Alternate Tunings to Try on the Guitar

Alternate tunings are a great way to unlock new ways of playing guitar that you usually wouldn’t go for in standard tuning, but how do you know which tuning to start with? Here is a list of alternate tunings to try on the guitar.

Drop D

A common theme that you will notice throughout our conversation regarding alternate tunings today is that how some of these tunings are incredibly versatile and can be used in many different styles of music.

A logical place to start is with what would have probably been the first alternate tuning for many guitarist, and that is Drop D tuning.

Drop D is incredibly simple as we only need to de-tune the low E string, tuning this down a whole step to D, which leaves the rest of the strings exactly as they are.

This allow us to navigate around the fretboard mostly how we usually would, while also now having access to an even deeper low string.

This works great for songs in the key of D, and can serve as a low droning root note throughout beautiful acoustic guitar picking (listen to “Dear Prudence” by The Beatles), or can thicken up the sound of distorted rock guitars (listen to “Monkey Wrench” by The Foo Fighters)!

Heard in: Monkey Wrench (Foo Fighters), Heart-Shaped Box (Nirvana), The Chain, Dear Prudence (The Beatles).

Open D

So we can take this even further from Drop D and alter a few other strings to take us into what is known as Open D tuning.

From Drop D we then also lower the G string down a half step to F#, the B string down a full step to A, and the high e string down a full step to D.

This gives us the tuning D – A – D – F# – A – D, which when strummed all together gives us a D chord (hence the name).

Open tunings will completely re-configure the fretboard in a different manner which takes the player out of their comfort zone and almost gives them a new instrument to play, which can be a great way to break out of a rut or even just to unlock some new sounds.

This also gives the player the ability to utilise the sound of the open strings while also playing melodies and lead riffs in the key of D, giving a full and rich sound.

Just like with Drop D, this tuning can be used in many different musical contexts. See a list below to hear this tuning in action.

Heard in: Magnolia (Gang Of Youths), Cherry Ball Blues (Ry Cooder), What He Wrote (Laura Marling).

Open G

When I hear or use open G tuning I instantly think of one band and one guitarist – Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones!

Keith used this tuning in many of the bands hits (see list below) to create a signature sound.

His unique style of combining simple chords in the key with groovy riffs and weaving lead parts around other elements of the band gave a distinct flavour that worked so well for the style.

Keith even took this a step further and removed the low E string altogether to create even more uniqueness, focusing more on the upper register and leaving the lower notes to the bassist.

Tune your guitar to the following notes to experience Open G tuning for yourself: D (or ditch this string altogether) G D G B E.

Heard in: a lot of The Rolling Stones songs – Wild Horses, You Can’t Always Get What You Want, Brown Sugar, Start Me Up. Crossroads (Robert Johnson), Watch Over You (Alter Bridge), Bad To The Bone (George Thorogood).

DADGAD

When I think of DADGAD tuning I think of the instrumental acoustic guitar music of Andy McKee and Michael Hedges, as the signature Celtic sound is instantly recognisable.

There is something about this sound that lends itself to the solo acoustic context so well, being able to balance rich open chords with intertwined melodies.

If you’re into this solo guitar style, DADGAD is a must, and is easy to remember how to tune your guitar accordingly as the answer is in the name!

Heard in: Drifting (Andy McKee), Ragamuffin (Michael Hedges), In Dreams (Ben Howard), Kashmir (Led Zeppelin), Circle (Slipknot).

Open C

Open C tuning is a special one for me as it is the first alternate tuning (apart from maybe Drop D) that I really spent a lot of time experimenting with.

It all started when I heard “Ocean” by John Butler for the first time, which was a live version on YouTube of him playing solo and creating a massive sound all on his own.

This tuning also had that Celtic sound, and combined beautiful chord voicings with exciting melodies.

This particular song is also played on a 12 string guitar, which just adds to that wide sound and fits the tuning perfectly.

To get in to Open C tuning you may want to consider putting heavy strings on your guitar as we are going to de-tune them quite a bit.

From memory I used to use 13 gauge strings for this, but 12’s should also do the job. 11’s or 10’s might be fine for a bit of experimentation, but if you really want to get the full sound out of this alternate tuning I would recommend investing in a re-string.

C – G – C – G – C – E

Heard in: Ocean (John Butler), Question (The Moody Blues), Two Is Better Than One (Taylor Swift).

Eb

The final alternate guitar tuning that we’re going to talk about today may not really be considered an ‘alternate tuning’ by some, as the intervals between the notes are the same as standard tuning, but that doesn’t mean that Eb tuning won’t make you play the guitar differently!

There is a reason why all of the guitar greats such as Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Slash frequently use this tuning.

This is because the guitar resonates in a different way and unlocks a lower register, which makes a big difference even though it is only down by a semi-tone.

I often notice how I attack the guitar differently in Eb tuning, often wanting to go for those open position blues licks in the SRV style, which suits that style so well.

This is also a great opportunity to try and put some heavier strings on your guitar, as in the lower tuning the tension will be different, while still giving you a rich sustain.

Heard in: Little Wing (Hendrix/SRV), Sweet Child O’ Mine (Guns N’ Roses), Every Breath You Take (The Police), Beat It (Michael Jackson), I Miss You (Blink 182) Pride And Joy (Stevie Ray Vaughn).