Guitar strings spelled out. Guitar tuning - introduction. Download or listen online sheet music for guitar tuning

Beginning guitarists often wonder: what tuning does this or that favorite rock band play in? How to tune a guitar so that you can comfortably play known and favorite songs? In this article I will briefly give examples guitar tunings in rock music and their representatives (musicians, groups).

I will immediately give a list of the notations used:

• C - note C
• D - note D
• E - note E
• F - note Fa
• G - note Sol
• A - note A
• B (or H) - note B
• # - sharp - raising a note by a semitone. Half a tone on a guitar - one fret.
• b - flat - lowering the note by a semitone.
• Notes in tablatures are arranged in order from the 1st (thin) string to the 6th (thick) string. For example, E B G D A E.

1. Standard, E (standard, Spanish or classical tuning).

The simplest and most famous guitar tuning. Tablature of the system: E B G D A E - Mi Si Sol Re La Mi. This system is used mainly by rock music luminaries, old-school musicians and adherents of light genres.

Bands and musicians who play standard system:

• AC/DC
• Led Zeppelin
• Metallica
• Gun's & Roses
• Nightwish
• Deep Purple
• Nirvana (semitone lower)
• Blink 182
• Sum 41
• Joe Satriani
• Carlos Santana
• Aria, Kipelov (half a tone lower)
• Nickelback
• Placebo
• Rage Against The Machine
• Queen
• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Rise Against
• Scorpions
• Steve Vai
• Chuck Berry
• Bon Jovi
• 30 Seconds To Mars

2. Drop D (lowered D)

This tuning differs from the standard one in that the 6th string on the guitar is lowered one tone. In consonance with the 4th and 5th strings it gives an octave. Tablature: E B G D A D. Like any low pitch it is convenient in that you can play “zeros” (the so-called open strings) on it and previously familiar chords can be pressed with just one finger, plus two more low chords are added that are not available when playing with standard tuning.

Bands that play Drop tuning D:

• Asking Alexandria
• Avenged Sevenfold
• Evanescence
• Linkin Park (later albums)
• Papa Roach
• Rage Against The Machine
• three days Grace
• Thousand Foot Krutch
• Queens of the Stone Age
• Deftones
• fall out Boy
• Shinedown
• Amatory

3. Drop C# (lowered C sharp)

This is a tuning in which all the strings are lowered by another semitone, unlike the D tuning. Tablature: D# A# F# C# G# C#.

Bands that play in the Drop C# tuning:

• Linkin Park
• Attack! Attack!
• Breaking Benjamin
• Papa Roach (some songs from recent years)
• Limp Bizkit
• H-Blockx
• Staind
• Deftones

4. Drop C (lowered C)

This lowered tuning is quite common in alternative and metalcore music. Tablature: D A F C G C.

Bands that play in the Drop C tuning:

• Bullet For My Valentine
• As I Lay Dying
• Atreyu
• Periphery
• three days Grace
• System of a Down
• Godsmack
• Nine Lashes
• Breaking Benjamin
• 12 Stones
• Disturbed
• Lumen
• Nickelback
• Skillet
• Rammstein
• Evans Blue
• August Burns Red

5. Drop B (lowered C)

The low B tuning is an alternative to the standard seven-string guitar tuning. It allows you to tune a six-string guitar as low as a seven-string guitar would sound, plus it allows you to play chords more comfortably. Tablature: C# G# E B F# B. Seven-string guitar tablature: E B G D A E B.

Bands that play in the Drop B tuning:

• Parkway Drive
• Slipknot
• Thousand Foot Krutch
• Bleeding Through
• Linkin Park
• Amatory
• Limp Bizkit
• Skillet
• Veil of Maya
• Stigmata

6. Drop A# (lowered A sharp)

This tuning is also an alternative to the seven-string guitar, lowered a half step. Tablature: C G D# A# F A#. Seven-string guitar tablature: D# A# F# C# G# D# A#.

Bands that play in the Drop A# tuning:

• Bring Me The Horizon
• Parkway Drive
• Breaking Benjamin
• Obey The Brave
• The Ghost Inside
• Korn (7-strings)

7. Drop A (lowered A)

Extremely low build. Tablature: B F# D A E A. Seven-string guitar tablature: D A F C G D A.

