| Altered
Tunings |
for
Guitar |
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What's an Altered Tuning
(or Alternate Tuning, if you like bigger words)?
Altered tuning is simply a way of tuning the guitar which varies
at least one note from "standard tuning."
Why Is It Called That?
Shorthand for "I like to twist the little buttons on my
guitar to see if I can make it sound different, and sometimes even
better."
A Selection of Altered Tunings.
Here are some cool tunings, with a chart showing the names.
See the expanded section about each tuning for info that should
help you understand the tunings. Click
here for a printable version of the chart alone.
Tunings Chart
Organized vertically, so the
changes in open string tunings can be seen easily.
| Tuning Name |
String Intervals |
| Standard |
E A D G B E |
| Dropped D |
D A D G B E |
| Double Dropped D |
D A D G B D |
| DADGAD |
D A D G A D |
| Open D |
D A D F# A D |
| Open D Minor |
D A D F A D |
| DADDAD |
D A D D A D |
| Open G |
D G D G B D |
| Open C |
C G C G B E |
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How The Separate Tuning Sections Work. Each
section starts with a graphic, showing the tuning name, notes of
the open strings, and a chart showing the six strings from low
to high, and from the first to the twelfth fret.
The blank spaces on the charts allow you to puzzle out how
chords can be formed. For example, if you know the chromatic
scale, you can easily (in pencil perhaps), insert the
notes at each fret on each string, then mark how to make chords
from those notes.
Where appropriate, I've given some information about which
tuning knobs to turn and how far. You could probably figure
this out, but I think it's helpful to see relationships between
the tunings, and I'll try to make that clear to you.
A Logical Approach to Learning Altered Tunings.
It's easy to become confused by altered tunings, and
confusion leads to frustration, and frustrations leads to
abandonment, and liquor, dope, bad morals, war and global
warming.
You don't want to be responsible for bad things happening in
the world, right? OK, then pay attention, and don't move
on until you get the idea for each tuning. Each tuning
relates to others in some way, and they are pretty easy to
understand if you can see those relationships.
Work Through the Tunings in the Order Presented
Below. If you do that, you'll see some of the
relationships. Just be sure you understand what changed to
get from one tuning to the next, and this stuff will amaze you
with its simplicity.
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Standard -- The One Most
People Use Most of the Time. We all learned
the guitar in standard tuning, except for those odd characters who
learned to play with no guidance at all, and tuned their guitars
until they sounded good to them.
A Really Good Place to Start. Knowing
how to play in standard tuning is pretty useful. For
example, it helps a lot when you play with others, since it's more
likely you'll actually play the same or at least harmonious notes.
Standard tuning also provides a frame of reference, which can
be very important when you are trying to make sense of an altered
tuning. "OK, I know how to play a G major chord in
standard, but I've managed to get the guitar tuned in DADGAD, so
what do I do to get a G major here?"
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Dropped D -- Only
One Note Apart.
Dropped D is really handy for playing in the key of D, since it
eliminates the need to avoid the low E string, which doesn't fit
into a D major chord. It also offers a root note -- D -- at
the bottom of the chord. This gives a very solid sound to
the D chord forms.
However, because you've changed
that one note, some other chords need a bit of adjusting.
For example, G major now requires you to play the low E (now D)
string at the 5th fret, to get a G in the bass. Easy to
figure out.
Getting to the Tuning. The easiest of
all altered tunings. All you need to do is drop the low E
two half notes, to D. A couple of twists and you're there.
A Simple Exercise in This Tuning. Finger
a standard D chord in first position (the primary D chord we all
learned), but now also play the open low string. Hear the
satisfying rumble of the low D note, which belongs in the
chord. Now play a G chord, but by stretching your left ring
finger to the 5th fret of the low D string, letting it also touch
and mute the A string next to it. Put your left index finger
on the 3rd fret of the high E string. You have a nice full G
chord.
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Double Dropped D --
Only Two Notes Apart.
Some of the same advantages of Dropped D tuning apply here, but
now you have a D note on the high E string, too.
Not a very common tuning, but kind
of fun, since the inside strings still finger chords in standard
forms.
Getting to the Tuning. All you need to
do is drop both the low and hig E strings two half notes, to
D. A couple of twists and you're there.
A Simple Exercise in This Tuning. Finger a
standard D chord in first position (the primary D chord we all
learned), but drop your finger from the high E (now D)
string. Play all 6 strings and listen. Very
pleasing. Now play a G chord, but by stretching your left
ring finger to the 5th fret of the low D string, letting it also
touch and mute the A string next to it. This time, you need
not finger anything else, and you have a G chord.
