Drop D tuning

If you’re a fan of a particular music style or you have a specific song you want to master on the guitar, you may have to adjust your tuning. Perhaps the most popular alternate guitar tuning is drop D, especially if you’re looking to play something a bit heavier. It may sound daunting, but even beginners can start experimenting with drop D tuning. Tune your guitar, and let’s get started!

Alternate tunings for the guitar

Drop D tuning is one of many alternate tunings. You can think of these as alternatives to the familiar standard guitar tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E). Using an alternate tuning allows guitar players to experiment and add a certain sound to their music.

Some alternative tunings are called drop tunings, as they require you to tune the lowest, also known as the sixth, string to a lower pitch than normal. This often means tuning the lowest string down one full step, such as in drop C and drop A tunings. The same goes for the topic of this article, drop D tuning.

To learn more about drop tunings, open tunings, and other types of alternate tunings, read our full guide to alternate guitar tunings.

How does drop D tuning work?

Now, let’s talk about one of the most popular alternate tunings: drop D. Like in many other drop tunings, you tune down (or “drop”) the lowest string a full step.

What makes drop D tuning so easy to use is that it’s almost identical to the standard guitar tuning we all know and love. Just look at the notes of each string in standard tuning: E-A-D-G-B-E. Then compare this to drop D tuning: D-A-D-G-B-E.

Why would you want to tune to drop D in the first place? Here are a few good reasons:

• • Play heavier music genres. Many rock, punk, and metal bands prefer using drop D tuning in their songs. Just add a distortion effect, and you’re ready to start shredding.
  • Easier power chords. Playing power chords is much easier with drop tuning, such as drop D, as you can play them with just your index finger. This is also known as “barring” the strings.
  • Go lower on the E-string. What makes drop D (and other drop tunings, for that matter) great for heavier genres is that it allows you to go a full step lower. Try playing the D power chord after tuning to drop D and listen to how it sounds (tip: play the lowest three strings open).
• Fast chord changes. When playing power chords using drop D tuning, transitioning from one chord to another is simple. You don’t have to think about changing the chord shape; instead, just jump straight into the next chord using the same fingering.

Tip: If the guitar tab of a song in drop D tuning doesn’t tell you to play the open low-E string or play the E string first fret, you can try playing the song using the standard tuning but play everything on the low E-string two frets lower. This serves the same purpose as tuning the low E-string a full step lower.

How to tune to drop D

Once you know how to tune to the standard EADGBE tuning, it’s not much harder to go one step further to drop D. As we already discussed, you only need to adjust your low E-string from E to D.

If you’re unfamiliar with guitar tunings or don’t know how to tune your guitar, read our full guide to tuning a guitar.

Tuning to drop D is easiest done with a guitar tuner. We recommend using a handy guitar tuner app, like GuitarTuna, that comes with the same sound recognition technology as our Yousician app. With a GuitarTuna Pro subscription, you get access to all drop tunings and much more, including song chords and lyrics.

Play power chords with drop D tuning

Power chords are simple chords commonly used in rock and metal music. Tuning to drop D allows you to play power chords with just one finger! What makes them more straightforward than other major and minor chords is that power chords consist of just two notes: the root and the fifth. Often, the player chooses to add an octave of the root as well.

A power chord does not include the third note found in other major or minor chords. This gives power chords a neutral sound that is neither major nor minor, making them versatile and harmonically flexible. The simplicity of power chords isn’t the only reason they’re attractive. They also sound great in the right context, and they’re perfect for heavy riffs and chugging rhythm guitar parts.

In standard tuning, you use two or three fingers to play power chords, while in drop D tuning, you can play power chords by barring one finger across the lowest three strings. This not only makes them easy to play, but transitioning from one power chord to another is also simple.

Famous songs with drop D tuning

As mentioned before, many rock and metal bands use drop D tuning to add some edge and heaviness to their playing. Here are just a few great guitar songs that use drop D tuning:

• “Killing In The Name”, made famous by Rage Against the Machine
• “Everlong”, made famous by Foo Fighters
• “Moby Dick”, made famous by Led Zeppelin
• “All Apologies”, made famous by Nirvana

Although drop D and other drop tunings are often found in heavier and distorted guitar playing, this tuning has been embraced by more than just guitar players looking to shred. For example, “The Chain”, made famous by Fleetwood Mac, uses drop D tuning despite not being the heaviest of rock tracks. Another mellower tune that uses drop D is “Harvest Moon,” made famous by Neil Young.

Start rocking with Yousician

Ready to get your guitar in tune and start learning to play? Download Yousician, your personal guitar teacher that listens to you play. Yousician’s interactive guitar lessons and extensive library of popular songs make learning the guitar (and also bass, piano, ukulele, and singing) fun and motivating.

Get started with a free trial and download Yousician for your computer or iOS and Android devices.