Drop D Tuning | Nirvana: All Apologies (original) (raw)
Drop D tuning (aka drop tuning or slack key) is one of the easiest alternative guitar tunings because only the lowest string is different from the standard guitar tuning. The drop D tuning is very popular in metal because it makes it a lot easier to play power chords. It is also popular in other guitar styles like rock, folk and country.
To D tune your guitar, all we need to do is retune the 6th string from E to D:
You can do this with a guitar tuner or by ear:
- Tune your guitar in standard tuning.
- Play the 4th (D string) and 6th string together and turn the tuning key of the E string counter clockwise until you are 1 step lower. Then go a bit below the pitch and tune up to match the 4th string (1 octave difference). It's important to go a bit below the pitch and tune up, it prevents the string from slipping out of tune.
- Tune the other strings again, it might be that they are out of tune because of the drop d tuning.
In drop D tuning it's very easy to play power chords. Just bar your index fingers across the 3 lowest strings and you have got a power chord. This is for example an F power chord (F5):
Drop d tuning also makes it possible to add a nice deep bass to D chords:
Other common chords that have their root on the E string change as well. E chords are different in drop d tuning compared to standard tuning:
Bar chords change as well, here's an F bar chord for example:
An open G is difficult to play in drop D tuning.
Here's a list of songs in drop d tuning:
- Dear Prudence - The Beatles
- The Chain - Fleetwood Mac
- Ohio - Neil Young
- Harvest Moon - Neil Young
- All Apologies - Nirvana
- Something in the Way - Nirvana
- Moby Dick - Led Zeppelin
- Kashmir - Led Zeppelin
- Higher - Creed
- Everlong - Foo Fighters
- Black Balloon - Goo Goo Dolls
- I Miss You - Incubus
- Cold - Crossfade
- Grand Theft Autumn - Fallout Boy
- Meant to Live - Switchfoot
- So Cold - Breaking Benjamin
- Sludge Factory - Alice in Chains
- Vermilion Part 2 - Slipknot
- Grace - Jeff Buckley
- Black Hole Sun - Soundgarden
- The End - The Doors
I'll give you some examples of songs with an open d tuning. Here are the guitar tabs for All Apologies by Nirvana. Play the video if you don't remember how the song goes. Kurt Cobain's guitar is tuned a half step lower compared to standard drop d tuning, so don't be alarmed if you sound out of tune with the video.
Here's another great song with drop d tuning, Moby Dick by Led Zeppelin (with video):
Related Article: 5 Tips and Trick For D Chords
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