Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Drop D tuning
open-in-new
<h2 id="uses">Uses</h2> <p>In drop D, the three open bass strings form a D5 <a href="/facts/Power_chord/0y7dpoNG">power chord</a>. Other fifth chords are made when barred with the index finger of the fretting hand shifted up the <a href="/facts/Fretboard/KXSr6GaJ">fretboard</a>. Drop D tuning is frequently used in <a href="/facts/Heavy_metal_music/WsIPhM9e">heavy metal</a> and its various subgenres, as guitarists in these styles often need fast transitions between power chords. Drop D is also used in metal because it adds two lower semitones to the bass range of the <a href="/facts/Rhythm_guitar/WFcg4fXC">rhythm guitar</a>, which adds two more low-range power chords (E♭ and D) and enables a heavier, deeper sound. The tuning has also been used in many other styles of music, including <a href="/facts/Blues/f2WSr9QQ">blues</a>, <a href="/facts/Country_music/UJM3Un98">country</a>, <a href="/facts/Folk_music/yFHpeE7k">folk</a>, and <a href="/facts/Classical_guitar/P1QRb2lo">classical</a>. Due to its similarity to standard tuning, drop D is recognised as a useful introduction to alternative tunings, leading logically to an exploration of <a href="/facts/DADGAD/FscUHmK7">DADGAD</a>, <a href="/facts/Open_D/aDnmdC47">open D</a>, D tuning (in which all strings are tuned 1 full note lower DGCFAD), drop D♭ (in which only the 6th string is tuned 3 frets lower D♭ADGBe) and drop D drop G (in which both the 5th and 6th strings are dropped a tone DGDGBe) tunings. </p><p>The tuning allows for chords with a root or bass note of D to be played with a D an octave lower than with standard tuning. It also allows the playing of open D chords that include the fifth and sixth strings, letting the full sonority of the guitar be heard. This can be especially useful for songs in the keys of D major or minor and is particularly effective on acoustic guitar. Drop D also allows <a href="/facts/Fingerpicking/WuG9uEqA">fingerpickers</a> to play chord shapes higher up the neck while maintaining an <a href="/facts/Alternating_bass/tKnVjhs6">alternating bass</a>. The bottom three strings, if left open, will vibrate <a href="/facts/Sympathetic_resonance/CMWTQKNL">sympathetically</a> and, using chord shapes limited to the top three strings, a <a href="/facts/Drone_(music)/kFLTvxqa">drone</a> effect can easily be achieved. </p><p>The trade-off is the loss of the open bass E note in chords or fingerings, which the player can adjust to include fretting the sixth string at the second fret (now E).[<i>dubious – discuss</i>] </p> <h2 id="in-rock-and-metal">In rock and metal</h2> <p>Although the drop D tuning was introduced and developed by <a href="/facts/Classical_music/oglVXmSb">classical</a> guitarists and lutists such as English <a href="/facts/Renaissance/4D9Bc6KU">renaissance</a> composer <a href="/facts/John_Dowland/vrG29wII">John Dowland</a>, drop D tuning is mostly known from its usage in contemporary <a href="/facts/Heavy_metal_music/WsIPhM9e">heavy metal</a> and <a href="/facts/Hard_rock/yC1FkQcC">hard rock</a> bands. One of the earliest uses of drop D tuning was by English composer <a href="/facts/John_Dowland/vrG29wII">John Dowland</a> during the <a href="/facts/Renaissance/4D9Bc6KU">renaissance</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> Early hard rock songs tuned in drop D include <a href="/facts/The_Beatles/2syHWLcM">The Beatles</a>' "<a href="/facts/I_Want_You_(She%2527s_So_Heavy)/dU6HRFRR">I Want You (She's So Heavy)</a>" and <a href="/facts/Led_Zeppelin/fwP2oGAU">Led Zeppelin</a>'s "<a href="/facts/Moby_Dick_(instrumental)/tosc1KSY">Moby Dick</a>", both first released in 1969.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> Tuning the lowest string one <a href="/facts/Musical_tone/dL8Bck9W">tone</a> down, from E to D, allowed these musicians to acquire a heavier and darker sound than in <a href="/facts/Standard_tuning/wHh7RL1q">standard tuning</a>. Without needing to tune all strings (standard D tuning), they could tune just one, in order to lower the key. Drop D is also a convenient tuning, because it expands the <a href="/facts/Scale_(music)/QjMlvs3u">scale</a> of an instrument by two semitones: D and D♯. </p><p>In the mid 1980s, three <a href="/facts/Alternative_rock/7xRALNsG">alternative rock</a> bands, <a href="/facts/King%2527s_X/goNP18Pd">King's X</a>, <a href="/facts/Soundgarden/5WkKQKe7">Soundgarden</a>, and <a href="/facts/Melvins/rzT6S4lA">Melvins</a>, influenced by <a href="/facts/Led_Zeppelin/fwP2oGAU">Led Zeppelin</a> and <a href="/facts/Black_Sabbath/JP6lFHz8">Black Sabbath</a>, made extensive use of drop D tuning.