Bands that play in Drop A tuning:

• My Autumn
• Betraying The Martyrs
• Emmure
• Born Of Osiris
• Within The Ruins

This is not a complete list of all guitar tunings. In addition to standard and lowered schemes, others are used: for example, when not only the 6th string is lowered, but also the 1st string. This technique is used in blues; it allows you to produce beautiful sounds by playing a slide on the first three strings. Also, in addition to seven-string guitars and baritones (guitars with an increased scale), there are now eight-string and even nine-string electric guitars. Accordingly, the tunings of these guitars are much lower.

Do you know what strings are needed for a certain tuning?

The list of musicians and groups is also far from complete. If you have suggestions for adding to the article or questions about what tuning a certain group plays in, write in the comments!

VKontakte

One of the problems that every guitarist faces while learning is choosing a guitar tuning. Guitar tuning determined by sound open strings, accordingly, the transition to one or another key is carried out by tuning the strings to the appropriate notes. Below is a list of the most widely used tunings:

. "Spanish" or standard. This tuning is considered a classic. This is where mastery of playing technique begins. Many people continue to play it after completing their training, since this system is universal. Designation - EBGDAE, according to strings (1st to 6th).

Drop D. One of the popular tunings, often used in rock music, especially by hard rock performers. Literally translated as "lowered D". The reason for this name lies in the fact that in this tuning the 6th string sounds a tone lower than in the standard tuning, that is, it corresponds to the note D (D). This type of tuning sounds best on an electric guitar.

Drop C. This guitar tuning, like the previous one, is based on the fact that the sixth string sounds a full tone lower than the first. However, in the case of Drop C, strings one through five are first tuned exactly one tone lower from standard tuning. That is, we get DAFCGC. In this tuning the guitar sounds lower and heavier. Used primarily in heavy music.

Open D. This tuning is most often used when playing slide guitar.

High and low tunings. Often musicians lower or raise the guitar tuning by a semitone, a tone, or even more. All strings can be tuned the same or differently. However (especially classic ones) when played in high formation they are at risk of being damaged.
. Instrumental scale. Implies a standard tuning for another instrument. You can tune it like a balalaika, charango, or cithara.

I would also like to mention that the guitar, unlike many musical instruments, is not tuned in fifth scale. Why, despite the fact that the fifth gives the purest and most pleasant sound, is the guitar tuned in such an incomprehensible, at first glance, way? The answer to this question is more than simple: standard guitar tuning provides the greatest simplicity and ease of play.

Where to start? Naturally, with mastering the technique of playing in the classical (Spanish) system. Only after studying musical literacy, especially chords, you can choose in which tuning it is more convenient to play this or that chord, this or that song. It is worth noting that for a beginner to play alternative system it will be much more difficult, especially if he does not know the barre technique.

If you play or plan to play in the future, it's worth special attention on the geometry of the neck, especially the height of the strings. The guitar may need to be re-tuned to avoid loose strings and rattling when played in the new tuning. Electric guitars for beginners are not designed for playing alternative tunings, and their sound, for example, in Drop C, may not please you. Be sure to take this into account when purchasing!

Many guitarists wonder which strings are best suited to their tuning. When choosing, it is worth remembering that preferences for tension and string diameter are a very individual thing. It is for this reason that you should not take information from of this material as an absolute truth: we will present the most generalized and averaged data, according to which you can choose the optimal thickness of the set to suit your preferences.

For ease of reading the article, we will use whole string thickness designations (for example, 9-42 instead of 0.009-0.042).

Factors influencing the choice of string thickness

• Guitar scale: the longer it is, the tighter the strings will be, all other things being equal. In the table below we will be using the standard 25.5" scale. If you have a guitar with a smaller scale, then you will need to make a slight adjustment and go with a thicker set.
• String tension: the greater their tension, the thicker the strings - accordingly, they have a more powerful and voluminous sound. However, on the other hand, thicker strings have a smaller vibration amplitude, which is why their sound is not as rich in overtones, it is duller and flatter - this is especially audible on thin strings without winding.
• Third string: in most sets this is not wound (plain). In sets with a first string thickness of 12 or more, the third string is usually wrapped. IN in this case It’s worth considering that braiding increases tension - you’ll have to forget about bending by one and a half to two tones, although, on the other hand, in lowered tunings The third wound string sounds much fuller and richer.
• Today you can buy guitar strings in balanced sets (8-38, 9-42, 10-46, 11-50, 12-54, 13-56, etc.) and unbalanced(9-46, 10-52, 11-52, 12-56/60, etc.)

