How to Tune Your Guitar to a Drop-C Tuning

Guitarists looking to break out of a playing rut or find a new sound can do so by changing tuning. One of the most common alternate guitar tunings is Drop-D, where the low-E string is lowered one whole step resulting in a pattern of D-A-D-G-B-E. Drop-C tuning is similar to Drop-D, but with each string tuned down an additional whole step, where the strings from low to high are tuned C-G-C-F-A-D.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Guitar tuner

Start in standard tuning

1. Be sure your guitar is tuned correctly to standard tuning: E-A-D-G-B-E. Drop-tune the low-E string down one whole step to D. Check the pitch against the fourth string.

2. Hold the sixth string at the fifth fret, sound that note, and down-tune the open fifth string until both strings sound the same note (G).

3. Hold the fifth string at the fifth fret, sound that note, and down-tune the open fourth string until both strings sound the same note (C).

4. Go back to the sixth string and down-tune one further step to C. Check the pitch against the fourth string.

5. Hold the fourth string at the fifth fret, sound that note, and down-tune the open third string until both strings sound the same note (F).

6. Hold the third string at the fourth fret, sound that note, and down-tune the open second string until both strings sound the same note (A).

7. Hold the second string at the fifth fret, sound that note, and down-tune the open first string until both strings sound the same note (D). The guitar is now in Drop-C tuning (C-G-C-F-A-D).

Tips & Warnings

• Drop-C tuning makes it easy to play major-scale chords, such as C, D and E, using just one finger. Barring the lower three strings across the same fret forms a chord. For example, a D-major chord is formed by barring the lower three strings at the second fret. Hold this chord shape, and move up fret by fret to play D-sharp (third fret), E (fourth fret), F (fifth fret), F-sharp (sixth fret), G (seventh fret) and so on.
• Because guitars and strings are designed to be played in standard tuning, any down-tuning results in decreased string tension. When strings are tuned down a step or beyond, they can become floppy and difficult to keep in tune. For Drop-C tuning, it's best to choose thicker gauge strings to minimize such hazards.

References

• Guitar For Dummies; Mark Phillips, Jon Chappell; 2006