List of guitar tunings


This article contains a list of guitar tunings that supplements the article guitar tunings. In particular, this list contains more examples of open and regular tunings, which are discussed in the article on guitar tunings. In addition, this list also notes dropped tunings.

Standard tuning

E-A-d-g-b-e'
Throughout, this list references standard tuning, i.e. for comparison.

Open

Major

Major open-tunings give a major chord with the open strings.

Open A

Used by Nickelback on "Should've Listened" and Big Wreck on "Albatross".

Open C

This open C tuning is used by William Ackerman for his "Townsend Shuffle" and by John Fahey for his tribute to Mississippi John Hurt. This tuning is also commonly used by John Butler on his 12-string guitar. This tuning is used on most work by Devin Townsend in his solo work as well as his work with Strapping Young Lad. When playing on a 7-string guitar, he would have a low G as the lowest string to complete the fifth. David Wilcox also recorded his most songs, "Eye of the Hurricane" and "Rusty Old American Dream", both from How Did You Find Me Here, in this tuning, as well as "New World", "Show the Way", "Hold It Up to the Light", and his cover of "It's the Same Old Song" from Big Horizon, and "Mango" from East Asheville Hardware.
The English guitar used a repetitive open-C tuning that approximated a major-thirds tuning.
This open-C tuning gives the initial harmonic series when a C-string is struck.
The C-C-G-C-E-G tuning uses the harmonic sequence of the note C. When an open-note C-string is struck, its harmonic sequence begins with the notes.
This overtone-series tuning was modified by Mick Ralphs, who used a high C rather than the high G for "Can't Get Enough" on Bad Company. Ralphs said, "It needs the open C to have that ring," and "it never really sounds right in standard tuning".

Open D

Open-D tuning is used by Joni Mitchell for her "Big Yellow Taxi", Nick Drake for "Place To Be", Alt-J for "Interlude 2", Boys Like Girls for "Thunder", Adrianne Lenker for "anything", Harry Styles for Matilda, David Wilcox for "Wildberry Pie", "Mighty Ocean", "Kindness", and "Never Enough", and by Soko for "No More Home, No More Love".
Open-D tuning has been called Vestapol tuning.
Kevin Cronin used Open D in "Time for Me to Fly", the 1978 REO Speedwagon song, with four top-string variations for G and A.
  • Alternatively: D-A-D'-A'-D-D
This alternative Open D tuning was used by Keith Richards on "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and the Stone Roses in "Love Spreads".
This tuning is the same as Open D but tuned a half-step down, also known as Open C♯ Major tuning. It is used by Alice In Chains on the songs "Over Now", "Nothin' Song", and "Shame in You"; by Guns N' Roses on the song "Bad Obsession" and its cover of "Jumpin' Jack Flash"; and by Switchfoot on the song "Daisy".

Open E

Open F

  • Alternatively : C-F-C-F-A-C
C-F-C-F-A-C is the more common of the two.
Used by
  • F-Sharp Tuning: F-A-C-F-C-F
  • Alternative: C-F-C-F-A-C
F-F-C-F-A-C is also used by Dave Mason on "Only You Know and I Know"

FACGCE / Math Rock Tuning

F-A-C-G-C-E is also used, most famously by American Football.

Open G

Open G was used in rock by Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin in the songs "Dancing Days", "That's The Way" and "Black Country Woman", Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones as well as in Mississippi blues by Son House, Charley Patton, and Robert Johnson, some songs by Alter Bridge, and in "Fearless" by Pink Floyd. David Wilcox used this tuning on "The Nightshift Watchman".
Listing the initial six harmonics of the G note, this open-G tuning was used by Joni Mitchell for "Electricity", "For the Roses", and "Hunter ". It was also used by Mick Ralphs for "Hey Hey" on Bad Company's debut album.
and on the Meowtain song "Alleyway" Stone Gossard also used this tuning in the song "Daughter" by Pearl Jam.
  • Alternatively: G-B-D-G-B-D
  • Alternatively: C-G-D-G-B-D.
  • Russian-guitar Open G: The tuning of the Russian guitar

    Minor: Cross-note

The following open-tunings use a minor third, and give a minor chord with open strings. To avoid the relatively cumbersome designation "open D minor", "open C minor", such tunings are sometimes called "cross-note tunings". The term also expresses the fact that, compared to Major chord open tunings, by fretting the lowered string at the first fret, it is possible to produce a major chord very easily.
Cross-note or open E-minor was used by Bukka White and Skip James.
Cross-note tunings include :
  • Cross-note A: E-A-E-A-C-E
  • * Alternative: E-A-C-E-A-E
  • Cross-note C: C-G-C-G-C-E
  • * C-C-G-C-E-G, a cross-note overtones tuning
  • * C-C-G-C-E-A a cross-note overtones tuning that facilitates seventh chords.
  • Cross-note D: D-A-D-F-A-D
  • * Alternative: D-A-D-A-D-F
  • Cross-note E: E-B-E-G-B-E
  • Cross-note F: F-A-C-F-C-F
  • * Alternative: F-C-F-A-C-F
  • Cross-note G: D-G-D-G-B-D
  • Alternative Cross A: E-A-E-A-E-A. «Sitar A» - an alternative low guitar system. Recalls the sound of Indian sitar.

