GUITAR TUNINGS CATEGORIES
Different tunings inspire different musical inspirations. There are hundereds of tunings below are a number, sorted into categories.
OPEN TUNINGS (MAJOR) | ||
---|---|---|
Low to High 6 5 4 3 2 1 | Strings | |
D A D F♯ A D | Open D | D A D F♯ A D |
D A D D A D | Open 'D' (2) | D A D D A D |
D A D A D D | Open D (3) | D A D A D D |
E B E G♯ B E | Open E | E B E G♯ B E |
E A E G♯ B E | Open E (2) | E A E G♯ B E |
E B E G♯ C♯ E | Open 'E6th' | E B E G♯ C♯ E |
E B E G♯ B C♯ | Open 'E6th' (2) | E B E G♯ B C♯ |
F A C F C F | Open F | F A C F C F |
C F C F A F | Open F (2) | C F C F A F |
F♯ A♯ C♯ F♯ C♯ F♯ | Open F Sharp | F♯ A♯ C♯ F♯ C♯ F♯ |
D G D G B D | Open G (Spanish or Chicago tuning) | D G D G B D |
G B D G B D | Open G (Dobro) | G B D G B D |
D G D G G D | Open G (2) | D G D G G D |
G G D G B D | Open 'G' Tuning (3) | G G D G B D |
C G D G B D | Open G (with C bass) | C G D G B D |
D G B D G B D | Open G (Russian) | D G B D G B D |
E A C♯ E A E | Open A | E A C♯ E A E |
E A C♯ E A C♯ | Open A (2) | E A C♯ E A C♯ |
E E A A C# E | Open A (3) | E E A A C# E |
E A E A C♯ E | Open A (Slide) | E A E A C♯ E |
B F♯ B F♯ B D♯ | Open B | B F♯ B F♯ B D♯ |
F♯ B D♯ F♯ B D♯ | Open B (2) | F♯ B D♯ F♯ B D♯ |
C G C G C E | Open C | C G C G C E |
E G C G C E | Open C (2) | E G C G C E | OPEN TUNINGS (MINOR) |
Low to High 6 5 4 3 2 1 | Also known as cross note tunings. | Strings |
D A D F A D | Open D Minor | D A D F A D |
C A D F A D | Open D Minor (with C bass) | C A D F A D |
E B E G B E | Open E Minor | E B E G B E |
F A♭ C F C F | Open F Minor | F A♭ C F C F |
F C F A♭ C F | Open F Minor (2) | F C F A♭ C F |
D G D G B♭ D | Open G Minor | D G D G B♭ D |
G B♭ D G B♭ D | Open G Minor (2) | G B♭ D G B♭ D |
E A E A C E | Open A Minor | E A E A C E |
E A C E A E | Open A Minor (2) | E A C E A E |
E A E A E A | Alternative Cross A (Sitar) | E A E A E A |
C G C G C E♭ | Open C Minor | C G C G C E♭ | REGULAR TUNINGS |
Low to High 6 5 4 3 2 1 | Strings | |
C D♯ F♯ a c d♯ | Minor thirds | C D♯ F♯ a c d♯ |
E G♯ c e g♯ c | Major thirds | E G♯ c e g♯ c |
C E G♯ c e g♯ | Major thirds (low) | C E G♯ c e g♯ |
E A d g c f | All fourths | E A d g c f |
C F♯ c f♯ c f♯ | Augmented fourths | C F♯ c f♯ c f♯ |
B F b f b f | Augmented fourths (2) | B F b f b f |
C G D D A E | Fifths Tuning | C G D D A E |
C G d a e b | All fifths (Mandoguitar) | C G d a e b | DROPPED TUNINGS |
Low to High 6 5 4 3 2 1 | Strings | |
D A D G B E | Drop D | D A D G B E |
D A D G A E | Drop D (2) | D A D G A E |
D♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭ | Drop D♭ | D♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭ |
C♯ G♯ C♯ F♯ A♯ D♯ | Drop C♯ | C♯ G♯ C♯ F♯ A♯ D♯ |
