When you tune the low E string down far enough, you will hear that it suddenly starts to resonate clearly. With some practice, you can learn to quickly tune to Drop D just by listening to how the two strings resonate.
Ways To Tune A Guitar To Drop D
The great thing about Drop D is that most of the open chords you already know stay the same. Any chord you know from standard tuning that doesn’t use the low E string is exactly the same to play in Drop D.
If a chord uses the sixth string, it will be different in Drop D tuning. Here are some new chords to learn for Drop D tuning:
A lot of songs in Drop D focus on chords based on D, so it’s worth the effort to memorize these chords.
Video Lesson: Exploring Dropped D Fingerpicking
Instead of using two (or three) fingers to play a power chord as you would in standard tuning, you only need to use one finger.
Power chords are played as normal on all other strings, but when they start on the sixth string, you only need one finger to play them.
As you will see in the Guitar TAB for songs later on, this lets you jump around the fretboard and play fast-moving power chords.
Guitar Tips & Tricks: Intro To Alternate Tunings: Drop D
Metal and rock guitarists commonly use Drop D tuning (or lower tunings based on Drop D such as Drop C or Drop B) simply because of how different power chords feel to play.
If you have already memorized the notes on the fretboard in standard tuning (read this guide to learn how), you will find it easy to play scales in Drop D.
This is easy to memorize because the top five strings are exactly the same as they are in standard tuning. So you should already know them.
How To Play In Drop D Tuning Lesson (writing Riffs, Power Chords, Arpeggios)
The low D string is also easy to memorize because you should already know the note positions on the fourth string, which is also D.
If you already know the notes in standard tuning, you already know the notes in Drop D. All you need to do is get used to the sixth string being in D.
D minor is a popular scale when writing songs in Drop D Tuning because it makes great use of the open D string.
Drop D Tuning
The above fretboard diagram should make it clear that any scales you already know are easy to figure out in Drop D Tuning. All you need to do is replace the low E string with the notes you already know on the D string.
Drop D Tuning is the most popular alternate tuning and there are countless songs that use it. You can find songs written in Drop D tuning in so many different styles of music.
To find out about other tunings worth trying out, check out my Ultimate Guide to Alternate Tunings here. If you’ve only tried standard and drop tunings before, you might be surprised with how different some other tunings feel to play.
The Definitive Guide To Drop A Guitar Tuning
Find out how to play in Drop D Tuning in this lesson. The lesson shows you how to play and write your own riffs in Drop D tuning as well as how to use different power chord shapes to spice up your songwriting.
Easy Fingerpicking Guitar Songs for Beginners (with TAB)Ultimate Open E Tuning Resource: Chords, Songs, TAB, PDFHow Often Should You Change Your Guitar Strings?Why Are There Dots on Guitar Fretboards? All About Guitar Inlays and MarkersWhat is Ear Training? Everything You Need to KnowHow to Play in Drop D Tuning Lesson (Writing Riffs, Power Chords, Arpeggios)
DISCLOSURE: articles may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, I receive a commission. Find out more here.Most new players learn with standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E). Others, such as Drop D Tuning, provide a unique sound, simplify some chord forms, make very fast power chord progressions possible, and introduce something new into your learning and playing. Why not try it?
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The reason this particular tuning method is called
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