Alternate Guitar Tunings
Common alternate tunings for six-string guitar — the string notes low to high, how to retune from standard, what each tuning is good for, and the songs that made it famous.
Pick a tuning to see its string notes vs. standard tuning, how to retune, and the songs that use it.
Drop D
The most popular alternate tuning: only the low string changes, so all your standard shapes still work while the dropped D gives a heavy low root and one-finger power chords.
D–A–D–G–B–EDADGAD (Celtic)
A suspended, droning open Dsus4 tuning that rings with open strings and modal ambiguity, sitting between major and minor.
D–A–D–G–A–DOpen G
Strum the open strings and you get a G major chord, so a single barre plays any major chord and slides move between them.
D–G–D–G–B–DOpen D
An open D major chord, deep and resonant, with the same one-finger-barre magic as open G.
D–A–D–F#–A–DOpen C
A deep, orchestral open C major with a huge low end and stacked octaves that make an acoustic sound enormous.
C–G–C–G–C–EOpen E
An open E major chord — the same intervals as Open D but a whole step higher, giving a brighter, more cutting slide tone.
E–B–E–G#–B–EDouble Drop D
Drop D with the high E lowered to D too, so a droning D rings on both the top and bottom strings while the middle stays standard.
D–A–D–G–B–DTerz
Every string raised a minor third above standard for a brighter, bell-like voice — the 19th-century Vienna guitar-duet tuning, built into short-scale instruments so it doesn't overtax the strings.
G–C–F–A#–D–GRequinto
Every string raised a perfect fourth above standard for a bright, nylon voice — the small guitar of the Mexican Trio Romántico tradition, tuned up so it carries melody above two accompanying guitars.
A–D–G–C–E–ARelated on String Warrior
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