How to Tune a Guitar to Orkney Tuning

Orkney tuning is a dropped guitar tuning, often used in Celtic and Appalachian music. The tuning is CGDGCD. The term itself was coined by guitarist Steve Baughman, but it is also a common banjo tuning. Most Celtic guitarists will think of it as similar to DADGAD tuning for its droning, modal character.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Start with the lowest string, tuning it down all the way to C. If you are not using a tuner, use the C on the fifth string for comparison.

2. Tune the fifth string down to G.

3. Leave the fourth string at D.

4. Leave the third string at G.

5. Tune the second string up to C. Be careful, as tuning up can cause your strings to break, especially if your strings are already slightly sharp.

6. Tune the first string down to D.

Tips & Warnings

• Use medium or high tension strings. If you use low tension, your sixth string in particular will not tune correctly, and it will go sharp when fretted.
• Be careful when tuning the high strings as they suffer metal fatigue more than the lower strings.

Resources

• Steve Baughman's Orkney Tuning Website