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> While playing <a href="/facts/Power_Chord/0y7dpoNG">power chords</a> (a chord that includes the prime, fifth and octave) in standard tuning requires a player to use two or three fingers, drop D tuning needs just one, similar in technique to playing <a href="/facts/Barre_chord/hpVpXTgN">barre chords</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> It allowed them to use different methods of articulating power chords (<a href="/facts/Legato/XK9Va75K">legato</a> for example) and more importantly, it allowed guitarists to change chords faster. This new technique of playing power chords introduced by these early <a href="/facts/Grunge/X7CbpRLF">grunge</a> bands was a great influence on many artists, such as <a href="/facts/Rage_Against_the_Machine/RuTcQHwg">Rage Against the Machine</a> and <a href="/facts/Tool_(band)/Jxujtp5K">Tool</a>. The same drop D tuning then became common practice among <a href="/facts/Alternative_metal/W2uS6Yoh">alternative metal</a> acts such as the band <a href="/facts/Helmet_(band)/5dN2d27K">Helmet</a>, who used the tuning a great deal throughout their career and would later influence many alternative metal and <a href="/facts/Nu_metal/7vNyq9rB">nu metal</a> bands.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> </p><p>Nu metal bands including <a href="/facts/Deftones/k1vC3AnW">Deftones</a> and <a href="/facts/Slipknot_(band)/9GLU8DKK">Slipknot</a> went one step further and decided to tune "drop" tuning even lower. By lowering the 6th string one whole step in lowered tunings they created a heavier and grittier sound. Lower tunings such as Drop D♭, used prior by groups such as <a href="/facts/Nirvana_(band)/LB38lBz8">Nirvana</a> and <a href="/facts/Alice_In_Chains/zVDqGhtp">Alice In Chains</a>, <a href="/facts/Drop_C_tuning/270cKpUT">Drop C</a>, <a href="/facts/Drop_B_tuning/nBYokHAq">Drop B</a>, Drop B♭, and <a href="/facts/Dropped_A_tuning/Y3RSJJJB">Drop A</a> were utilized. These tunings are very popular among <a href="/facts/Alternative_metal/W2uS6Yoh">Alternative metal</a>, <a href="/facts/Metalcore/aIBE8GeF">metalcore</a> and <a href="/facts/Deathcore/CvGruH54">deathcore</a> acts like <a href="/facts/Trivium_(band)/7eKvSxXH">Trivium</a>, <a href="/facts/Emmure/wyLDAdGu">Emmure</a>, <a href="/facts/Breaking_Benjamin/g695718e">Breaking Benjamin</a>, <a href="/facts/August_Burns_Red/GdfkMoYC">August Burns Red</a>, and <a href="/facts/Suicide_Silence/TCmLaPl2">Suicide Silence</a>, where fast chord changes are an essential part of the sound. <a href="/facts/Progressive_metal/8y6HIRpw">Progressive metal</a> acts such as <a href="/facts/Pain_of_Salvation/0J1cg05Q">Pain of Salvation</a>, <a href="/facts/Opeth/QdSVQnRt">Opeth</a>, <a href="/facts/Fates_Warning/CNoghkTN">Fates Warning</a>, and <a href="/facts/Dream_Theater/vQLcP09A">Dream Theater</a> use these tunings in some of their E-tuned songs. </p> <h2 id="chords-in-drop-d-tuning">Chords in drop D tuning</h2> <p><a href="/facts/Chord_(music)/hJBCHCSB">Chords</a> in drop D tuning are formed as they are in standard tuning, with the exception of the sixth string, which is either omitted or fretted one whole step higher: </p> <table><tbody><tr><th>Chord</th><th>Tab</th></tr><tr><th>A</th><td>x02220</td></tr><tr><th>Am</th><td>x02210</td></tr><tr><th>B</th><td>x24442</td></tr><tr><th>Bm</th><td>x24432</td></tr><tr><th>C</th><td>x32010</td></tr><tr><th>D</th><td>000232</td></tr><tr><th>Dm</th><td>000231</td></tr><tr><th>E</th><td>222100</td></tr><tr><th>Em</th><td>222000</td></tr><tr><th>F</th><td>333211</td></tr><tr><th>F♯</th><td>444322</td></tr><tr><th>F♯m</th><td>444222</td></tr><tr><th>G</th><td>520033</td></tr></tbody></table> <p>Note that these chords are not the power chords commonly played in drop D tuning. Power chords generally mute the higher notes rather than the lower notes. </p><p>For purposes of making the table easier to read, spaces are provided between each number when the fret number becomes a double digit. Additionally, the highest note in any 5th chord is an octave from the root note so it is not necessary to play it to achieve a 5th chord. </p> <table><tbody><tr><th>Chord</th><th colspan="2">Tabs</th></tr><tr><th>A5</th><td>777xxx</td><td>x022xx</td></tr><tr><th>B♭5</th><td>888xxx</td><td>x133xx</td></tr><tr><th>B5</th><td>999xxx</td><td>x244xx</td></tr><tr><th>C5</th><td>10 