Drop D tuning

Drop D tuning notes and frequencies

Sound and genres

Dropping string 6 to D puts a low D an octave below open string 4, so any chord in the key of D gets a full, resonant root underneath it. Strings 5 to 1 are untouched, which means every chord shape you already know still works as long as it does not use string 6.

The other reason players use it is speed. Strings 6, 5 and 4 now form a root, fifth and octave, so one finger laid flat across the same fret of those three strings plays a power chord. Sliding that barre up and down the neck is the basis of heavy riffing, and the open low D works as a drone under melodies on the top strings.

• Rock
• Metal
• Grunge
• Folk
• Fingerstyle

How to tune to Drop D

1. Tune to standard first, so strings 5 to 1 are already correct. Drop D changes only string 6.
2. Pluck string 6 and loosen it two semitones, from E2 to D2. Go slightly below D, then tighten back up to it; tuning up to a note seats the string at the nut and holds better than tuning down to it.
3. If the tuner jumps to another string while string 6 is slack, turn Detect String off and tap the string 6 peg. The reading then stays on string 6 and tells you how far you are from D.
4. Check by ear: open string 6 should sound one octave below open string 4, and string 6 at fret 7 should match open string 5. Both pairs should ring without a wobbling beat.
5. Finish with the final recheck pass in the tune-up checklist. Lowering one string changes the pull on the neck slightly, so the other five can drift a few cents.

Changing from standard tuning

String by string, from standard tuning. Pick a different starting tuning to see its changes, or open the tuning changer.

Chord shapes and power chords in drop D

Any power chord with its root on string 6 becomes a one-finger shape: barre strings 6, 5 and 4 at the same fret. Open is D5, fret 3 is F5, fret 5 is G5 and fret 7 is A5. Power chords rooted on string 5 keep their standard shape, so you can combine the two for riffs that move across strings.

Notes on string 6 now sit two frets higher than in standard. A G chord that used fret 3 on the low string uses fret 5 in drop D, and E-shape barre chords need the bottom note moved up two frets or muted. The open D chord gains a low root on string 6 and can be strummed across all six strings.

Strings and setup for drop D

A standard set of 10s on electric or 12s on acoustic handles drop D without changes. String 6 loses about a fifth of its tension, so on light gauges the low D can feel floppy and buzz when you dig in. A set with a heavier low string, such as 10–52, firms it up without changing how the top strings feel.

Guitars with a floating tremolo are the exception. Lowering one string lets the springs pull the bridge back, which sharpens the other five strings, so expect to go back and forth a few times. If you switch to drop D often on such a guitar, a drop D lever or blocking the bridge saves time.

Chord shapes in Drop D

Songs in Drop D

• Everlong — Foo Fighters (1997)Source: American Songwriter, 2021
• Monkey Wrench — Foo Fighters (1997)Source: Wikipedia
• Killing in the Name — Rage Against the Machine (1992)Source: Wikipedia
• Outshined — Soundgarden (1991)Source: Wikipedia
• Spoonman — Soundgarden (1994)Source: Wikipedia
• Dear Prudence — The Beatles (1968)Source: Wikipedia
• Harvest Moon — Neil Young (1992)Source: Wikipedia
• Rock & Roll Woman — Buffalo Springfield (1967)Source: Guitar World, 2017