How to Tune an Acoustic Guitar to Drop C

An acoustic guitar gains a heavier sound with drop C tuning.

Tuning your acoustic guitar is one of the most important things you can do to keep it sounding good. Generally, a guitar is tuned in "standard" tuning, in which the strings, from low to high, are tuned to the following notes: E, A, D, G, B and E. However, alternative tunings can add flexibility to a guitarist's sound and repertoire. Drop C tuning (in which the strings are tuned, from low to high, to C, G, C, F, A and D) can give your acoustic guitar a fuller, heavier sound.

Things You'll Need

• Chromatic tuner or piano

Instructions

1. Tune your top (lowest) string to C. To do this with a chromatic tuner, pluck the string and look at the tuner's readout. Using the string's tuning peg, adjust the pitch up or down until the tuner confirms that the note is correct. To do this with a piano, play the low C note on the piano. Pluck the guitar string, using the tuning peg to adjust the pitch up or down until the note on the guitar matches the note on the piano.

2. Tune the second string to G, using your tuner or piano. Alternatively, play the top string while holding the seventh fret and match that note.

3. Tune the third string to C, using your tuner or piano. Alternatively, play the second string while holding the fifth fret and match that note.

4. Tune the fourth string to F, using your tuner or piano. Alternatively, play the third string while holding the fifth fret and match that note.

5. Tune the fifth string to A, using your tuner or piano. Alternatively, play the fourth string while holding the fourth fret and match that note.

6. Tune the sixth string to D, using your tuner or piano. Alternatively, play the fifth string while holding the fifth fret and match that note.

Tips & Warnings

• With lower tunings like drop C, heavier strings help keep the guitar in tune.

• Drop C chord fingerings are the same as those in drop D, but are one whole step down.

• With any alternative tuning, it's good to check your intonation to ensure that the guitar is in tune up and down the neck. To quickly do this, check that each string, when fretted at the 12th fret (the octave), matches the pitch of the open string.

• Some chromatic tuners won't tune to tunings other than standard. Check the user's manual of yours to make sure.

References

• "The Pro Guitarist's Handbook;" Paul Lidel; 2001