Complete reference for 6-string guitar tunings. Standard, drop, open, modal — with notes, history, tension tips, and cross-references.
Full catalog of tunings with filters by family, difficulty, and instrument
Classic tuning for 6-string guitar. The foundation for most musical styles.
All strings down one half step. Slightly darker than standard, easier on vocals.
All strings down one whole step. Popular in grunge, alt-rock, and heavy metal.
All strings one and a half steps below standard. Used in prog metal and death metal.
All strings down two whole steps. Powerful, dark sound of doom metal and deathcore.
All strings down 5 semitones. Extremely heavy tuning for 6-string guitar.
Lowest string tuned down to D. Easy one-finger power chords.
Both outer strings tuned down to D. Unique droning sound.
Drop tuning based on Eb Standard. Even heavier than Drop D while keeping one-finger power chords.
Drop tuning based on D Standard. Heavy and dense while keeping convenient riffing.
Very heavy drop tuning. Characteristic of prog metal and death metal.
Extremely low drop tuning. Approaching 7-string guitar territory.
Open Dsus4 tuning. A staple of Celtic and ethnic acoustic music.
Open strings form G major. Favorite tuning of the Rolling Stones and blues slide players.
Open strings = D major. Classic acoustic blues and folk.
Open strings = C major. Rich, full acoustic tone.
Open strings = E major. Bright, high-energy tuning for slide and blues.
Open strings = A major. Bright blues tuning with higher tension.
All inter-string intervals are perfect fourths. Symmetric tuning for jazz and theorists.
Robert Fripp's (King Crimson) original tuning. Quintal intervals + alternative logic.
A guitar tuning is the set of pitches to which the open strings of the instrument are tuned. Standard tuning EADGBE (from lowest to highest: E2–A2–D3–G3–B3–E4) is used in most musical genres and serves as the baseline for learning.
Alternative tunings open new sonic spaces for guitarists. Drop tunings (Drop D, Drop C, and others) allow one-finger power chords and heavy aggressive riffs. Open tunings (Open G, Open D, DADGAD) are essential for slide, blues, and Celtic music. Lowered standards (Eb, D, C) preserve familiar chord shapes but give a darker tone.
The choice of tuning depends on genre, playing style, instrument, and personal preference. This section will help you navigate the world of tunings and find the right one for you.