Dropped Alternate Guitar Tunings
Dropped guitar tunings, are basically higher and lower standard tuning with the 6th string or thickest string tuned one full step below the other strings. A very common dropped tuning is the drop D from standard tuning, you basically tune the low E string to a D note and you get (D-A-D-G-B-E)
This type of guitar tuning is most commonly used in metal, heavy metal, goth, deathmetal and other metal genres. With this type of tuning, a guitarist can hold down the first three string and intantly produce a "power chord", which is why it is optimal for quick chord progressions and transitions.
Some dropped tuning might require a thick gauge 6th string due to extremely low notes, while others can easily be achieved through the use of a capo or partial capo similar to higher guitar tunings.
|
STANDARD
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E
|
A
|
D
|
G
|
B
|
E
|
Notes:
|
| Dropped Alternate Tuning | |||||||
| Drop D guitar tuning | D | A | D | G | B | E | Standard tuning but with the 6th string dropped one full step. Utilized by bands like Tool. |
| Drop C# guitar tuning | C# | G# | C# | F# | A# | D# | Same as Drop D, but every string is dropped one half step. Utilized by bands like Black Sabbath. |
| Drop Db guitar tuning | Db | Ab | Db | Gb | Bb | Eb | |
| Drop C guitar tuning | C | G | C | F | A | D | One full step down from Drop D. This tuning is most often used by lighter metal musicians. |
| Drop B guitar tuning | B | F# | B | E | G# | C# | One and one half steps down from Drop D. This tuning is most often used by modern heavymetal musicians. |
| B | Gb | B | E | Ab | Db | ||
| Drop A# guitar tuning | A# | F | A# | D# | G | C | Two full steps down from Drop D. |
| Drop Bb guitar tuning | Bb | F | Bb | Eb | G | C | |
| Drop A guitar tuning | A | E | A | D | F# | B | Two and one half steps down from Drop D. This tuning is most often used by deathmetal musicians. Utilized by bands like Nile. |
| A | E | A | D | Gb | B | ||
| Drop G# guitar tuning | G# | D# | G# | C# | F | A# | Three full steps down from Drop D. |
| Drop Ab guitar tuning | Ab | Eb | Ab | Db | F | Bb | |
| Drop G guitar tuning | G | D | G | C | E | A | Three and one half steps down from Drop D. |
| Drop F# guitar tuning | F# | C# | F# | B | D# | G# | Four full steps down from Drop D, or two full steps up from Drop D1. |
| Drop Gb guitar tuning | Gb | Db | Gb | B | Eb | Ab | |
| Drop F guitar tuning | F | C | F | C# | D | G | Four and one half steps down from Drop D, or one and a half steps up from Drop D1. |
| F | C | F | Bb | D | G | ||
| Drop E guitar tuning | E | B | E | A | C# | F# | Five full steps down from Drop D, or one full step up from Drop D1. |
| E | B | E | A | Db | Gb | ||
| Drop D# guitar tuning | D# | A# | D# | G# | C | F | Five and one half steps down from Drop D, or one half step up from Drop D1. |
| Drop Eb guitar tuning | Eb | Bb | Eb | Ab | C | F | |
| Drop D1 guitar tuning | D | A | D | G | B | E | Six full steps (one octave) down from Drop D. |
Here is a diagram of how your guitar should be tuned to Drop D tuning as reference:
The bottom will be your 6th or thickest string going to your 1st or thinnest string on top.
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