Only one string moves
From standard tuning, Drop D changes exactly one thing: the 6th string comes down a whole step, from E2 to D2. That’s two frets’ worth of pitch, which is far enough that you’ll hear it clearly and feel the string go slack under your thumb. Compare the two tunings below — the highlighted row is the only difference.
- E26th string82.41 Hz
- A25th string110.00 Hz
- D34th string146.83 Hz
- G33rd string196.00 Hz
- B32nd string246.94 Hz
- E41st string329.63 Hz
Flip between the tabs and play the 6th string in each — that whole-step drop is the entire tuning.
How to get there in 30 seconds
- Start the tuner above and pluck your open 6th string. The dial should read E — that’s where you’re starting.
- Turn the 6th-string tuning peg to lower the pitch. Keep plucking as you go: the dial will walk down through D♯ and land on D. Watch the letter, not just the needle — it’s easy to sail past D and end up at C♯.
- Center the needle on D until the chip turns green. If you overshot, come back up to the note from below — a string tuned upward to pitch holds better than one tuned down to it.
- Cross-check with the 4th string. Your 4th string is D3 — one octave above the new D2. Play them together; they should ring like one fat note. If it sounds like two arguing notes, the 6th isn’t there yet.
Why players love it
The dropped string turns the bottom three strings into a one-finger power chord — barre any fret across strings 6–5–4 and you get root, fifth and octave. That single fact powers most of the tuning’s reputation in rock and metal: riffs move as fast as one finger can slide. Foo Fighters’ “Everlong” and Nirvana’s “Heart-Shaped Box” live here, and on the other end of the spectrum, Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon” uses the same low D as a warm folk drone.
The other gift is range: you gain two extra semitones below standard — D and E♭ — so drop-D songs can growl below a standard-tuned guitar without changing anything else about how the instrument plays. Chords that don’t touch the 6th string (D, A, C, G in most voicings) work exactly as before; only 6th-string shapes like the open E and G chords need rethinking.
For the full comparison — including how chord shapes translate and when Drop D is the wrong tool — read our guide to standard tuning vs Drop D.
Frequently asked questions
Will Drop D damage my guitar or strings?
No — you’re reducing tension, which guitars tolerate happily. The only side effect is playability: the slacker 6th string buzzes a little more easily if you dig in, and its intonation gets slightly approximate high up the neck. Both come with the territory and vanish when you tune back up.
Why does my 6th string keep drifting after I drop it?
Two reasons. Fresh slack has to work its way through the nut — bend the string gently or play for a minute, then re-check. And if you tuned down to D and stopped there, the string tends to keep creeping flat; dip slightly below D and tune up into it instead. If it still won’t sit, see why your guitar won’t stay in tune.
Drop D or DADGAD — which should I learn?
Drop D if you want your existing chords and riffs, plus a heavier bottom; it changes almost nothing about how the guitar plays. DADGAD is a deeper commitment — three strings move and familiar shapes stop working — but it rewards you with drones and open voicings Drop D can’t reach. Heavier still is Drop C, the same shape a whole step lower.