The former are usually used for standard tuning or tuning lowered across all strings by an equal number of semitones. The second type is ideal for lovers of drop tunings (the 6th string is lowered by whole tone), as well as for those who use hybrid and open settings guitars.

• The thickest sets of strings (12-60, 13-72, etc.) are best suited for long-scale guitars - baritones. They have a scale length of 26 inches or more, and are used in very low tunings (for example, Standard A and lower).

In principle, such kits can also be used for instruments with a standard scale for deeply lowered action, however, before purchasing, you should consider a couple of nuances:

• You may simply not have enough scale adjustment options at the bridge, since lower tuning requires retuning. In this case, either replacing the bridge or switching to a thinner set will help.
• If you use a thicker set, you will either bore out the string grooves on the nut or simply won't be able to fit the strings into them. When going back to more thin strings, they will hang around in the bored grooves, making it difficult to fine-tune the guitar.

In addition, thick strings may not fit into the peg - it will also have to be bored.

Which strings are suitable for a particular tuning?

Helpful tip: If you want to tune your guitar to B Standard or lower, consider buying a baritone or 7-string guitar - you need to understand that not all types of 6-string electric guitars are designed for experimenting with strong detuning.

Let us repeat that these recommendations are conditional and partly subjective. Suffice it to remember the great SRV, which used the 13-56 kit for the Standard Eb build: therefore, the most important thing is your feelings. Try several different sets, experiment - and you will certainly find the optimal set for your music!

Based on materials from an article by Egor Kalgannikov, 12.2013.

In addition to the usual way to tune a guitar, there are alternative tunings.

Guitarists need them to diversify their performance and achieve an unusual or powerful sound, and also to simplify finger placement while playing. If you have problems with the setup process, there is a separate section about this on our website.

In this article, the tuning will be indicated from the sixth string to the first. Some settings are easier to remember this way.

Classical tuning and its variations

EADGBE - classic tuning

The generally accepted system, also called “Spanish”, is most often used to write songs. As an example, consider Ed Sheeran – Shape of you. Ed plays this song in classical tuning.

Variation one - DADGBE

Among guitarists it is called a drop-D, since the sixth string drops a tone to the note D. In it, power chords are pressed with one finger, which is why drop-D is often used in rock music.

Turns into this:

Stockholm Syndrome by Muse is played in this tuning.

Variation two - DADGBD

Also called Double drop-D, similar to the previous one, but the first string goes down a tone. It is convenient to play parts through the repeated note D, both on the sixth and on the first string. Skillet's Circus For A Psycho plays the main riff in this tuning.

Variation three - DADGAD

Among guitarists it is called “deadged”, often used in folk music because of its ease of imitation of bagpipes and sitar. Open strings do not form thirds, so this tuning is neither major nor minor, but modal. The first, second and sixth strings are lowered a tone. White summer by the Yardbirds plays just like that.

Drops and capo

Next, we will consider tunings formed by a uniform change in all strings from classical system and its variations. The downward movement adds “heaviness” to the sound. The vocalist may be more comfortable singing. As the tuning goes down, it is better to switch to thicker strings; their tension will decrease and it will be uncomfortable to play.

Step one - D#G#C#F#A#D#

It’s also half-step-down, “half a step down.” All strings are evenly lowered by a semitone.

Guns`n`roses play their classic Sweet Child O`mine a little lower than it might seem.

Step two - CGCFAD

Popular in metal and heavy rock drop-C. This is the tuning that is almost always used, with all strings down a tone and the sixth string down another tone, i.e. one tone down from drop-D. First two albums System groups of a Down played in drop-C. For example, the song Toxicity from the album of the same name.

