Open tuning

A tuning in which the open strings sound a complete chord, so a single straight slide or barre across all six produces that chord in any key.

The usual choices are open G, D and E, and they make slide playing practical, since the slide can be laid flat without any fretted note needed underneath. They also change how ordinary playing works: chord shapes collapse into simpler ones and the intervals between strings become irregular, so the instrument rewards different voicings from standard tuning. Many blues and folk fingerstyle pieces are written around these layouts.

Example: with the strings tuned to an open G chord, a slide across the fifth fret sounds a full C chord with no fingering at all.

Open tuning

See also