Alternative Tunings: Drop D, Open D, and Open G

The great old-time banjo player Wade Ward once referred to changing the tuning on a banjo as changing the “atmosphere” of the instrument. By this, he meant the entire feel of what you can play is shifted by the tuning. This sentiment holds true for the guitar as well, because a simple tuning change can greatly vary the feel of what you play, while at the same time helping you to discover new arrangements (and to avoid ruts in what you play).

In the video accompanying this post, renowned guitar instructor John Heussenstam demonstrates some alternative tunings that can be fun and useful. As you’ll see, John’s using a Reverb.com clip-on tuner, which makes changing between tunings simple and straightforward.

First, John goes into a drop-D tuning by tuning the low-E string down to a D. With this tuning, you can use the open low-D note to embellish melodies and arrangements, often in the key of D as in this case.

Next, John demonstrates an open-D tuning, which tunes the guitar to a D chord. To get into this tuning, tune the low-E string down to a D, the G string down to an F#, the B string down to an A, and the high-E string down to a D. At that point, what you will hear is an E-chord shape tuned down to a D chord. This allows you to experiment with different sounds for different styles, including the blues among others.

And, finally, John demonstrates an open-G tuning, which tunes the guitar to a G chord. To get into this  tuning, tune the low-E string down to a D and the A string down to a G; leave the D, G, and B strings on these three notes (as they are in standard tuning); and tune the high E-string down to a D. Now the guitar is tuned to an A-chord shape tuned down to a G chord. Once again, this tuning allows you to experiment with a different set of baseline sounds and go from there.

If you’re not familiar with www.reverb.com, we encourage you to check out their website, which offers a complete online marketplace for music gear. Full disclosure: Lessonface has an affiliate marketing relationship with Reverb.com, and you may see our videos promoted on their site from time to time.

Related:

• John Heussenstamm's booking page
• ​Watch more free guitar videos from Lessonface.
• Our complete hand-picked list of electric guitar teachers