Music Theory Tools

Guitar tuning

Open E Tuning

Open E tunes the open strings to an E major chord and is strongly associated with slide guitar.

Notes low to high
EBEG#BE
Strings
6
Default frets
24
Open pitch range
E2 to E4
24-fret pitch range
E2 to E6
Also called
EBEG#BE

Common uses

Open this tuning in the fretboard tool

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

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

Scale diagrams in this tuning

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

Arpeggio diagrams in this tuning

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