Drop D Tuning Guitar Lesson

Chapter 1: (00:30) Musical Introduction Jim kicks off lesson 22 with Tommy Emmanuel's fingerstyle arrangement of "Old Fashioned Love Song" by Three Dog Night. This particular arrangement is played in an alternate tuning called "drop D" tuning. How does this tuning effect the overall sound of the arrangement? Chapter 2: (07:37) Intro to Drop D Tuning Jim explains one of the most commonly used alternate tunings. This tuning is referred to as "drop D." In this tuning, the pitch of the low sixth string is dropped a full step down to the note D. Drop D has a wide variety of applications that are used in almost all styles of music. Jim provides an introduction to the possibilities that drop D tuning provides.

Tuning to Drop D

1. When tuning to Drop D, first tune your guitar to standard tuning. Within standard tuning, the open strings are tuned as follows:

6th string: E
5th string: A
4th string: D
3rd string: G
2nd string: B
1st string: E

Make sure your guitar is perfectly in tune with Jim's before proceeding to the next step.

2. Tune the sixth string down to the note D. This step can be accomplished by three different methods. Experiment with all three methods to determine which yields the best results for you. Most guitarists begin with one method. Then, a second method is used to check tuning accuracy.

A. Method 1

Match the pitch of the open sixth string to the open fourth string. Remember that the open fourth string produces the note D.

B. Method 2

Match the pitch of the note played at the 7th fret of the sixth string to the pitch of the open A string.

C. Method 3

Match the harmonic played at the 12th fret of the sixth string to the harmonic played at the same fret of the fourth string. The harmonic at the 12th fret of the fourth string produces the note D. This method tends to yield the best results for most players.

Chord Shapes in Drop D

Typically, most pieces in drop D tuning are played in either the key of D major or D minor. When playing in this tuning, the fingering for many chords must be altered due to the tuning of the sixth string. Jim explains the adjustments that are made to the I, IV, and V chords in D major. Respectively, these chords are D, G, and A.

D Major

The D major chord that you have learned in past lessons utilizes four strings. However, this chord can be played with all six strings in Drop D tuning. This is possible since the lowest string is now tuned to D, the root of the chord. The open fifth string produces the pitch A. This note is the fifth of a D major chord.

G Major

When playing a G major chord in drop D tuning, some fingering adjustments need to be made. In standard tuning, the root note is fretted on the 3rd fret of the sixth string. In drop D tuning however, this fretboard location now produces the note F. As a result, the root note must be played two frets higher.

Use the third finger to fret the root note of the chord. Fret the high root note on the first string with the first finger. Since it is almost impossible to fret the B note on the fifth string, lightly mute the fifth string with the third finger. Consequently, the third of the chord is no longer doubled.

The pinkie can also be used to fret the low root note. This enables the other fingers to play melody notes lower on the fretboard. Chapter 3: (03:41) Drop D Chords A Major and A7

The V chord in the key of D major can either be played as an A major triad or an A dominant seventh chord (A7). The voicings for these chord remain unchanged in Drop D. However, if you apply an alternating bass line to either of these chords, some adjustments must be made. The fifth of the chord, E, is played at the 2nd fret of the sixth string. In standard tuning, this location produces the note F#. In drop D however, this note is now E. The E note can either be fretted by bringing the thumb over the top of the neck or by simply using the first finger. If you choose to fret this note with the first finger when playing an A major triad, the second, third, and fourth fingers must fret the remaining notes in the chord.

C Major

When playing the open C chord, Jim typically omits the lowest string. If you desire a six string sound with this chord, you can bring the thumb over the fretboard to play the note E. This changes the lowest note to the third of the chord. Consequently, this chord now becomes C/E.

E Major

Many players use the thumb to fret the low root note. In drop D tuning, E is located at the 2nd fret of the sixth string. Other players prefer to use the second finger to fret this note. Consequently, the third and fourth fingers must be used to fret the notes B and E on the fifth and fourth strings. Chapter 4: (07:35) Playing in Drop D Once you have mastered the chord fingerings that Jim explained in the previous lesson, it is time to start playing some chord progressions in drop D. Apply an alternating bass line to a I IV and V progression in the key of D Major. Remember to alternate between the root and fifth of each chord.

At 02:30, Jim demonstrates another common chord progression in D major. This progression features the I, bVII, and IV chords. Respectively, these chords are D, C, and G. Notice how he plays the G chord with B as the lowest note. This produces a G/B chord.

Note: Tablature and notation to these progressions can be found under the "Supplemental Content" tab. Chapter 5: (05:59 ) Alternate Chords and More Drop D Advantages of Drop D

1. Expanded Range

The range of the guitar is expanded into a lower register when drop D tuning is applied. This allows you to play bass lines such that are not possible in standard tuning. Jim provides an example of such a bass line at 03:30 in the lesson video. Countless Elvis Presley songs feature this bass line.

2. Chord Voicings

A variety of new chord voicings can be played in this tuning. For example, Jim demonstrates two new voicings for a D major chord. The three lowest strings are played open in both chord grips. The first version he demonstrates is played in fifth position. The second version is played in tenth position. The combination of low open strings and high fretted notes gives these chords a very bold sound.

Note: Fretboard diagrams of all of the chords discussed in this lesson can be found under the "Supplemental Content" tab.

3. Power Chords

Power chords become much easier to play in Drop D tuning. A power chord can be formed by barring the first finger across the sixth, fifth, and fourth strings. This basic chord shape can be transposed anywhere on the fretboard. Jim plays the main riff from Heart's "Barracuda" to illustrate this concept.

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