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 is lowered a tone down. 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 of 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 on 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 it is slightly pulled up 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.

With good hearing, and having accumulated sufficient 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 calculating the beat frequency).

Lower tunings of a six-string guitar

Lower (that is, lower than the usual EBGDAE tuning) tunings are used for more convenient playing in 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
Notes

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 will give "E", 5th 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
Notes

"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 classical guitar works were written for him (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 there are four top open strings the guitars form a G major chord, making it easier to play with a 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 reorganize the “DADGAD” system from the classic one, it is necessary 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. In contrast to 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 - third-fourth, so the chord of the open strings is consonant (major quarter-sixth chord), unlike a six-string guitar. This system is considered classical (academic).

There are a lot of bands in the world that play in a variety of tunings. It seems that one can get confused in such diversity. But if you look closely, it turns out that almost all tunings belong to one of several common types, which I will now describe.

In the pictures below I have depicted the “formulas” of these types. It’s not very visual, but it’s beautiful and New Year’s-like. The numbers indicate the interval between adjacent strings. For example, in standard tuning, the second string is 5 semitones lower than the first, the third is 4 semitones lower than the second, and so on.

This sequence is familiar to anyone who has tuned a guitar “by itself”:

Any tuning with the same sequence of intervals (5-5-5-4-5, if you count from bottom to top) is also a standard tuning, only lowered (or higher). The same chord and scale fingerings will work in it. Any part written in E standard can be played in D standard tuning, it will simply sound a tone lower. The very essence of the tuning - the intervals between adjacent strings - remains the same.

From a "just play" point of view EADGBE- this is the same as DGCFAD. I want to play something from Death, and a guitar in standard tuning is not a problem, we look for taboos and play. It will just sound a tone higher. Because the TYPE of structure is the same. Other options:
- raise the original by a tone in the audio editor and play along with it.
- lower the guitar with a pitch shifter in real time and play to the unaltered original.
- record the minus in standard tuning and play to it.

And if the intervals are different, then we are talking about a different TYPE of structure. If you want to play something from Killswitch Engage, you need to understand what type of system it is. And it turns out that they CGCFAD- this is the same as DADGBE, but a tone lower. So all you have to do is switch to good old DropD.

The easiest way to determine the type of tuning is to read this post, and then enter the tuning in guitarpro and raise and lower the whole thing until something familiar or as close as possible to the standard appears:

I have provided examples for each type of structure. If I write only the name of the group, it means that this structure is the main one for it. It's the same with albums. If a song is listed, the band made one or more songs in that tuning, but used others more often.

Then I indicate the pros and cons of the tuning and which version is closest to the standard tuning (“for testing”). If “for trial” is not indicated, it means that the tuning requires a custom set of strings in any of its variants.

Standard tuning

Standard tuning is a tuning in which all intervals between the strings are 5 semitones, and only between the 2nd and 3rd strings there are 4 semitones. The most standard version (which is simply called the standard tuning) is the one that begins and ends with E - EADGBE. All other options are named by open note, which is obtained on the first or sixth string: for example, D standard.

E standard	EADGBE	The vast majority of all groups in the world. True, it is not so easy to find a large/famous group that would play ONLY in Mi standard. All the heroes of rock are the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and so on, at least sometimes they turned to other systems. Even AC/DC has several songs in Eb standard. Perhaps the only classic of rock that can be cited is Queen, and even then I’m not entirely sure ( update: Queen also disappears: they have Headlong in DropD). It’s even more difficult with metalheads. All the major groups either started out playing in lower tunings or switched to them over time. Well, again, Burzum and Darkthrone probably have everything in standard order.
Eb standard	EbAbDbGbBbEb	Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Black Sabbath, Motorhead, Guns"n"Roses
D standard	DGCFAD	Death, Children Of Bodom, Nightwish, Gojira, Ghost, Nirvana in "Lithium", Metallica in "Sad But True"
C# standard	C#BEG#	Black Sabbath on the album “Master Of Reality”, My Dying Bride, Limp Bizkit, Dying Fetus
C standard	CFBbEbGC	Dethklok, High on Fire, In Flames, Queens of the Stone Age, Kyuss
B standard	BEADF	Amon Amarth, Crowbar, Soilwork, Carcass, Type O Negative, Sepultura in "Roots"
Bb standard	BbEbAbDbFBb	Cannibal Corpse in "Blowtorch Slaughter"
A standard	ADGCEA	KYPCK

Some groups (Placebo, Vektor), on the contrary, raise the standard tuning by a semitone. Johnny Marr of the Smiths used a tuning a step higher than standard on some songs ("This Charming Man").