    Modal

In modal tunings, the strings are tuned to form a chord which is not definitively minor or major. These tunings may facilitate very easy chords and unique sounds when the open strings are used as drones. Often these tunings form a suspended chord on the open strings. A well known user of modal tunings is Sonic Youth.
  • Asus2: E-A-B-E-A-E
  • Asus4: E-A-D-E-A-E
  • B modal: B-F-B-E-G-B
  • Bsus4: B-F-B-E-F-B
  • Badd9: B-F-C-F-B-D, Used by Devin Townsend on "Bastard", a minor variation is used by Alter Bridge on the song "This Side of Fate" tuned B-F-C-F-B-D
  • Csus2: C-G-C-G-C-D
  • Csus4: C-G-C-F-G-C
  • Low C: C-G-D-G-A-D
  • Dsus2: D-A-D-E-A-D
  • Dsus4: D-A-D-G-A-D
  • Esus2: E-B-E-F-B-E.
  • Esus4: E-B-E-A-B-E, E-A-B-E-B-E
  • E7sus4: E-A-D-E-B-E
  • EEEEBE a.k.a. "Bruce Palmer Modal Tuning," as named and used by Stephen Stills in "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes where Stills uses this tuning while the other guitar is in standard tuning.)
  • E modal: E-B-E-E-B-E
  • * E modal alternative: E-E-B-B-B-B
  • Drake's Drone: B-E-B-E-B-E
  • Gsus2: D-G-D-G-A-D
  • Gsus4: D-G-D-G-C-D
  • * Gsus4/4 / Orkney Tuning: C-G-D-G-C-D
  • * Alternative Gsus4: G-C-D-G-C-D

    Extended chord

In extended chord tunings, the open strings form a seventh, ninth, or eleventh chord.
  • B add4: E-B-D-F-B-E
  • C6: C-A-C-G-C-E
  • C6/9: C-G-C-E-A-D
  • Cmaj11: C-F-C-G-B-E
  • Cm add4: C-F-C-G-C-D
  • Open Page/Csus2/Gsus4: D-G-C-G-C-D
  • Dm7: D-A-D-F-A-C
  • Dm9: D-A-D-F-C-E
  • Dm add9: D-A-D-F-A-E
  • Dadd9: D-A-D-F-A-E
  • D6: D-A-D-F-B-D
  • D7: D-A-D-F-A-C
  • Dmaj7: D-A-D-F-A-C
  • Dm add2/4: F-G-D-F-A-D
  • Em7/C: C-G-D-G-B-E
  • Fmaj9: F-A-C-G-C-E
  • G6: D-G-D-G-B-E
  • G7: D-G-D-G-B-F
  • Gmaj7: D-G-D-F-B-D
  • Amaj7: A-F-A-D-A-D
  • Gadd4: D-G-D-G-B-C
  • Em11: E-B-D-G-A-D

    Regular tunings

Major seconds

A compact tuning that fits within one octave and covers the chromatic scale between open strings and the first fret.

Minor thirds

In the minor-thirds tuning, every interval between successive strings is a minor third. In the minor-thirds tuning beginning with C, the open strings contain the notes of the diminished C chord.

Major thirds

Major-thirds tuning is a regular tuning in which the musical intervals between successive strings are each major thirds. Unlike all-fourths and all-fifths tuning, major-thirds tuning repeats its octave after three strings, which again simplifies the learning of chords and improvisation.
Neighboring the standard tuning is the major-thirds tuning that has the open strings
A lower major-thirds tuning has the open strings
which "contains two octaves of a C augmented chord".

All fourths

This tuning is like that of the lowest four strings in standard tuning. Jazz musician Stanley Jordan plays guitar in all-fourths tuning; he has stated that all-fourths tuning "simplifies the fingerboard, making it logical".

Augmented fourths

Between the all-fifths and all-fourths tunings are augmented-fourth tunings, which are also called "diminished-fifths" or "tritone" tunings.

All fifths: "Mandoguitar"

All-fifths tuning is a tuning in intervals of perfect fifths like that of a mandolin, cello or violin; other names include "perfect fifths" and "fifths". It has a wide range, thus it requires an appropriate range of string gauges. A high b' string has been recently developed by Octave4Plus gauged at.006 which is considerable thinner than most guitar strings on the market, but under low tension to prevent breakage.

New standard tuning

All-fifths tuning has been approximated by the New Standard Tuning of King Crimson's Robert Fripp. It has a wider range than standard tuning, and its perfect-fifth intervals facilitate quartal and quintal harmony.

Ostrich tuning

Ostrich tuning is a tuning where all strings are tuned to the same note over two or three octaves, creating an intense, chorused drone.
Used by Soundgarden on the song "Mind Riot", and by Lou Reed in the Velvet Underground.
Goo Goo Dolls have used a similar tuning on their song "Iris".
Nine Inch Nails uses a variation of this tuning on the song “God Break Down the Door”.