Step three - BF#BEG#C#

Another tone lower than the previous one, also known as drop-B. Even harder and more aggressive. Slipknot used this tuning on their first albums. Wait and bleed is no exception.

We will not consider the constructions below here, since in modern music for even greater reduction, guitars with additional strings, 7-, 8-, 9-strings, are used.

Capo

To improve the tuning, the guitar is very rarely retuned; for this, a capo is used, which evenly clamps all the strings.

This creates a movable threshold, and if you need to play a song in a different key, for example, for the convenience of the vocalist, you just need to move the capo to the desired fret.

For example, the Scarborough fair by Simon and Garfunkel is played with a capo at the seventh fret, which creates a BEADF#B tuning 3.5 steps higher than the classic one.

Open formations

Open tuning is the tuning of all strings not by intervals, but by the notes of a chord.

Such tunings are often used in folk music and when playing with a slide - usually a metal or glass cylinder that is placed on the finger of the left hand. It is moved along the strings as a “moving” fret.

Let's look at some commonly used open tunings.

Open D major Open D - DADF#AD

We have already discussed the DADGAD tuning as a variation of the classic tuning. Let's lower the third string another semitone - we get the notes of the D major chord.

For example, let's take the composition of guitarist Alain Johannes – Make God Jealous.

Open D minor Open D Minor - DADFAD

Let's lower the third string another semitone, and we'll end up in D minor, a more “sad” chord. Let's evaluate the changes in sound using the song Wine and Roses by John Fahey.

Open G major Open G - DGDGBD

Let's return the second and third strings to the classical tuning, but lower the fifth a tone - we move into a G major chord. This tuning was used by Jimmy Page in Led Zeppelin's Bron-Y-Aur Stomp.

Modal scale G Modal G - DGCGCD

This system has the same features as discussed above. modal system in D (DADGAD), it is convenient to play both major and minor songs. Jimmy Page also used this system. He generally used many non-standard tunings and was their popularizer. For example, Rain song performed jointly with Robert Plant.

Open G minor Open G Minor - DGDGA#D

By lowering the second string a semitone, we form a G minor chord from the open strings. It is used on guitarist John Renbourn's Mist-Covered Mountains of Home and imitates a lute.

Open A major Open A - EEAAC#E or EAC#EAE

There are two setup options. In the first case, we raise the second, third and fourth strings by a tone, forming an A major chord.

In the second case, lower the second string by a tone, the third by a tone and a half, and the fourth string by a half tone. This variation is often found in delta blues compositions, one of the earliest blues movements.

Robert Johnson uses a slide to play in this tuning on Crossroads Blues.

Open C major Open C - CGCGCE or CGCGGE

The sixth, fifth and fourth strings repeat drop-C, the second string is raised by a semitone (or lowered by two tones), the third and first - as in the classics.

Chris Cornell's song Burden In My Hand, performed by Soundgarden, is written in this tuning.

There are many more rarer customization options. Nothing prevents a musician from tuning the instrument the way he wants or needs.

Come to us and we will teach you how to play the guitar and find innovative solutions to musical problems.

Non-classical settings are used for the convenience of playing certain musical genres or pieces of music.

Classic setting method

1. tuning fork
2. The 1st string is used to tune the 2nd string, which, being pressed at the V fret, should sound the same as the 1st open (not pressed) string.
3. The 3rd string, pressed at the 4th fret, is tuned to the 2nd open string.
4. The 4th string, pressed at the V fret, is tuned to the 3rd open string.
5. The 5th string, pressed at the V fret, is tuned to the 4th open string.
6. The 6th string, pressed at the V fret, is tuned to the 5th open string.

Tuning with harmonics and temperament

Allows for much more precise tuning, since the accuracy of the frets is not always sufficient.

