# Tunings

Default: **high-G GCEA** (G4 C4 E4 A4).

- **Low G** — G3 C4 E4 A4; same shapes, deeper open G
- **D tuning** — ADF#B; shapes sound a step higher (C shape = D). Tuning *up* adds real tension —
  fine on an instrument strung for it, risky on a cheap soprano with old strings.
- **Baritone** — DGBE; a guitar's top four. Shapes sound a fourth lower than the diagram's name
  (C shape = G). Use the guitar room's chord names.

## What each tuning actually changes

| Tuning | Strings | Shapes | A C shape sounds | Diagrams here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard, high G | G4 C4 E4 A4 | — | C | Correct as printed |
| Low G | G3 C4 E4 A4 | Identical | C | Correct as printed |
| D tuning | A4 D4 F#4 B4 | Identical | D | Fingerings right, names a step low |
| Baritone | D3 G3 B3 E4 | Identical | G | Fingerings right, names a fourth high |

A shape is a set of intervals, not a chord. Retuning never changes the shape or its intervals — only
which letter it answers to. Same reason a capo works, and why one movable grip beats ten memorised
chords.

See [Sizes & setup](sizes.md) · [Movable shapes](movable.md).