Different Ways to Tune a Guitar
Although standard guitar tuning is the most common, modern guitarists are rediscovering other tunings. Folk, country, and blues guitarists have used non-standard tunings for years, and many rock guitarists use modified step, and drop-string tunings. Different tunings allow guitarists to experiment with chord voicings, drone notes, and melodies, while others are conducive to making certain styles of music easier to play. There are many different tunings, and only a few of the most common are outlined here.
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Guitar Tunings
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The modern standard guitar tuning (EADGBE, from low to high), was first used by classical guitar players in the middle of the 19th century. Adopted by jazz players in the 1920s, it was soon accepted as the standard. Because the guitar was not solely a classical instrument, folk musicians developed many different tunings based on their own musical interpretations. Many of those alternate tunings persisted, making their way into every style of music, and remain popular today.
Guitarists who are used to standard tuning will find alternative tunings open up many musical possibilities. A chromatic guitar tuner or pitch pipe to assist with tuning is helpful, and many excellent books cover playing the different scales and chords. The key to using alternate tunings is experimentation, and finding the tuning that best compliments your individual style.
Drop "D" Tuning
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Drop "D" tuning is used in all musical styles, especially alternative and metal music. It's a very simple tuning, in which the low "E" string is tuned down a whole step (from "E" to "D") to add a deeper bass note. Drop "D" tuning complements many open chords, and adds low-end to bar chords.
Tune from low to high: D-A-D-G-B-E.
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Open Tuning
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Open tuning is very common, especially with slide guitarists. When strummed with all notes open, this tuning produces a properly voiced chord, which can be modified in interesting ways. Lower strings can be strummed as a drone chord, while a melody is played on higher strings, and other chords can be easily formed by playing with a slide or barred finger. Open "C" and "G" are the most common, and are tuned as follows, from low to high:
Open C: C-G-C-G-C-E
Open G: D-G-D-G-B-D
Step Tuning
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Step tuning is the most straight-ahead guitar tuning, and is simply standard tuning moved up or down. Guitarists use step tuning to achieve a particular sound, or as an easy way to transpose music to a higher or lower key. Many rock guitar players use step tuning one or more half-steps down from standard tuning, which gives a heavier and deeper tone. Step tune as follows, from low to high (the "b" means "flat," and the "#" means "sharp"; read "Eb" as "E-flat" and "F#" as "F-sharp"):
Down one half-step: Eb-Ab-Db-Gb-Bb-Eb
Down one whole-step: D-G-C-F-Bb-D
Up one half-step: F-Bb-Eb-Ab-C-F
Up one whole-step:F#-B-E-A-C#-F#
DADGAD Tuning
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DADGAD tuning, pronounced as the letters read, is also called Celtic tuning. Despite the Celtic connotations, this tuning is very popular with many styles of music, including rock. While the tuning stands on its own as a fun and useful modification, DADGAD tuning enables easier melody lines for fiddle- and mandolin-based Celtic and bluegrass music.
Tune from low to high: D-A-D-G-A-D.
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