1. The 1st string is tuned using the reference sound - the sound of a tuning fork - or the sound of an already tuned musical instrument.
2. The 6th string is tuned so that its harmonic at the 5th fret sounds in unison with the 1st string.
3. The 5th string is tuned so that its harmonic at the 7th fret sounds in unison with the 1st string, and then slightly tightened so that a beat occurs with a frequency of 0.372 Hz (one beat in 2.7 seconds).
4. The 4th string is tuned so that its harmonic at the 7th fret sounds in unison with the harmonic of the 5th string at the 5th fret, and then slightly tightened so that a beat occurs with a frequency of 0.497 Hz (one beat per 2.01 seconds).
5. The 3rd string is tuned so that its harmonic at the 7th fret sounds in unison with the harmonic of the 4th string at the 5th fret, and then slightly tightened so that a beat occurs with a frequency of 0.664 Hz (one beat per 1.51 seconds).
6. The 2nd string is tuned so that its harmonic on the 5th fret sounds almost in unison with the harmonic of the 1st string on the 7th fret, but is slightly shortened so that a beat with a frequency of 1.12 Hz is heard (one beat per 0.9 seconds).

When tuning using the tuning fork A (“A”), the 5th string is tuned first (the harmonic on the V fret in unison with the tuning fork), then the 1st and 6th, and then the 4th, 3rd and 2nd.

If you have good hearing and have gained enough experience, you can do without using harmonics, catching the beat of overtones in the sound of open strings.

Since changing the string tension leads to deformation of the guitar body and detuning of the remaining strings, it is recommended to tune the guitar in 2-3 iterations, the first of which can be done without temperament (without carefully counting the beat frequency).

Lower tunings of a six-string guitar

Decreased (i.e. lower than the normal EBGDAE tuning) tunings are used for more comfortable playing a certain key, or to obtain a lower, “heavy” sound. In particular, many rock guitarists love the so-called. Drop tunings, which are named by adding to “Drop” a note on the 6th string that drops 1 tone below the first (for example: Drop C = DAFCGC). To change from a classical tuning to some lower tuning, all the strings of the guitar are lowered by a certain interval (for example, to change to tuning D, you need to lower all the strings of the guitar by a tone). To lower the guitar's tuning by more than a tone, you may need to change the strings to thicker ones due to the weakening of their tension. Also, for tunings below B (B), mostly baritone guitars are used.

String	Scale E♭ (E-flat)		Build D (re)		Scale D♭ (D-flat)		Build C (before)		System B (si)
	Note	Frequency (in hertz)	Note	Frequency	Note	Frequency	Note	Frequency	Note	Frequency
First	e♭¹ (E-flat first octave)	311.13	d¹ (D first octave)	293.66	d♭¹ (D-flat first octave)	277.18	c¹ (to the first octave)	261.63	b (B small octave)	246.94
Second	b♭ (B-flat small octave)	233.08	a (A small octave)	220.00	a♭ (A-flat small octave)	207.00	g (small octave sol)	196.00	g♭ (G-flat small octave)	185.00
Third	g♭ (G-flat small octave)	185.00	f (f small octave)	174.62	e (minor octave E)	164.81	e♭ (small octave E-flat)	155.56	d (small octave D)	147.83
Fourth	d♭ (D-flat small octave)	138.59	c (to small octave)	130.82	B (big octave B)	123.48	B♭ (B-flat major octave)	116.54	A (A major octave)	110.00
Fifth	A♭ (A-flat major octave)	103.80	G (major octave G)	98.00	G♭ (G flat major octave)	92.50	F (major octave F)	87.31	E (major octave E)	82.41
Sixth	E♭ (major octave E-flat)	77.78	D (major octave D)	73.91	D♭ (D-flat major octave)	69.30	C (to major octave)	65.41	B¹ (B counter octave)	61.74
Sheet music

Open C

One of characteristic features is the ease of extracting basic major chords. A simple barre at the 2nd fret will give "D", 4th fret will give "E", 5th fret will give "F" and so on. Open strings will give you "C".

In order to tune a guitar in “Open C”, you need (starting from the “standard tuning”): 1st string (thin) Leave as in the “standard tuning” - “E” (“E”)
2nd string. Raise half a step to “C” (“C”)
3rd string. Leave as in “standard tuning” - “Salt” (“G”)
4th string. Lower one step to “Before” (“C”)
5th string. Lower one step to “Salt” (“G”)
6th string (thick). Lower by two steps from “E” to “Do” (“C”)

Raised tunings of a six-string guitar

Tuning a guitar, especially a classical one, can damage the instrument., as well as to injuries due to a sudden break of a tightened string.

