Alternative tuning
Drop C tuning
C G C F A D
Drop C is Drop D with the whole guitar another whole tone lower: C G C F A D. It gives you the heaviest sound of these six tunings, and it's the only one where the guitar itself needs something — on light strings it turns into a floppy mess.
Tune to Drop C now
Tuning
—
Play a string — reference tone
Pluck one string at a time. Mic stream stays in your browser.
The tuner is already set to Drop C. Play one open string at a time; the needle tells you what to do.
What changes compared to standard
| String | From | To | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | E | C | 4 semitones down |
| 5 | A | G | 2 semitones down |
| 4 | D | C | 2 semitones down |
| 3 | G | F | 2 semitones down |
| 2 | B | A | 2 semitones down |
| 1 | E | D | 2 semitones down |
What is this tuning for?
This is metalcore, nu metal and modern hard rock territory. The low C gives riffs a thud you simply can't get in standard, and because the intervals match Drop D, everything you know there transfers straight over — just two tones lower.
What gets easier
Just like Drop D you play a power chord with one finger flat across strings 6, 5 and 4. Fret 0 is now C5 instead of D5, and everything else shifts two frets from Drop D.
How to get there, step by step
- 1
First drop the whole guitar a whole tone
From E A D G B E to D G C F A D. Work thick to thin, and expect to start over halfway — a lot of tension comes off the neck.
- 2
Drop the thickest string one more tone
From D to C. Pick Drop C in the tuner above and it will show all six target notes for you — no mental arithmetic.
- 3
Go round twice
Six strings dropping this far means a neck that visibly flexes back. One pass is never enough; two usually is.
Back to standard tuning
Going back to standard runs the same way in reverse: low string from C to D first, then everything up a whole tone. Again: two passes.
What to watch out for
This is the one tuning here where your strings really matter. Below .011–.052 (or at least a heavier low E) the string goes so slack it slaps the frets and sounds sharp the moment you pick it.
Moving from light to heavy strings usually means the guitar needs a setup (truss rod, action, intonation). That's normal work for a tech, not a fault.
Don't flip between standard and Drop C every day. You can, but the guitar never settles — a second guitar, or picking one and staying there, works better.
Well-known songs in Drop C
Chop Suey! — System of a Down
From Toxicity, an album almost entirely in Drop C — the textbook example of this tuning.
Tears Don't Fall — Bullet for My Valentine
Metalcore leans hard on Drop C: heavy riffs down low, melody on the thin strings.
If a tab doesn't state a tuning, assume it's in standard tuning.
Frequently asked questions about Drop C
What's the difference between Drop C and Drop D?
The intervals are identical; Drop C is simply the whole thing a tone lower. Anything you play in Drop D sounds two tones lower in Drop C with the same shapes.Which strings do I need for Drop C?
At least .011–.052 on an electric with a normal scale length. On .009 or .010 the low C in particular goes so slack that it rattles and won't stay in tune.Does Drop C work on an acoustic?
It can be done, but it rarely sounds good: the tension is too low to drive the top, so you lose volume and definition. Drop D is the better acoustic choice.
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Other tunings
Drop DD A D G B E
Only the low E goes to D — one finger for a power chord.
Half step down (E♭)E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭
Everything one fret down — same shapes, darker sound.
DADGADD A D G A D
Three strings down — open, floating folk sound.
Open GD G D G B D
Open strings = a G chord. The slide and Keith Richards tuning.