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DADGAD -- The Celtic
Favorite.
DADGAD is very common in Irish and Scottish music, and is a
wonderful and versatile tuning. Books have been written on
its use. It adds texture to certain songs which are magical.
Getting to the Tuning.
From Double Dropped D, all you need to do is drop the B string two
half notes, to A. A couple of twists and you're there.
A Simple Exercise in This Tuning. We're
pretty far from standard tuning now, so let's make a D chord in
DADGAD by putting the left index finger on the 2nd fret of the G
string. Play all 6 strings and listen. Very
pleasing. This is a D chord, but without a 3rd of the scale,
which means it could be treated as either a minor or major,
depending on the feel of the tune. (The 3rd defines the
chord in this case, and since it's missing, the color of the chord
is ambiguous, which is what gives this tuning its allure.)
Now play a G chord, by putting the left index finger on the 2nd
fret of the low A string. Strum all strings, and it sounds
pretty nice, like a G chord should.
Finally, play an A chord, by putting the left index finger on
the 2nd fret of the middle D string. So, by using only the
index finger, you've played the I - IV - V progression in DADGAD.
Lots more to learn, but it's pretty cool already.
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Open D -- The Blues.
Along with Open G tuning, Open D is very popular with blues
players, slide players, and even Hawaiian players. Very
sweet and rich, and this tuning can growl with the best of 'em.
Getting to the Tuning.
You should already be in DADGAD, so all you need to do from there
is drop the G string one half note, to F#. If you strum all
six strings, and it sound like a major chord, you're there.
A Simple Exercise in This Tuning. The D
chord is made by simply strumming across all 6 open strings.
A G major is made by barring all strings at the 5th fret, and an A
major by barring all strings at the 7th fret. Play around
and see what else you can discover.
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Open D Minor --
Another Blues Favorite.
Dark and very bluesy, this was a favorite with several old blues
men, including Skip James, who was probably best known for its
use.
Getting to the Tuning.
You should already be in Open D, so all you need to do from there
is drop the F# to F. If you strum all six strings, and it
sound like a minor chord, you're there.
Now just play with it.
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DADDAD -- Power
Tuning.
DADDAD has two D's in the middle, and they are tuned in unison --
they're the same note. Makes for an interesting set of
chording possibilities.
Getting to the Tuning.
From DADGAD, Open D or Open D Minor, all you need to do is drop
the original G string to D. It takes a few twists, but all
you have to do is make it sound like the D string next to it.
A Simple Exercise in This Tuning. Barre
chords work well with this tuning, but there are some other
tricks.
Play the open chord on all six strings. Now finger any
one of the 4 D strings at the 4th fret. This adds an F# to
the chord, which makes it a D major. Why? Because
we've gone from DADDAD, with a 5th interval only between the D and
A notes, to a chord with a major 3rd note added back in -- the
F#. F# makes it a major chord -- a D major.
Again, play the open chord on all six strings. Now finger
any one of the 4 D strings at the 3rd fret. This adds an F
to the chord, which makes it a D minor. Why? Because
we've gone from DADDAD, with a 5th interval only between the D and
A notes, to a chord with a minor 3rd note added back in --
the F. F makes it a minor D chord.
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Open G -- Maybe the Most
Common Open Tuning.
Works a lot like Open D. Very popular in blues and Hawaiian
music. Often the primary tuning for Dobro and other
resonator instruments. A terrific slide tuning.
Not a very common tuning, but kind
of fun, since the inside strings still finger chords in standard
forms.
Getting to the Tuning. First, go back to Double Dropped D, which is very
close. Now simply drop the A string down two half
steps to G, and you're there.
A Simple Exercise in This Tuning. The 3
inside higher strings, BGD, are unchanged from standard
tuning. Think about how you can use those 3 strings,
fingered in standard chord forms, to create new chords in Open G.
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Why Does This Help Me Play Guitar?
Learn how this works. Altered tunings can add texture to your
playing, can offer new ideas for tunes, and are just plain
fun. But as important is the value they offer in
understanding how the guitar works to make music, and how musical
notes can be organized on a tunable instrument.
If you want to play blues, and
especially slide guitar, open tunings are almost a necessity.
Even if you never learn to play a
song or tune in an altered tuning, knowing you have the option of
doing so will teach you something. And my bet is that you'll
use this stuff.
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From Music Theory for the Short
Attention Span © FolkBlues.Com
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