To increase the tuning, you can use a capo. If rebuilding your guitar is necessary, it is recommended to use a thinner set of strings.

String	Build F (fa)		Tuning F# (F-sharp)		Tuning G (sol)		G# scale (G sharp)		System A (la)
	Note	Frequency (in hertz)	Note	Frequency	Note	Frequency	Note	Frequency	Note	Frequency
First	f¹ (fa first octave)	349.23	f¹# (F-sharp first octave)	369.99	g¹ (sol of the first octave)	392.00	g¹# (G-sharp first octave)	415.30	a¹ (A first octave)	440.00
Second	с¹ (to the first octave)	261.63	с¹# (C-sharp of the first octave)	277.18	d¹ (D first octave)	293.66	D¹# (D-sharp first octave)	311.13	e¹ (E first octave)	311.13
Third	g# (G-sharp small octave)	207.00	a (A small octave)	220.00	a# (A-sharp small octave)	233.08	b (B small octave)	246.94	c¹ (to the first octave)	261.63
Fourth	d# (d-sharp small octave)	155.56	e (minor octave E)	164.81	f (f small octave)	174.62	f# (F-sharp small octave)	185.00	g (small octave sol)	196.00
Fifth	A# (A-sharp major octave)	116.54	B (big octave B)	123.48	c (to small octave)	130.82	c# (C-sharp small octave)	138.59	d (small octave D)	147.83
Sixth	F (major octave F)	87.31	F# (F-sharp major octave)	92.50	G (major octave G)	98.00	G# (G-sharp major octave)	103.80	A (A major octave)	110.00
Sheet music

"Drop D" formation

This tuning differs from the classical one in that it is lowered by tone sixth string. It is often used by hard rock electric guitarists because it makes it easier to play 5th chords. power-chord), also some works were written for him classical guitar(in the keys of D major and D minor).

"Drop C" formation

Used to produce an even lower and “heavier” sound on an electric guitar. Unlike the classical system, all strings except the sixth tune in to tone below and sixth string- on two tones.
Like Drop tuning D is used to play fifth chords.

Double Drop-D formation

The tuning is similar to Drop D, differing in that the first string is lowered a tone. For tuning from classical tuning first And sixth the string is lowered to tone.
In this tuning, the top four open strings of the guitar form a G major chord, making it easier to play with slide. Double drop D was often used by performer Neil Young.

Build "DADGAD"

The tuning most often used in folk music. It was invented by British guitarist David Graham for more convenient playing from notes recorded for violin or bagpipes.
To change the “DADGAD” system from the classic one, you need to lower it to tone first, second And sixth strings.

Build "DADDAD"

The “Papa-Papa” tuning is most suitable both for use in folk music (Celtic) and for playing rhythm guitar parts in “heavy” (alternative) music, 4 notes at a time. To change the tuning “DADDAD” from the classical one, you need to lower it to tone first, second And sixth strings. A third tune in unison with fourth.

Build "Open D"

In this tuning, the open strings form a D major chord. It is used primarily on slide guitars.
To rebuild into this system from the classical first, second And sixth strings drop to tone, third goes down to semitone.

"Open G" build

In this tuning, the open strings form a G major chord.
To change to "Open G" tuning from the classic first, fifth And sixth strings drop to tone.

"New Standard"

Also known as "Crafty tuning". A tuning developed by musician Robert Fripp and used by him since 1983. Unlike the classical “quart” tuning, the tuning proposed by Robert Fripp is closer to bowed string instruments, and first, second And third the strings are tuned similarly to a violin. Tuning to this tuning may require replacing the lower strings with thicker ones and the upper strings with thinner ones.

"Alternative tuning Cross A"

E-A-E-A-E-A. "Sitar A" is an alternative lowered guitar tuning. Reminds me of the sound of an Indian sitar. Great for creating Indian (oriental) music.

Seven-string tunings

Standard

The structure of the strings of a seven-string guitar is mixed - terts-quarts, so the chord of the open strings is consonant (major quartet-sixth chord), in contrast to six string guitar. This system is considered classical (academic).