Alternate Guitar Tunings: What They Are and When to Use Them

Alternate tunings are any tuning that differs from standard EADGBE: you change one or more strings from the reference (E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4) to get new tones, easier chords, or open strings that ring together. You reach for them when you want a sound standard tuning can't give you: easy power chords, deep drones, chords ready-made for slide, or open, suspended textures.

In short: an alternate tuning is anything that isn't EADGBE. The main families are Drop, Open, modal tunings like DADGAD, and high-strung tunings like Nashville: change just a few strings and you get a completely different character.

What alternate tunings are

The starting point is always standard EADGBE tuning, where the six open strings sound, from the 6th (the lowest) to the 1st (the highest), E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4:

An alternate tuning is born by changing one or more of these strings. Sometimes lowering a single string is enough (that's the case with Drop D); other times you adjust almost the whole set so the open strings already ring out a chord. The advantage is that once you know standard tuning as your map, understanding a new tuning is just a matter of seeing what changes relative to EADGBE.

Why use them

• New tones: strings tuned lower or in different intervals change the color of the instrument, even when you play the same things.
• Easier chords: in Drop D you can play a power chord with a single finger; in Open G, many chords become a simple barre.
• Drones and resonant open strings: when several open strings belong to the same chord, you let deep drones ring out and fill the sound — perfect for fingerstyle and folk.
• Slide: in Open tunings the open strings already form a major chord, so a straight barre (or a bottleneck) gives you a full chord at every fret — that's the foundation of blues slide playing.

The main families

Drop

You lower just the 6th string (Drop D) or, in the variant, the 1st as well (Double Drop D). These tunings make power chords instant and add low end. They're the closest to standard and the easiest to learn: start with Drop D, then try Double Drop D.

Open

The open strings already form a major chord: Open G, Open D, Open C, and Open E. They're ideal for slide and for accompaniments rich in resonance, since a single barre is all it takes to change chord.

Modal

DADGAD is the most famous: it's neither major nor minor, so it sounds suspended and open. Beloved in Celtic fingerstyle and evocative soundscapes, it leaves plenty of room for drones and open strings.

High-strung (Nashville)

Nashville tuning keeps the same notes as standard, but the four lowest strings (6th through 3rd) go up an octave. The result is a bright, crystalline sound, used to double a guitar in the studio and recreate the "12-string" effect.

Summary table

Here are the most popular alternate tunings, with the notes from the 6th to the 1st string. Tap the name for the dedicated guide:

Notes without an octave number just indicate the string's note name; F#3 and G#3 are shown with the octave because they contain a sharp.

Practical tips

• Suitable strings: if you tune way down (Open C, Drop C) consider heavier strings, because a string that's too loose vibrates "floppy" and loses intonation; high-strung tunings, on the other hand, need thinner strings on the low positions.
• The capo as a shortcut: Open D and Open E share the same shapes, because Open E is just Open D raised a whole step. To avoid pulling the strings too tight for Open E, many players tune to Open D and put a capo on the 2nd fret, getting the same sound with less tension.
• Always go back to standard gradually: raise the strings a little at a time, checking the intonation as you go, so you don't risk snapping them. With a browser-based chromatic tuner like EasyGuitarTuner you can play each open string and bring it to the target note, whether in standard or any alternate tuning.

If you want to see how the greats built their sound around alternate tunings, take a look at famous guitarists' tunings.