C G C F A D | Drop C | C G C F A D |
C A D G B E | Drop C (2) | C A D G B E |
B G♭ B E A♭ D♭ | Drop B | B G♭ B E A♭ D♭ |
B F# B E G# C# | Drop B Tuning (Heavy Metal) | B F# B E G# C# |
B♭ F B♭ E♭ G C | Drop B♭ | B♭ F B♭ E♭ G C |
A♯ F A♯ D♯ G C | Drop A♯ | A♯ F A♯ D♯ G C |
A E A D F♯ B | Drop A | A E A D F♯ B |
A E A D G♭ B | Drop A (2) | A E A D G♭ B |
A A D G B E | Drop A (3) | A A D G B E |
A G C F A D | Drop A or D standard variation | A G C F A D |
A♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ F B♭ | Drop A♭ | A♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ F B♭ |
G♯ D♯ G♯ C♯ F A♯ | Drop G♯ | G♯ D♯ G♯ C♯ F A♯ |
G D G C E A | Drop G | G D G C E A |
G♭ D♭ G♭ B E♭ A♭ | Drop G♭ | G♭ D♭ G♭ B E♭ A♭ |
F♯ C♯ F♯ B D♯ G♯ | Drop F♯ | F♯ C♯ F♯ B D♯ G♯ |
F C F A♯ D G | Drop F | F C F A♯ D G |
F C F B♭ D G | Drop F (2) | F C F B♭ D G |
E B E A C♯ F♯ | Drop E | E B E A C♯ F♯ |
E B E A D♭ G♭ | Drop E (2) | E B E A D♭ G♭ |
E♭ B♭ E♭ A♭ C F | Drop E♭ | E♭ B♭ E♭ A♭ C F |
D♯ A♯ D♯ G♯ C F | Drop D♯ | D♯ A♯ D♯ G♯ C F |
D A D G B E | Drop D1 Tuning | D A D G B E |
C♯ A D G B E | Drop C♯/D♭ (standard E variation) | C♯ A D G B E |
B A D G B E | Drop B (standard E variation) | B A D G B E | DOUBLE DROP TUNINGS |
Low to High 6 5 4 3 2 1 | Strings | |
D A D G B D | Double Drop D | D A D G B D |
D♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ D♭ | Double Drop D♭ | D♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ D♭ |
C♯ G♯ C♯ F♯ A♯ C♯ | Double Drop C♯ | C♯ G♯ C♯ F♯ A♯ C♯ |
C G C F A C | Double Drop C | C G C F A C |
B F♯ B E G♯ B | Double Drop B | B F♯ B E G♯ B |
A E A D F♯ A | Double Drop A | A E A D F♯ A |
G D G C E G | Double Drop G | G D G C E G |
F C F A♯ D F | Double Drop F | F C F A♯ D F |
E B E A C♯ E | Double Drop E | E B E A C♯ E |
D A D G B D | Double Drop D1 | D A D G B D | MODAL TUNINGS |
Low to High 6 5 4 3 2 1 | Strings | |
E A B E A E | Asus2 | E A B E A E |
E A D E A E | Asus4 | E A D E A E |
B F# B E F# B | Bsus4 | B F# B E F# B |
C A C G C E | C6 | C A C G C E |
D G C G C D | Open Page | D G C G C D |
C G C G C D | Csus2 | C G C G C D |
C G C F C D | Csus4+9 | C G C F C D |
C G C G C F | Csus4 | C G C G C F |
C G D G C D | C15 | C G D G C D |
C G D G A D | Low C | C G D G A D |
D A D E A D | Dsus2 | D A D E A D |
D A D G A D | Dsus4 | D A D G A D |
E B E F♯ B E | Esus2 | E B E F♯ B E |
E B E A B E | Esus4 | E B E A B E |
D G D G B E | G6 | D G D G B E |
D G D G A D | Gsus2 | D G D G A D |
D G D G C D | Gsus4 | D G D G C D |
C G D G C D | Gsus4/4 / Orkney Tuning | C G D G C D |
E B E E B E | E modal | E B E E B E |
E A D E A E | Open E Modal | E A D E A E |
G G D G B D | G modal | G G D G B D |
