How to Tune a Guitar to Drop D by Ear
Drop D guitar tuning can be heard in modern heavy rock and metal music. It involves tuning the guitar to standard pitch (notes E, A, D, G, B, E), and lowering the low E (6th) string down one whole step to D. Drop tuning can be used on electric and acoustic guitars, and gives a lower and heavier sound to chords and low register notes.
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Instructions
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1
Turn off all effects devices, especially choruses, flangers, phasers and other modulation effects, as they may make ear tuning difficult.
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Tune the guitar to standard pitch (low to high E, A, D, G, B, E) by ear, or by using an electronic tuner or pitch pipe. Standard pitch is the universally recognized tuning for guitars.
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3
Pick the fourth string (D) on the guitar, and let it ring out. You are listening to the D note for comparison when tuning down the lowest string to D.
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4
Adjust the sixth string (E) tuning key, but turning clockwise to lower the pitch to match the fourth D string. Make it one octave lower. When you hear you´ve reached low octave D tuning, both notes will sound the same, but the Low D will be much lower, similar to that of a bass guitar. Listen for this, and adjust as necessary.
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Check the tuning of the remaining strings by ear, or with a tuner or pitch pipe, as the overall tension loss caused by the lowered E string may cause other strings to go slightly out of tune. The tuning of your guitar will be D, A, D, G, B, E --- low to high. Aside from the low D, all other strings are tuned to standard pitch. You have achieved drop D tuning when the 6th string and the 4th string are exactly one octave apart.
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Tips & Warnings
All guitar chords, solos and melody lines that involve the 6th string will need to be modified when using drop D tuning.
If you experience fret buzz when using drop D tuning, you may wish to have the bridge action adjusted, or change to a heavier gauge string.
If your guitar has a tremolo system, using drop D tuning may cause the other strings to go out of tune; tremolos are movable bridges held in place by springs. When string tension is changed by tuning changes, the springs may need to be adjusted in order to compensate for the decreased tension in drop D tuning.
Always entrust intonations, neck, action and tremolo adjustments to a professional repair shop.
