Name: 6-string guitar tunings
Creator: FusionStudios
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

What each 6-string guitar tuning is for

Standard (EADGBE)

This is the reference every other guitar tuning on this site is measured against. Five of the six intervals are perfect fourths, with a single major third between the 3rd and 2nd strings. That one irregularity is what makes standard tuning a compromise: it keeps chord shapes reachable for one hand while still spanning two octaves across six strings.

Common in almost all popular and classical guitar repertoire. Tune to Standard

Drop D (DADGBE)

Lower the 6th string one whole step, from E2 to D2. The other five strings do not move. With the lowest string a whole step down, the bottom three strings become a root, fifth and octave stack, so a power chord takes one finger laid flat instead of two or three. It also drops the lowest available note a whole step without touching anything else you already know.

Common in rock, metal, grunge, fingerstyle in D. Tune to Drop D

Drop C (CGCFAD)

Take Drop D and lower every string another whole step: the 6th goes from D2 to C2 and the remaining five drop a whole step each. It keeps the one-finger power chord shape of Drop D but moves the whole instrument down a tone, which darkens the timbre and puts riffs comfortably under a lower vocal range. The looser string tension is the trade-off, and it is why players who live in this tuning usually move to a heavier string set.

Common in metalcore, modern metal, post-hardcore. Tune to Drop C

Drop B (BF#BEG#C#)

Drop C moved down one more semitone, so the 6th string sits on B1, a perfect fourth below standard E2. B1 is the lowest pitch a 6-string guitar reaches before the strings stop speaking cleanly at ordinary gauges, which is why this tuning marks the practical floor for a six string and the point where players start considering a 7-string or a baritone scale instead.

Common in djent, deathcore, modern metal. Tune to Drop B

Drop A (AEADF#B)

Drop B lowered another whole step, putting the 6th string on A1, a fifth below the standard low E. This is standard-tuning shapes transposed down a fifth, which on a normal 25.5 inch scale leaves the low string slack enough that intonation and fret buzz become the limiting factor. It is really a baritone or extended-scale tuning that players sometimes force onto a regular guitar.

Common in deathcore, nu metal, baritone guitar repertoire. Tune to Drop A

Drop C sharp (C#G#C#F#A#D#)

Drop D lowered a semitone across all six strings, or equivalently half-step-down tuning with the 6th string dropped a whole step. The half step between this and Drop D is small enough that string tension barely changes, so it is the usual choice when a singer needs one semitone of headroom but the player does not want the slack feel of Drop C.

Common in hard rock, metal, alternative rock. Tune to Drop C sharp

Half step down (EbAbDbGbBbEb)

Every string down one semitone. The intervals between strings are untouched, so every shape you know still works, one fret lower in pitch. Nothing about the fingering changes, which is the whole point: it moves the key of a whole set down a semitone for a singer, and slightly slackens the strings, which some players prefer for bending.

Common in blues, hard rock, classic rock. Tune to Half step down

Whole step down (DGCFAD)

Every string down a whole step, so the instrument reads as a guitar in D while keeping the exact interval structure of standard tuning. Two semitones is where the drop in tension starts to be audible as well as physical: the attack softens and the low strings need a firmer pick stroke to stay in pitch. Players who stay here permanently usually go up a gauge or two.

Common in stoner rock, doom metal, grunge. Tune to Whole step down

B standard (BEADF#B)

Standard tuning transposed down a perfect fourth. Every interval between strings is unchanged, including the major third between the 3rd and 2nd. This is the tuning baritone guitars are normally built for, with a longer scale length that keeps B1 under proper tension. On a standard-scale guitar it is the same pitch set as Drop A without the dropped 6th, so ordinary chord shapes still apply.

Common in baritone guitar, doom metal, progressive metal. Tune to B standard

Open G (DGDGBD)

Lower the 6th, 5th and 1st strings a whole step each: E2 to D2, A2 to G2, E4 to D4. The middle three stay put. Strumming the open strings sounds a G major chord, so any major chord is a single finger laid straight across a fret. That is exactly what a slide can do, which is why open G is a slide-guitar staple.

Common in blues, slide guitar, country blues, rock. Tune to Open G

Open G minor (DGDGBbD)

Open G with the 2nd string lowered one more semitone, from B3 to Bb3, turning the open major third into a minor third. One semitone is the entire difference between a major and a minor open tuning, which makes this the clearest demonstration of why open tunings are named after chords. Everything else about the fingering carries over from open G.

