We guitarists are fickle artistic creatures, constantly trying to push the instrument to create new sounds and interesting textures. There are lots of tools at our disposal to achieve this, from different types of guitar - a baritone, a bass VI, or even a 12-string - as well as thousands of effects pedals capable of creating everything from lush, creamy sounds to unearthly squeals and grunts - or anything in between.
But there’s one trick in every one's toolbox that is rarely used or even discussed by most guitarists: the wonderful world of alternate tunings.
So why don’t more guitarists use alternate tunings? Some have made massively successful careers out of it, from ground-breaking folk singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell to experimental, art-rock legends Sonic Youth. But in my opinion, about 80% of players use standard tuning, 19% use Eb standard tuning, i.e., tuning down a semitone, and maybe 1% will use something different.
Let’s take a journey through the most common and some of the more unusual alternate tunings. As well as some of the bands that use them and some of the songs that would never have seen the light of day without them, to broaden your horizons and get your creative juices flowing.
We’ll begin with…
Standard Tuning - E-A-D-G-B-E
Good old standard tuning is unsurprisingly… the standard. Go into nearly any guitar store worldwide, and every guitar will be tuned to it. Listen to your favorite playlist on YouTube or Spotify and, once again, nearly every guitar you hear will be tuned to it.
The first guitar you ever played was probably in standard tuning, and more than likely, the one on the guitar stand or in the case next to you right now is also tuned to it.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with E-A-D-G-B-E as a tuning; in fact, there is a lot right with it. It is by far the best compromise out of all the tunings I’ll be listing today. It provides the most efficient way of using all our fingers to relatively easily create as many different chord shapes as possible.
Therefore, for most guitarists, it’s by far the best tuning option. However, since you’re reading this, you are NOT ‘most guitarists’, so let’s move on to the next tuning…
But before that, if you’re interested in finding out more, check out Why Are Guitars Tuned E-A-D-G-B-E? A Deep Dive into Standard Tuning for my thoughts on the subject.
Half-step Down Tuning or D#/Eb Standard Tuning – Eb-Ab-Db-Gb-Eb
This is exactly the same as standard tuning, but every string is lowered in pitch by a semitone. Therefore…
E - A - D - G - B - E
Becomes
Eb - Ab - Db - Gb - Bb - Eb
Since it is exactly the same tuning, only lower, every chord and scale is played in the same way as it would be when in standard tuning. This makes it a very easy tuning to adopt - tune every string down a semitone and play as normal!
However, even though you are playing the same chords and notes, the tuning doesn’t quite sound the same as standard. Everything you play has a lower, slightly darker feel to it, which is why it has been used by a myriad of rock bands from Jimi Hendrix to U2 to Guns N’ Roses.
Want to get all psychedelic? Then you’ll need the Full Voodoo Child (Slight Return) TAB
But this tuning isn’t only adopted because it sounds cool; some bands also use it because it works better with the vocal range of the singer.
There are also some practical considerations, as there are with most alternate tunings, so many guitarists use a slightly thicker set of strings if they decide to predominantly play in Eb standard. But this isn’t always the case; it’s up to the player to decide on what sounds best, as well as what string gauge they are most comfortable using.
How Low Can You Go?
That’s right, you can go lower if you want to, you don’t have to stop at Eb, but you’ll need some thicker strings, or things could get floppy!
D Standard Tuning - D-G-C-F-A-D
Tune down a full step (two semitones) and you’ll get D standard. This was famously used by Motley Crue in nearly every song they wrote, but was also used by Black Sabbath on most of their Born Again album, as well as by Mastodon, Sepultura, Exodus, and lots of other metal/thrash acts.
To play along, here’s the full Dr. Feelgood TAB in D standard
Outside of metal, it was often used by Creedence Clearwater Revival and Elliot Smith, and occasionally by Nirvana and Alice in Chains, as well as by Neil Young on Harvest Moon.
Here is the full Lithium TAB in D standard.
C# Standard Tuning - C#-F#-B-E-G#-C#
Lower still, we have C# Standard, which is standard tuning lowered by one and a half steps (three semitones). It was predominantly used by Black Sabbath on the albums Masters of Reality, Vol 4, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, and Sabotage. But the band that is most famous for using it has to be Limp Bizkit, who feature it in nearly all their songs.