+ Standard tuning is the ideal compromise between range and ease of playing chords and melodies. Friendly with many tonalities. This is done especially clearly after you try several alternative tunings: many of them are better than the standard one in one of the parameters, but they are necessarily worse in another or several. The standard has become a standard for a reason - it is the most practical and universal.
– Sometimes you want something different)

Drop tunings

Drop tuning is a standard tuning with the sixth string lowered a tone.
They are named after the open note produced on the sixth string. For example, DropD is DADGBE.

+ Range extension down, power chords with one finger, and their extensions up (like 447454), the first five strings are tuned as in the standard - play solos as much as you want
– Slightly less versatility than standard tuning. The increased “gap” between the 5th and 6th strings somewhat limits play in the lower range.
To try: DropD (DADGBE)

Open formations

They are obtained when all the strings are tuned to the notes of a chord. Usually major or minor. They are called by the name of the chord. There is no clear connection between the name of the system and the system. For example, "open A major" is any tuning where there are open strings A, C# and E (and no others). It could be EEAAC And EAC#AC or even reduced AEAEAC#.

The most common options:

5-7-5-4-3

Open G	DGDGBD	Rolling Stones in "Brown Sugar" and "Start Me Up", Alter Bridge in "Watch Over You"
Open A:	EEAAC	Led Zeppelin in "In My Time of Dying", White Stripes in "Seven Nation Army"
Open F:	CFCFAC	Led Zeppelin in "When the Levee Breaks"

7-5-4-3-5

Open D	DADF#AD	Joni Mitchell in Big Yellow Taxi
Open E	EBEG#BE	Derek Trucks

7-5-7-5-4

>

Open C	CGCGCE	Devin Townsend
Open B	BF#BF #BD #

To try: Open G, Open D, Open C

+ Suitable for playing with a slide
– They are friendly to one or two keys, can be very inconvenient in others, and are not always friendly with scale-like passages.

Modal scales

This is the name given to open tunings based on a chord that is not a major or minor chord. Typically this is a sus2 or sus4 chord.

The most famous of them is the “Celtic tuning” (opened by Dsus4):

Standard option - DADGAD(Led Zeppelin in "Kashmir", Staind in "Epiphany"). Lowered versions of this tuning were used by Mark Tremonti in Creed and Alter Bridge, Russian Circles and Sevendust.

Drone formations

Tunings where all or almost all the strings are tuned to the same note (not necessarily the same octave).

DDDDDD- The Velvet Underground in "Venus In Furs"
BDDDDD- Goo Goo Dolls in "Iris"

+ Very different
– Very specific

"Seven-string without a sixth"

This is a standard tuning in which the sixth string is lowered not by a tone, as in drop tunings, but by 5 semitones. It turns out like a seven-string with a missing sixth string. And the fingering, which usually gives a fifth on the 5th and 6th strings, now gives an octave.

+ Fingerings can be moved anywhere on the fingerboard without having to adjust them. Complete symmetry.
– You'll have to forget about open chords and barre chords.
To try: EADGCF or D #BE (if you don’t want to tune the first and second strings higher)

Fifth scale (all Fifths)

Each next string is a fifth (7 semitones) higher than the previous one.

One of the main versions is CGDAEB. The lower C then turns out not too low for acoustics, but the upper B turns out to be very high - a fifth higher than the standard upper E. On a guitar with a standard scale and ordinary strings, this B is unattainable: the string will simply break before reaching it.
This guy from YouTube carefully used a very thin string to get the upper B.
A this put it on classical guitar instead of the first string, fishing line with a cross-section of 0.5 mm, combined with five nylon strings from the usual set.

