Music Theory Tools

Guitar tuning

Open C Tuning

Open C tunes the open strings to a C major chord with a wide, ringing low-to-high spread.

Notes low to high
CGCGCE
Strings
6
Default frets
24
Open pitch range
C2 to E4
24-fret pitch range
C2 to E6
Also called
CGCGCE

Common uses

Open this tuning in the fretboard tool

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

Open in interactive fretboard
C Major (Ionian) Guitar Scale matches the open major chord center C Major Pentatonic Guitar Scale simple major vocabulary over the open chord C Mixolydian Guitar Scale dominant slide and blues color C Major Blues Guitar Scale major blues phrasing around the open chord

Scale diagrams in this tuning

C Major (Ionian) Guitar Scale Open C Tuning C Major Pentatonic Guitar Scale Open C Tuning C Mixolydian Guitar Scale Open C Tuning C Major Blues Guitar Scale Open C Tuning
C Major Guitar Arpeggio matches the open major-chord center C Dominant 7 Guitar Arpeggio dominant slide and blues color C Major 7 Guitar Arpeggio major seventh color over the open chord C Minor Guitar Arpeggio minor-triad contrast against the open tuning

Arpeggio diagrams in this tuning

C Major Guitar Arpeggio Open C Tuning C Dominant 7 Guitar Arpeggio Open C Tuning C Major 7 Guitar Arpeggio Open C Tuning C Minor Guitar Arpeggio Open C Tuning