Here’s the full Re-Arranged TAB in C# Standard to play along with after you’ve got your strings tuned nice and low.
Other bands who use C# standard tuning include A Perfect Circle, Children of Bodom, and Pantara for ‘Floods’.
To play along with this masterpiece of a song in C# standard, you’ll need the Full Judith TAB.
C Standard Tuning - C-F-Bb-Eb-G-C
Take it one step further and you’ll hit C standard tuning. This is so low that few bands venture to these sonic depths, but it has been used by Queens of the Stone Age, Kyass, Amon Amarth, In Flames, Static-X, and other extreme, deathcore, and doom bands.
As you delve deeper into ever-lower frequencies, the laws of physics will eventually catch up with you, which is why you might need to get to know…
Baritone Guitar Tunings
I’m not going to do a deep dive into baritone guitar tuning because I’ve already covered it in Baritone Guitar - Everything You Need To Know! But, in a nutshell, the three most common tunings are:
-
B-E-A-D-F#-B - which is a perfect 5th below standard tuning
-
A-D-G-C-E-A - which is a perfect 4th below standard tuning
-
C-G-D-A-E-G - an open tuning often used in experimental music
The longer scale lengths of Britone guitars allow you to use lower tunings without the floppy string issues associated with ordinary guitars. If you want to trawl the depths of music, get your hands on one.
Dropped Tunings
So far, we’ve been lowering every string by the same amount; therefore, the relationship between each string remains the same as with standard tuning, but they are all equally lower in pitch.
A dropped tuning is different, in that you are normally only lowering one string, the thickest, and usually by a whole tone from the other strings, i.e., E to D when in standard tuning.
E - A - D - G - B - E
Becomes
D - A - D - G - B - E
This is predominantly used by bands to play power chords using one finger; therefore, it is more common in rock and metal genres than in folk and jazz.
Drop D Tuning - D-A-D-G-B-E
This is a very similar tuning to standard, but just by lowering one note, it not only allows for easier power chord shapes but also produces a heavier, darker tone, great for creating aggressive riffs.
It is used by countless bands, including Tool, Audioslave, Rammstein, Rage Against The Machine, Foo Fighters, etc., etc., etc.
Here’s the Sonne TAB in Drop D
Drop C Tuning - C-G-C-F-A-D
If you take Drop D tuning and lower every string by a whole tone, you’ll get Drop C. As with the Drop D, it’s superb for playing quick, aggressive power chord riffs, but is a whole tone lower again for super low frequency nastiness.
It’s used by bands such as System of a Down, Bring Me the Horizon, Rammstein, Bullet for My Valentine, and lots, lots more.
The full Toxicity TAB in Drop C
Drop B Tuning - B-F#-B-E-G#-C#
We’re really going down into the depths of low frequencies now, with Drop B tuning. This, as you’ve probably guessed, is Drop C but with every string lowered by a semitone, making it one and a half steps lower than standard tuning, except the thickest string - B, which is two and a half steps lower.
Bands that commonly use this tuning include Slipknot, Korn, Deftones, Periphery, and Sepeltura. Here’s Rocket Skates by Deftones, which beautifully illustrates how sonically low this tuning is…
Here’s the full Rocket Skates TAB
Drop A Tuning - A-E-A-D-F#-B
Yes, even further down into the depths of bass we have the Drop A tuning, which is a Drop B lowered by another full tone. It’s used by death metal, deathcore, djent, and extreme metal bands such as Slipknot, Amon Amarth, etc.
Here’s the full Psychosocial TAB for you low-tuning demons out there!
Doubling it up
There are also variations to all the Drop tunings I’ve just covered. The most common is a double dropped tuning, i.e., lowering the thickest as well as the thinnest string by a whole tone to produce…
D-A-D-G-B-D
C-G-C-F-A-C
B-F#-B-E-G#-B
And
A-A-E-A-D-F#-B
Wrapping it Up!
That’s it for the first installment of this two-parter exploring the sonic magic of alternate tunings. Make sure you check out Part 2 for all the info you need on Open tunings, some superb Folk and Funky Tunings, and some of the craziest tunings you’ve ever seen on a guitar!
