Drop D tuning
Standard tuning with the sixth string lowered a whole tone to D. The lowest three strings then form a power chord under one finger anywhere on the neck, and the sixth string is an octave below the fourth.
- 1st E
- 2nd B
- 3rd G
- 4th D
- 5th A
- 6th D
- Notes, highest to lowest
- D A D G B E
- Notes, lowest to highest
- E B G D A D
- Strings
- 6
- Interval pattern
- 6th to 5th: 7 semitones; 5th to 4th: 5 semitones; 4th to 3rd: 5 semitones; 3rd to 2nd: 4 semitones; 2nd to 1st: 5 semitones
- Family
- drop
- Typical scale length
- 24.75–25.5 in
- Written use
- The most common alternative tuning on the guitar. It preserves all standard shapes on the upper five strings.
- Key of this tuning
- D
Strings
Each string of this tuning, with its scientific pitch, its MIDI note number (middle C is 60) and its distance above the lowest string.
| String | Note | Octave | MIDI | Semitones above the lowest | Interval |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st (highest) | E | 4 | 64 | 26 | Major second plus two octaves above the lowest string |
| 2nd | B | 3 | 59 | 21 | Major thirteenth above the lowest string |
| 3rd | G | 3 | 55 | 17 | Perfect eleventh above the lowest string |
| 4th | D | 3 | 50 | 12 | Perfect octave above the lowest string |
| 5th | A | 2 | 45 | 7 | Perfect fifth above the lowest string |
| 6th (lowest) | D | 2 | 38 | 0 | the reference string |
Common chord shapes
The shapes below were found by searching this tuning's fretboard. The search prefers the lowest playable position, requires every chord tone, spans no more than four frets and allows no muted string between two sounding ones. Shapes in an altered tuning are not the standard ones: they are the shapes this tuning actually produces.
| Chord | Shape (lowest string first) | Notes | Degrees | Span | Sounding | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D | 0-0-0-2-3-2 | D A D A D F# | 1 5 1 5 1 3 | 3 | 6 | Major |
| Dm | 0-0-0-2-3-1 | D A D A D F | 1 5 1 5 1 b3 | 3 | 6 | Minor |
| D7 | 0-0-0-2-1-2 | D A D A C F# | 1 5 1 5 b7 3 | 2 | 6 | Dominant seventh |
| Dsus4 | 0-0-0-0-x-x | D A D G x x | 1 5 1 4 x x | 0 | 4 | Suspended fourth |
| G | 0-2-0-0-0-x | D B D G B x | 5 3 5 1 3 x | 2 | 5 | Major |
| A | 2-0-2-2-2-0 | E A E A C# E | 5 1 5 1 3 5 | 2 | 6 | Major |
| Ddim | x-x-0-1-3-1 | x x D G# D F | x x 1 b5 1 b3 | 3 | 4 | Diminished |
| F | 3-0-3-2-1-1 | F A F A C F | 1 3 1 3 5 1 | 3 | 6 | Major |
Diatonic chords in D
The seven triads built on the major scale of this tuning's home key, each as a playable shape in this tuning.
| Numeral | Chord | Notes | Shape (lowest string first) | Sounding | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | D | D F# A | 0-0-0-2-3-2 | 6 | Major |
| ii | Em | E G B | 2-2-2-0-0-0 | 6 | Minor |
| iii | F#m | F# A C# | 4-0-4-2-2-2 | 6 | Minor |
| IV | G | G B D | 0-2-0-0-0-x | 5 | Major |
| V | A | A C# E | 2-0-2-2-2-0 | 6 | Major |
| vi | Bm | B D F# | 0-2-0-4-0-2 | 6 | Minor |
| vii° | C#dim | C# E G | x-x-2-0-2-0 | 4 | Diminished |
What this tuning is used for
The most common alternative tuning on the guitar. It preserves all standard shapes on the upper five strings.
- GenreRock
- GenreFolk and singer-songwriter
- GenreMetal
Related tunings
Related