Standard tuning isn't the only option, and plenty of well-known folk, blues and rock guitarists built entire songs, and in some cases entire careers, around alternate tunings. Drop D is the most common starting point, but it's worth understanding the wider world of alternate tunings too.

What is Drop D?

Drop D simply lowers your low E string down a whole step to D, giving you D-A-D-G-B-E instead of standard E-A-D-G-B-E. Everything else stays the same. You can get there with an electronic tuner set to D, or by ear, matching your open low E string to the D note played on the 4th string (D string), an octave lower.

Why players use it

The main appeal is that barring a single finger straight across the bottom three strings gives you an instant power chord, which makes big, heavy chord shapes far easier to play and lets you slide that same shape up and down the neck. It also deepens the low end and adds a natural drone quality that suits a lot of folk and roots playing particularly well.

A quick setup note

Dropping the low E to D reduces that string's tension by roughly 20 to 25%, which can leave it feeling noticeably looser and buzzier than the rest. If you play in Drop D regularly, it's worth talking to us about a slightly heavier low E, or a full alternate-tuning string set, rather than just leaving a slack, standard-gauge string to do the job.

Other common alternate tunings

• Open D (D-A-D-F#-A-D): Strumming the open strings gives you a full D major chord, which is a favourite for slide and bottleneck blues playing.
• Open G (D-G-D-G-B-D): Another open-chord tuning, closely associated with a lot of classic blues and roots rock playing.
• DADGAD: A modal tuning that doesn't sit neatly on a single major or minor chord, widely used in Celtic and contemporary folk fingerstyle playing for its open, droning character.

Things to keep in mind

Switching tunings changes the tension and feel across the whole guitar, not just the strings you've retuned, so your action and intonation can shift slightly. If you're regularly swapping between standard and an alternate tuning, it's worth having a second guitar set up specifically for that tuning if you can, since constantly changing tunings on one instrument puts more strain on it and makes staying properly set up harder.

Give it a try

Alternate tunings are a genuinely fun way to find new sounds and ideas on an instrument you already know well. Drop D is the easiest place to start, and from there it's worth exploring further, especially if you're drawn to the folk, blues and roots players who built so much of their sound around open and modal tunings.