The other extreme is to start with a standard high E and work fifths down from there. It will work out FCGDAE, the first string is as in standard tuning, and the sixth is almost an octave lower than the sixth in standard tuning. This is too low to produce clean notes on a standard scale guitar with this string. You will need a baritone or multi-scale guitar.

+ Complete symmetry, as in the fourth tuning. Huge range (almost an octave wider than standard tuning).
– You need a custom set of strings and a willingness to make compromises (or order an instrument with a multi-scale). You'll have to forget about small intervals and chords in which the notes are close to each other. Playing scales and melodies will require increased stretching.

By the way, a mandolin is tuned to fifth tuning ( GDAE), and that's it bowed instruments, except double bass: for example, violin in GDAE, and the cello in СGDA. In addition, there are four-string tenor guitars which have 4 strings and are tuned in fifth tuning CGDA.

"New Standard Tuning"

A tuning invented by Robert Fripp to solve the problem of the fifth tuning. He replaced the top fifth with a minor third, and it turned out CGDAEG. Upper Sol is also high, but already achievable. Can be used standard strings 9 or 10 gauge. But it’s better to assemble a custom kit.

"Nashville tuning"

-8 in the formula means that the 2nd string is tuned not higher than the third, but 8 semitones LOWER. “Nashville tuning” usually works out like this: we take a set of strings for a 12-string and put only the “thin” half of it on the 6-string, tuning it in the same way as on a 12-string. Now the first and second strings are tuned the same as in standard tuning, and all the others are tuned an octave higher. The result is a “ringing” tuning with a reduced range, in which some notes in the chords will be duplicated. This tuning is suitable for overdubs and any additional parts. For example, you can record the same chord part on a 6-string in standard tuning and the same chord in Nashville tuning. In essence, it turned out to be a 12-string, but the only difference is that this is not one performance, but two slightly different ones, which will give more volume, besides, these are two separate tracks and can be panned in different directions.

Double-drop tunings

They are obtained when in standard tuning they lower not only the sixth, but also the first string by a tone.

Double Drop D	DADGBD	Neil Young on "Cortez The Killer", Led Zeppelin on "Going To California"
Double Drop B	BF#BEG	Isis

To try: DADGBD. It's funny that this system is “one step away” from each of the three above - DropD (DADGBE), Open G (DGDGBD) and DADGAD.

Now about the seven-string guitar.

The standard seven-string tuning is a six-string E standard plus a 7th string in B.

Seven string B standard	BEADGBE	Dream Theater in "Caught In A Web", Steve Vai in "Riddle", Joe Satriani in "Mind Storm", Fallujah
Seven string Bb standard	BbEbAbDbGbBbEb	Morbid Angel, early Meshuggah, Nevermore
Seven string A standard	ADGCFAD	Fear Factory, Korn
Seven string Ab standard	AbDbGbBEAbDb	Deftones on "Hexagram"

Seven-string Drop tuning is a seven-string standard in which the seventh string is lowered a tone.

Seven-string DropA	AEADGBE	Suicide Silence, Whitechapel, later Scar Symmetry. Jazz guitarist George Van Eps, who played a seven-string electric guitar back in the 60s, also used this tuning.
Seven-string DropAb	AbEbAbDbGbBbEb	Periphery on seven-string songs
Seven-string DropG	GDGCFAD	Vildhjarta, Emmure
Seven-string DropF#	F#BEG#	Rivers Of Nihil, Deftones on Saturday Night Wrist album
Seven-string DropD	DADGCEA	Black Tongue

Some people take the six-string drop tuning and add a seventh string from the bottom. It can be a third lower:

Six-string DropD + low B	BDADGBE	Animals As Leaders in "Cafo"
Six-string Drop C# + low A#	A

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.

Groups and musicians who play in standard tuning:

• 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 customize six string guitar as low as a seven-string would sound, plus it makes it easier to play chords. 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!

In contact with

And he even posted it, albeit in English.
In general, today I decided to touch upon this topic again and consider the most common of them.

