What is Drop D tuning?

The same as standard tuning, with only the low E string a whole tone lower: D A D G B E. Five of the six strings stay exactly where they were.

Is Drop D bad for my guitar?

No. One string a whole tone lower changes the tension so little that your neck won't notice. Switch back and forth as often as you like.

Can I fake Drop D with a capo?

No. A capo shortens strings and raises the pitch; Drop D goes down. What does work: a capo on fret 2 in Drop D gives you the same shapes in E.

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Alternative tuning

Drop D tuning

D A D G B E

Drop D is the smallest step outside standard tuning: only your low E string drops a whole tone to D. The other five stay put, so all your familiar chords still work — you just gain a deeper bass note and a one-finger power chord.

Tune to Drop D now

Tuning

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Play a string — reference tone

Pluck one string at a time. Mic stream stays in your browser.

The tuner is already set to Drop D. 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	D	2 semitones down
5	A	A	unchanged
4	D	D	unchanged
3	G	G	unchanged
2	B	B	unchanged
1	E	E	unchanged

What is this tuning for?

Drop D sounds heavier and fuller than standard without asking you to unlearn anything. Rock, metal, grunge and singer-songwriter folk all use it — the first two for the low D droning under a riff, the last because D gives you an open, ringing sound you can't get in standard.

What gets easier

The big win: on the three thickest strings you make a power chord with one finger, laid flat across strings 6, 5 and 4. Fret 0 = D5, fret 3 = F5, fret 5 = G5, fret 7 = A5. Riffs that take three fingers and a stretch in standard now take one — and your pinky stays free.

How to get there, step by step

1
Start from standard tuning
Get the guitar fully in tune in E A D G B E first. If something slips later, you know it's that one string.
2
Drop the low E to D
Pick Drop D in the tuner above and play your low string open. Slowly loosen the tuning peg until the tuner reads D2 — exactly one whole tone (two frets) lower.
3
Check it by ear
Play your open D string (string 4), then the low string open. It should be the exact same note, two octaves lower. If they ring cleanly together, you're there.
4
Retune, then retune again
Lower tension on the neck can nudge the other strings slightly. Run through them — usually it's a few cents, sometimes just audible.

Back to standard tuning

Back to standard: pick Standard in the tuner and raise the low string back to E2. Check without a tuner: fret 5 on the low string should match your open A string.

What to watch out for

Your chord shapes don't change, but the low string no longer fits an E or G shape. Skip it, or grab it two frets higher than usual.

A six-string barre chord no longer works in Drop D. Barre only strings 5 through 1, or put your index finger two frets higher on the low string.

The low string is slacker and rattles against the frets more easily. Pick it a bit softer, or move to a slightly heavier string gauge if you play Drop D a lot.

Well-known songs in Drop D

Everlong — Foo Fighters
The best-known Drop D song to start with: the intro leans entirely on the open D strings.
Killing in the Name — Rage Against the Machine
The riff is almost entirely that one-finger power chord on the three thickest strings.
Dear Prudence — The Beatles
Proof that Drop D isn't about heaviness: fingerpicking over a low D that keeps ringing.

If a tab doesn't state a tuning, assume it's in standard tuning.

Frequently asked questions about Drop D

What is Drop D tuning?
The same as standard tuning, with only the low E string a whole tone lower: D A D G B E. Five of the six strings stay exactly where they were.
Is Drop D bad for my guitar?
No. One string a whole tone lower changes the tension so little that your neck won't notice. Switch back and forth as often as you like.
Can I fake Drop D with a capo?
No. A capo shortens strings and raises the pitch; Drop D goes down. What does work: a capo on fret 2 in Drop D gives you the same shapes in E.

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Other tunings

Half step down (E♭)E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭

Everything one fret down — same shapes, darker sound.

Drop CC G C F A D

The heaviest of the six — but it wants heavier strings.

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.