Beyond EADGBE
Alternate tunings
Drop D moves one string. Half-step down moves all six and keeps every shape. Open G is a G major chord at the nut. DADGAD leaves you a suspended D and a B string that is no longer B. Each page lists the frequencies and what changes under your fingers.
Tools in this section
Drop D tuner
Tune drop D properly: only the low E moves to D2 at 73.42 Hz. A, D, G, B and high E stay at standard pitch so familiar chords survive.
Half-step down tuner
Tune every string down one semitone: Eb2 77.78, Ab2 103.83, Db3 138.59, Gb3 185, Bb3 233.08, Eb4 311.13 Hz. Shapes stay, the key drops.
Open G tuner
Open G is a G major chord on the open strings: D2 73.42, G2 98, D3 146.83, G3 196, B3 246.94, D4 293.66 Hz. Low E, A and high E move.
DADGAD tuner
DADGAD keeps A, D and G, and retunes the outside strings: low E to D2 73.42, B to A3 220, high E to D4 293.66 Hz. The open strings imply Dsus4.
Pick the tuning for the song
Use drop D when the riff wants a low D and the rest of the chords can stay. Use half-step down when the singer needs a semitone, not a new chord book. Use open G for slide and one-finger major chords. Use DADGAD when you want drones more than barre-chord habits. Tuning back to standard is a separate pass on the main tuner.
Pitch and tension are linked
The same gauge at a lower pitch pulls less. That can feel easy or it can buzz on the first frets. The tension calculator estimates the change from published unit weights. It does not measure your truss rod.
Questions
- Do I need a new string set?
- Not automatically. A half-step or a single dropped string is often fine on a regular set. Heavier drops are where players usually step up a gauge. Compare the numbers before you buy.
- Will these pages retune the guitar for me?
- No. They listen and show targets. You still turn the pegs.