It wouldn't hurt to remind you of simple things. If you decide to tune lower, then it is better to take a thicker one, otherwise in some Dropped the usual nine will just dangle and ring on the frets. If you decide to make the tuning of your guitar higher, then in this case you can take thinner strings, because Large gauge strings, in this case, can be very tight. Well, no one has canceled the excess load on the bar either.

Also, if there is a radical change in the system, be prepared to do it again, although you may not have to do this.

So, let's go.

Standard tuning: E-A-D-g-b-e

In standard guitar tuning, all string intervals are perfect fourths (five semitones), except for the interval between the third string (g) and second string (b), which is a major third (four semitones).

Down a semitone: Eb-Ab-Db-gb-bb-eb

This guitar tuning is also called "Eb" - based on the note to which the thickest string is tuned. Tuning the guitar is exactly the same as in standard tuning. The sound intervals between the strings remain exactly the same, but each string is tuned exactly one semitone lower than the standard tuning. Eb tuning can be used for many reasons, such as making the strings softer and bending easier, or to better suit a singer's vocal range. There can be many reasons. This tuning was used by Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

On whole tone down: D-G-C-f-a-d

This tuning is also called “Tuning D” - based on the note to which the thickest string is tuned. Everything is the same as in the previous case, except that each string is tuned a tone lower than the standard tuning. This tuning is used for the same reasons as "E?", it causes the strings to sag even more and makes bending even easier. At this point I would think about using thicker gauge strings.
If this is not enough for you, then you can continue further. Those. lower or lower each string at an equal interval relative to the standard tuning. The algorithm is simple, the main thing is to choose the appropriate size strings.

Drop-D: D-A-d-g-b-e

Drop-D is probably one of the most popular tunings in hard rock, alternative and other motherfuckers. By the way, folk guitarists do not disdain them either. Although they are generally big fans of alternative and non-standard guitar tunings.
By lowering the low E string one step to D, we can make power chords easier to play. Now they can be played with one finger, simply by plucking three thick strings, the 4th, 5th and 6th, respectively. Drop-D tuning gives a meatier sound and extends the overall range of the guitar towards the bottom compared to standard tuning.
By the way, this system does not require a large and lengthy restructuring, which allows you to change the system right on the fly, with the proper skill, of course.
To facilitate this procedure, a special device was even invented and made - the D Tuner, which will allow you to literally rebuild the sixth string in a second.

Double Drop-D: D-A-d-g-b-d

Double drop D is Neil Young's favorite tuning. It is identical to the regular Drop-D, except that the high e is also lowered one tone from the standard tuning - to d. With this setup, it turns out that the 4th high strings form a G major chord, and this can be convenient when playing with a slide. This tuning is also quite quick and easy to get from the standard one.

Drop-C: C-G-c-f-a-d

This tuning will help make your guitar sound lower and meatier when overdriven. This tuning is achieved by first tuning the guitar a tone lower than standard, and then lowering the 6th string another tone.
Quite low, don't you think? With this tuning, thicker strings are clearly needed. Thin ones will obviously hang around like snot.
In general, the technique is simple. We already understand what Drop is. But whether to lower it by one tone, 2 or more - that’s up to you. Everything will depend on the gauge of the strings and your desire.

Tuning D5: D-A-d-d-d-d

This tuning is classified as an open tuning, because If all the strings are open, the chord D5 sounds. This tuning is quite often used when playing slide. To get this tuning you need to lower the 3rd string by 5 semitones, raise the 2nd string by 3 semitones and lower the 1st string by a tone.
There are variations of this tuning in which the 3rd string is raised to A instead of lowered to D. This gives two fifths of a step in different octaves, which gives the sound some depth.

Ostrich formation: D-D-d-d-d-d

In this tuning, all strings are tuned to the same note. Lou Reed is said to have invented this tuning while he was with the Velvet Underground. Important note: With this tuning, you will definitely need to build your own set of strings.

I guess I'll stop for today. Of course, all alternative and non-standard guitar tunings are not limited to this.
I think I’ll throw in a dozen more soon.