10 10xxx</td><td>x355xx</td></tr><tr><th>C♯5</th><td>11 11 11xxx</td><td>x466xx</td></tr><tr><th>D5</th><td>000xxx</td><td>x577xx</td></tr><tr><th>E♭5</th><td>111xxx</td><td>x688xx</td></tr><tr><th>E5</th><td>222xxx</td><td>x799xx</td></tr><tr><th>F5</th><td>333xxx</td><td>x8 10 10xx</td></tr><tr><th>F♯5</th><td>444xxx</td><td>x9 11 11xx</td></tr><tr><th>G5</th><td>555xxx</td><td>x10 12 12xx</td></tr><tr><th>G♯5</th><td>666xxx</td><td>x11 13 13xx</td></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="relation-to-other-tunings">Relation to other tunings</h2> <p>Drop D tuning is the most basic type of "drop 1" tuning, where the 6th string is tuned down a <a href="/facts/Whole_step/x94d53Fo">whole step</a> (a tone). A large number of other "drop 1" tunings can be obtained simply by tuning a guitar to drop D tuning and then tuning all strings down some fixed amount. Examples are Drop D♭, <a href="/facts/Drop_C_tuning/270cKpUT">Drop C</a>, <a href="/facts/Drop_B_tuning/nBYokHAq">Drop B</a>, Drop B♭, and <a href="/facts/Dropped_A_tuning/Y3RSJJJB">Drop A</a> tunings. All of these use the same fingerings as for drop D tuning. </p> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="http://www.guitarchordsmagic.com/drop-d-tuning.html">Drop D Tuning</a> - Song Examples</li> <li><a href="http://www.guitarplayer.com/article/tyrannosaurus-x/Jan-06/17064">Tyrannosaurus X</a> - <a href="/facts/Guitar_Player/kWFcmgyx">Guitar Player</a>'s Vincent DeMasi interviews <a href="/facts/Ty_Tabor/zDRsVpXb">Ty Tabor</a> about dropped tunings</li> <li><a href="http://www.fretjam.com/drop-tuning.html">Online Tuners for Drop D, C and B</a> - Drop tuning audio references</li> <li><a href="http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/lessons/for_beginners/drop_d_-_tuning_and_basic_chords.html">Ultimate-Guitar</a> - Drop D-Tuning and Basic Chords</li> <li><a href="http://music.stackexchange.com/questions/1363/why-is-dropped-d-tuning-used-so-often">Music Stackexchange</a> - Why Is Dropped D Tuning Used So Often?</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"How to tune to Drop D." Justinguitar.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018. <a href="https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/drop-d-tuning-es-021" target="_blank">https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/drop-d-tuning-es-021</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"What is Drop D tuning for acoustic guitar? – Guitar Reviewed". guitarreviewed.com. Retrieved 2023-03-27. <a href="https://guitarreviewed.com/posts/fd8f319c6316b34700346aacce1829c6/" target="_blank">https://guitarreviewed.com/posts/fd8f319c6316b34700346aacce1829c6/</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Ben Long. "Drop D Tuning". Archived from the original on 10 November 2017. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171110203418/http://www.123guitartuner.com/DropDTuning.php" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20171110203418/http://www.123guitartuner.com/DropDTuning.php</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Teraz Rock (November 2010). "Soundgarden Na 12 Stronach!". Archived from the original on 2013-06-21. Retrieved 2013-06-23. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130621192543/http://www.terazrock.pl/" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20130621192543/http://www.terazrock.pl/</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>MrHardguitar (13 April 2012). "What Is Drop D Tuning Guitar Lesson (how to Tune Guitar to Drop D Tutorial)". YouTube. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmpGYSwN3Kk" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmpGYSwN3Kk</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Tolinski, Brad (September 1994). "Heavy Mental - Interview". Blue Cricket Media. <a href="http://www.bluecricket.com/helmet/interviews/gw994.html" target="_blank">http://www.bluecricket.com/helmet/interviews/gw994.html</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>"Guitar Teacher guide". 6 August 2019. Archived from the original on 20 April 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2021. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200420112145/https://www.theguitardojo.com.au/" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20200420112145/https://www.theguitardojo.com.au/</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>