Common in country blues, slide guitar in minor keys. Tune to Open G minor

Open D (DADF#AD)

Lower the 6th, 2nd and 1st strings a whole step and the 3rd string a semitone: E2 to D2, B3 to A3, E4 to D4, G3 to F#3. The open strings sound a D major chord spread over two octaves with the root doubled three times, which gives it a fuller drone than open G. It also sits a whole step below open E while sounding identical in shape, which is why players who want that sound without extra tension pick this one.

Common in folk, blues, slide guitar, fingerstyle. Tune to Open D

Open D minor (DADFAD)

Open D with the 3rd string lowered one more semitone, from F#3 to F3, which flattens the third of the chord. Also written as D minor or Dm tuning. The open chord is minor, so a barred finger anywhere on the neck gives a minor chord instead of a major one, and the tuning suits modal, drone-heavy playing where the third rarely changes.

Common in folk, fingerstyle, modal and drone playing. Tune to Open D minor

Open E (EBEG#BE)

Raise the 5th, 4th and 3rd strings: A2 to B2, D3 to E3, G3 to G#3. The 6th, 2nd and 1st stay where they are. It is open D shifted up a whole step, so it has the same shapes with brighter, tighter strings. The catch is that three strings go up rather than down, which increases tension on the neck, so many players use open D with a capo at the second fret instead to get the same pitches at lower tension.

Common in blues, slide guitar, rock. Tune to Open E

Open E minor (EBEGBE)

Raise the 5th and 4th strings a whole step, from A2 to B2 and D3 to E3, and leave everything else at standard pitch. This is the least disruptive open tuning on the guitar: only two strings move, and the 3rd string keeps its standard G3, which already is the minor third of E. The open strings sound an E minor chord without a single semitone adjustment.

Common in folk, fingerstyle, slide guitar in minor keys. Tune to Open E minor

Open C (CGCGCE)

Lower the 6th two whole steps to C2, the 5th a whole step to G2, the 4th a whole step to C3, raise the 2nd a semitone to C4, and lower the 1st a whole step to E4. Only the 3rd string keeps its standard G3. Four of the six strings sound the root or the fifth, which produces a much deeper and more resonant open chord than open G or open D. It is also the most disruptive common tuning to reach from standard, which is why players tend to keep a second guitar in it.

Common in fingerstyle, folk, acoustic instrumental. Tune to Open C

Open A (EAEAC#E)

Raise the 4th a whole step to E3, the 3rd a whole step to A3 and the 2nd a whole step to C#4. The 6th, 5th and 1st are unchanged. Open G moved up a whole step, so it shares its shapes with a brighter voicing. Three strings going up a whole step is a lot of extra tension for a standard set, so open G with a capo at the second fret is the common alternative.

Common in blues, slide guitar. Tune to Open A

DADGAD (DADGAD)

Lower the 6th, 2nd and 1st strings a whole step from standard: E2 to D2, B3 to A3, E4 to D4. The open strings sound a Dsus4, a chord with no third at all, so it is neither major nor minor and stays ambiguous until you fret one. That suspended, unresolved ring is why it became the default tuning for Celtic and modal guitar rather than a novelty.

Common in Celtic and Irish traditional, folk, fingerstyle, modal playing. Tune to DADGAD

Double drop D (DADGBD)

Lower both the 6th and the 1st string a whole step, E2 to D2 and E4 to D4, and leave the middle four alone. It gives you the one-finger power chord of Drop D at the bottom and a ringing D at the top, so an open D chord has a droning root at both ends of the instrument while the standard-tuned middle four keep most familiar shapes intact.

Common in folk rock, country rock, fingerstyle. Tune to Double drop D

All fourths (EADGCF)

Raise the 2nd string a semitone to C4 and the 1st a semitone to F4. The bottom four strings are already a fourth apart in standard tuning and do not move. Removing the major third between the 3rd and 2nd strings makes the fretboard completely regular: one scale or chord shape works identically on any string pair. That is why bass players find it natural, and it is the reason the trade-off exists at all, since standard tuning bought easier open chords by breaking that symmetry.

Common in jazz, practice and theory work, players crossing over from bass. Tune to All fourths

New standard tuning (CGDAEG)

Almost nothing survives from standard: five of the six strings are retuned, and the bottom five sit a perfect fifth apart like a cello, with a minor third to the top string. Tuning in fifths spreads the same six strings over a much wider range than fourths do, so chord voicings open out and single-line playing crosses strings less. The cost is real: the top string is under high tension at G4 and normally needs a dedicated light gauge to survive.