B F♯ C♯ F♯ B D♯ | B modal | B F♯ C♯ F♯ B D♯ |
A# F A# D# G A# | A# modal | A# F A# D# G A# | SHIFTED (lowered) TUNINGS |
Low to High 6 5 4 3 2 1 | Strings | |
E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭ | E♭ Tuning | E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭ |
D G C F A D | D Tuning | D G C F A D |
D♭ G♭ B E A♭ D♭ | D♭ Tuning | D♭ G♭ B E A♭ D♭ |
C F B♭ E♭ G C | C Tuning | C F B♭ E♭ G C |
B E A D G♭ B | B Tuning | B E A D G♭ B |
B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ F B♭ | B♭ Tuning | B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ F B♭ |
A D G C E A | A Tuning | A D G C E A |
A♭ D♭ G♭ B E♭ A♭ | A♭ Tuning | A♭ D♭ G♭ B E♭ A♭ |
G C F B♭ D G | G Tuning | G C F B♭ D G |
G♭ B E A D♭ G♭ | G♭ Tuning | G♭ B E A D♭ G♭ |
F B♭ E♭ A♭ C F | F Tuning | F B♭ E♭ A♭ C F |
E A D G B E | Octave Tuning (one octave down) | E A D G B E |
E A D G B D | Lowered 1st Tuning | E A D G B D |
E A Db G B E | Lowered 4th Tuning | E A Db G B E | SHIFTED (raised) TUNINGS |
Low to High 6 5 4 3 2 1 | Strings | |
F A♯ D♯ G♯ C F | F Tuning | F A♯ D♯ G♯ C F |
F♯ B E A C♯ F♯ | F♯ Tuning | F♯ B E A C♯ F♯ |
G C F A♯ D G | G Tuning | G C F A♯ D G |
G♯ C♯ F♯ B D♯ G♯ | G♯ Tuning | G♯ C♯ F♯ B D♯ G♯ |
A D G C E A | A Tuning | A D G C E A |
A♯ D♯ G♯ C♯ E♯ A♯ | A♯ Tuning | A♯ D♯ G♯ C♯ E♯ A♯ | MISCELLANEOUS/SPECIAL TUNINGS |
Low to High 6 5 4 3 2 1 | Strings | |
D A D D A D | Dad-Dad | D A D D A D |
C G C G Bb Eb | 'Cm7' Tuning | C G C G Bb Eb |
C G# C F G# F | 'Fm' Tuning | C G# C F G# F |
E A D F# B E | Lute Tuning | E A D F# B E |
C G d a b e | Cello/Standard guitar | C G d a b e |
C G C G A D | 'C-D' Tuning | C G C G A D |
C G D G A D | Low 'C' Tuning | C G D G A D |
E A d g b e | Mi-composé | E A d g b e |
C G D G C D | Mountain Minor | C G D G C D |
C G C G C Eb | C Minor Tuning | C G C G C Eb |
D G D G A E | Old Spanish Tuning | D G D G A E |
E A D F# A E | Lute Tuning (2) | E A D F# A E |
C E G A# C D | Overtone Tuning | C E G A# C D |
A C D E G A | Pentatonic Tuning | A C D E G A |
F# A D F# A D | Dobro 'D' Tuning | F# A D F# A D |
B E B E G# B | Low 'E' Tuning | B E B E G# B |
B E E G# B E | Octave 'E' Tuning | B E E G# B E |
B G B D G B | Low 'G' Tuning | B G B D G B |
D A D F# G C | Harmonic Tuning | D A D F# G C |
The circle of notes technique can help to find chords and scales in any given tuning. It helps to find the interval relationship between chords and scales by giving the order of notes on the fret board of a guitar. This order will stay consistent though the position on the fret board may move depending on the tuning. To find notes for a chord or scale in a particular tuning, have a look at the Circle of Notes. >>