# Alternate tunings

> Interactive page: [`tunings.html`](tunings.html)

This room lives in **standard EADGBE** unless a page says otherwise. Alternate tunings are a v2 door: retune, hear a model, then return to standard before [Play along](songs.md) or the dictionary. On the HTML page the neck still shows physical frets; Play buttons sound the retuned pitch.

How to tune in standard: [Foundations](foundations.md) · optional pitch check: practice-bar **Sa**.

Song pages stay in standard unless they are marked.

**Sources (two-check):** Hal Leonard Guitar Method Book 1 (standard EADGBE, drop D as a later rock/folk door) · Berklee / conventional folk guitar (open G and open D as I-major barres; DADGAD as a drone tuning). Titles only for famous songs. No transcribed riffs.

## Standard reminder — E A D G B E

Low to high as you hear them: 6th E, 5th A, 4th D, 3rd G, 2nd B, 1st e. Intervals from the 6th string: fourth, fourth, fourth, major third, fourth.

## Drop D

Tune **only the 6th string down a whole step**: E down to D. The other five strings stay. You now have D A D G B E. Check: 6th open should match 4th open (both D), an octave apart.

**Why bother:** a power chord on strings 6 and 5 is *one finger across one fret* — both strings at the same fret are root + fifth. In standard, E5 needs two fingers (0 and 2). That is the Hal Leonard / rock-lab reason for drop D, not a new song list.

**Warning:** every chord that used the open low E now sounds a whole step lower. Open E, G, and C shapes do *not* transfer. Mute or skip string 6 unless the new bass D is what you want. Return to standard before dictionary drills.

### D5 shapes (one finger)

| Fret on 6+5 | Sounds as | TAB (drop D) |
|-------------|-----------|--------------|
| open (0–0) | D5 | 6th + 5th open |
| 2–2 | E5 | one finger, fret 2 |
| 5–5 | G5 | one finger, fret 5 |
| 7–7 | A5 | one finger, fret 7 |

```
e|-----------------
B|-----------------
G|-----------------
D|-----------------
A|-0---5---7-------   A  D  E   (5th string, standard pitch)
D|-0---5---7-------   D  G  A   (6th string dropped)
```

Compare two-finger powers in standard on [Rock drills](drills-rock.md) and [Rock exercises · power chords](exercises-rock.md).

## Open G — D G D G B D

From standard, drop strings **6, 5, and 1** a whole step (E→D, A→G, e→D). The middle three already make G–B–D. Open strings ring a **G major** chord. Intervals from the new 6th: fourth, fifth, fourth, major third, minor third.

A **one-finger barre** across all six at a fret is another major chord: open = G, fret 2 = A, fret 5 = C, fret 7 = D. Folk and blues use this for I–IV–V without a six-finger grip. Slide players like the ringing G. Famous-title door (chords only, no riff): Stones-era rock often sat in open G — e.g. *Honky Tonk Women* as a title, not a transcription.

## Open D — D A D F♯ A D

From standard: 6th E→D, 3rd G→F♯, 2nd B→A, 1st e→D. Open strings ring **D major**. Same idea as open G: one barre = the next major. Open = D, fret 2 = E, fret 5 = G, fret 7 = A. Folk, blues, and slide use it for a fat I chord and easy IV/V barres. Titles only if you map a song — no printed melody here.

## DADGAD lite

D A D G A D — from standard, drop 6, 2, and 1 a whole step. The open strings are a **Dsus4** drone (no third). It is friendly for modal folk: the G and D keep ringing while one or two fingers add colour. Celtic and DADGAD-style fingerstyle live here; this page is two shapes, not a repertoire.

**Shape 1 — open drone.** All open. Let it ring; that is the point.

**Shape 2 — F♯ in the middle.** 4th string fret 4 (F♯) with the drones around it. A D-major colour without killing the sus4 air. One finger.

```
e|-0-----0---------   D (dropped)
B|-0-----0---------   A (dropped)
G|-0-----0---------   G
D|-0-----4---------   D  /  F#
A|-0-----0---------   A
D|-0-----0---------   D (dropped)
```

## Retune safely

- **Down slowly.** Drop D, open G/D, and DADGAD all slacken strings. Turn the machine a little, check, turn again. Do not yank a string up to pitch from a slack start in one twist.
- **One string at a time.** Finish the 6th before you touch the 5th. If a string creaks, stop and ease it.
- **Pitch check.** A clip tuner is ideal. Optional: set the practice-bar **Sa** to the note you want (D, G, …) and match the open string to the drone. You do not have to use Sa — it is there if you already sing with it.
- **Return to standard** before [songs](songs.md), [dictionary](dictionary.md), and [open chords](chords.md) unless that page is marked for a tuning. Those models assume EADGBE.
- **New strings stretch.** Retune twice in the first session after a drop. That is normal.

## Three tracks

- **Beginner** — Stay in standard today. Hear the open-string model on this page. Drop D only with a teacher or a tuner, then play open D5 and go back.
- **Intermediate** — Drop D: one-finger D5–G5–A5 on the click. Notice how G and C shapes fail. Retune to standard and play a song loop.
- **Advanced** — Open G or open D: open I, barre IV, barre V, four bars each. Or DADGAD drone plus one F♯. Then standard again before jazz or dictionary work.