Common in contemporary and experimental guitar, Guitar Craft repertoire. Tune to New standard tuning

Use the data

These tunings are part of the open TuneStand dataset: /api/tunings.json, CC BY 4.0, no key required. See the dataset page for the schema and licence terms.

More tuning references

Frequencies on this page are computed at build time from twelve tone equal temperament with A4 = 440 Hz, using the twelfth root of two (about 1.059463) per semitone. Nothing is typed in by hand. See the full method and sources. Maintained by FusionStudios. Last reviewed: 5 August 2026.

Tuning	Notation	Category	Notes	Frequencies (Hz)	Strings changed
Standard	EADGBE	standard	E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4	82.41 · 110.00 · 146.83 · 196.00 · 246.94 · 329.63	reference
Drop D	DADGBE	drop	D2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4	73.42 · 110.00 · 146.83 · 196.00 · 246.94 · 329.63	1 of 6
Drop C	CGCFAD	drop	C2 G2 C3 F3 A3 D4	65.41 · 98.00 · 130.81 · 174.61 · 220.00 · 293.66	6 of 6
Drop B	BF#BEG#C#	drop	B1 F#2 B2 E3 G#3 C#4	61.74 · 92.50 · 123.47 · 164.81 · 207.65 · 277.18	6 of 6
Drop A	AEADF#B	drop	A1 E2 A2 D3 F#3 B3	55.00 · 82.41 · 110.00 · 146.83 · 185.00 · 246.94	6 of 6
Drop C sharp	C#G#C#F#A#D#	drop	C#2 G#2 C#3 F#3 A#3 D#4	69.30 · 103.83 · 138.59 · 185.00 · 233.08 · 311.13	6 of 6
Half step down	EbAbDbGbBbEb	lowered	D#2 G#2 C#3 F#3 A#3 D#4	77.78 · 103.83 · 138.59 · 185.00 · 233.08 · 311.13	6 of 6
Whole step down	DGCFAD	lowered	D2 G2 C3 F3 A3 D4	73.42 · 98.00 · 130.81 · 174.61 · 220.00 · 293.66	6 of 6
B standard	BEADF#B	lowered	B1 E2 A2 D3 F#3 B3	61.74 · 82.41 · 110.00 · 146.83 · 185.00 · 246.94	6 of 6
Open G	DGDGBD	open	D2 G2 D3 G3 B3 D4	73.42 · 98.00 · 146.83 · 196.00 · 246.94 · 293.66	3 of 6
Open G minor	DGDGBbD	open	D2 G2 D3 G3 A#3 D4	73.42 · 98.00 · 146.83 · 196.00 · 233.08 · 293.66	4 of 6
Open D	DADF#AD	open	D2 A2 D3 F#3 A3 D4	73.42 · 110.00 · 146.83 · 185.00 · 220.00 · 293.66	4 of 6
Open D minor	DADFAD	open	D2 A2 D3 F3 A3 D4	73.42 · 110.00 · 146.83 · 174.61 · 220.00 · 293.66	4 of 6
Open E	EBEG#BE	open	E2 B2 E3 G#3 B3 E4	82.41 · 123.47 · 164.81 · 207.65 · 246.94 · 329.63	3 of 6
Open E minor	EBEGBE	open	E2 B2 E3 G3 B3 E4	82.41 · 123.47 · 164.81 · 196.00 · 246.94 · 329.63	2 of 6
Open C	CGCGCE	open	C2 G2 C3 G3 C4 E4	65.41 · 98.00 · 130.81 · 196.00 · 261.63 · 329.63	4 of 6
Open A	EAEAC#E	open	E2 A2 E3 A3 C#4 E4	82.41 · 110.00 · 164.81 · 220.00 · 277.18 · 329.63	3 of 6
DADGAD	DADGAD	modal	D2 A2 D3 G3 A3 D4	73.42 · 110.00 · 146.83 · 196.00 · 220.00 · 293.66	3 of 6
Double drop D	DADGBD	drop	D2 A2 D3 G3 B3 D4	73.42 · 110.00 · 146.83 · 196.00 · 246.94 · 293.66	2 of 6
All fourths	EADGCF	regular	E2 A2 D3 G3 C4 F4	82.41 · 110.00 · 146.83 · 196.00 · 261.63 · 349.23	2 of 6
New standard tuning	CGDAEG	regular	C2 G2 D3 A3 E4 G4	65.41 · 98.00 · 146.83 · 220.00 · 329.63 · 392.00	5 of 6