Music Theory Tools

Guitar tuning

Drop D Tuning

Drop D lowers the sixth string to D while the other five strings stay in standard tuning.

Notes low to high
DADGBE
Strings
6
Default frets
24
Open pitch range
D2 to E4
24-fret pitch range
D2 to E6
Also called
DADGBE

Common uses

Open this tuning in the fretboard tool

Start with drop d tuning loaded, then adjust root, scale, fret count, labels, colors, and orientation.

Open in interactive fretboard
D Minor Pentatonic Guitar Scale common riff and lead vocabulary for drop tunings D Minor Blues Guitar Scale heavier blues-rock phrasing D Natural Minor (Aeolian) Guitar Scale minor-key rhythm and lead reference D Phrygian Guitar Scale dark minor color for low-tuned riffs

Scale diagrams in this tuning

D Minor Pentatonic Guitar Scale Drop D Tuning D Minor Blues Guitar Scale Drop D Tuning D Natural Minor (Aeolian) Guitar Scale Drop D Tuning D Phrygian Guitar Scale Drop D Tuning
D Minor Guitar Arpeggio minor-triad outline for drop-tuned riffs D Minor 7 Guitar Arpeggio minor seventh vocabulary for lower tunings D Diminished Guitar Arpeggio flat-fifth color for heavier progressions D Minor 7 Flat 5 Guitar Arpeggio half-diminished color around the low root

Arpeggio diagrams in this tuning

D Minor Guitar Arpeggio Drop D Tuning D Minor 7 Guitar Arpeggio Drop D Tuning D Diminished Guitar Arpeggio Drop D Tuning D Minor 7 Flat 5 Guitar Arpeggio Drop D Tuning