When looking for songs in drop C# tuning, you'll often find lists that include recordings a half step off. Each pick here was double-checked against at least two tab sources. There are 14 songs, with difficulty ratings, riffs described in words, and five easier picks to start with. It's written for anyone who can already hold a power chord.
Get ready to play by tuning to C# G# C# F# A# D# with the Drop C# guitar tuner. Choose a row once the open strings are in tune.
Drop C# tuning, Drop Db, and Drop D a half step down
The notes of Drop C# are C# G# C# F# A# D#, from the lowest string to the highest. Write those same pitches with flats and you get Db Ab Db Gb Bb Eb; that's where the name drop Db comes from. Compared with Drop D, every string is a semitone lower. Compared with Drop C, every string is a semitone higher. Five strings also match Eb standard, but the sixth is C# here rather than D#. The Drop C# tuning guide has the full note and frequency chart.
C# standard uses a different setup: C# F# B E G# C#. Before following a tab, read its second note. G# belongs to Drop C#; F# belongs to C# standard.
The labels are where things get confusing. Some tabs call this Drop D with every string lowered a half step. Others say Drop Db, Drop C#, or just "half step down". The first three can describe the same notes, but the last label alone doesn't tell you whether the sixth string is dropped. So the name on the tab and the notes on your strings can disagree with each other. And both can disagree with the record. If a tab says Drop D and your open strings sound a semitone sharp against the recording, lower all six one more half step. The fret numbers stay as printed.
That's also why a few famous tracks are missing. For Lifehouse's Hanging by a Moment and Paramore's Decode the big tab sources disagree about the tuning, and I'd rather leave a song out than guess.
Drop C sharp songs by vibe and difficulty
Levels are my own judgment, from 1 (a few slow chords) to 5 (fast and sustained). Fret numbers assume Drop C# with string 6 as the lowest. Songsterr's Heart-Shaped Box chart is set to Drop C# if you want a tab to follow along with.
| Vibe | Song, artist | Level | Core riff or chord movement | Why the tuning matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy first | Hero, Skillet | 2 | Low-string verse riff (frets 2, 4, 5, 7); chorus power chords at the open strings, 2nd and 5th frets | The chorus gets its low C#5 from the open strings. |
| Easy first | Remedy, Seether | 2 | Stop-start power chords on strings 6-5-4 at the 2nd fret, open strings and 5th fret | One barre shape moves through the whole riff. |
| Easy first | Lying from You, Linkin Park | 2 | Power chords between the open strings and frets 1 to 3, then a jump to the 6th | Open C#5 is home base for every move. |
| Easy first | Hail to the King, Avenged Sevenfold | 2 (rhythm part) | Verse power chords up the 2nd, 4th and 5th frets | Same shapes as Drop D, a semitone lower. |
| Easy first | Heart-Shaped Box, Nirvana | 2 | Open C#5, a 3rd-fret barre for E5, and G#5 from the open fifth string plus the 2nd fret on strings 4 and 3 | Wikipedia's chord names for the verse (Ab5, Fb5, Db5) are G#5, E5 and C#5 here. |
| Grunge | All Apologies, Nirvana | 2 | Pick frets 9, 10, and 12 on string 5 while leaving the low string open | Let the low C#2 ring beneath the picked notes. |
| Grunge | Them Bones, Alice in Chains | 3 | Start open and climb to fret 3 with C#5, D5, D#5, and E5 power chords; count in 7/8 | Heartwood Guitar calls the tuning Drop D lowered half a step. |
| Grunge | Dam That River, Alice in Chains | 3 | Power chords sliding from the 3rd fret to the 7th and back | Open C#5 punctuates the climb. |
| Dark alt-rock | Lonely Day, System of a Down | 3 | A picked chord loop on strings 6 to 2, with the bass note moving G#, E, B, D# | Open strings ring through the changes. |
| Dark alt-rock | Metalingus, Alter Bridge | 3 | Power chords at the 5th and 2nd frets and open, plus an E5 at the 3rd | Line 6's tone template lists Drop Db. |
| Heavy metal | B.Y.O.B., System of a Down | 4 | Jump quickly from the open low string to fret 7 for G# and fret 8 for A | Return to the open pedal note between jumps. |
| Heavy metal | In Waves, Trivium | 3 | Chug the open low string, then add the octave at fret 12 and the note at fret 10 | Keep the low C# as the riff's anchor. |
| Heavy metal | Strife, Trivium | 3 | Alternate open C#5 chords with short licks on strings 5 and 4 | The open power chord supplies the low end between licks. |
| Heavy metal | Almost Easy, Avenged Sevenfold | 4 | Chug quickly on the open low strings and add two-string stabs on strings 5 and 4 | Check the recording when a tab says Drop D; that label can put you a semitone too high. |
Songsterr's most-viewed tab and the highest-voted labeled Ultimate Guitar tabs name the same tuning for every song above, and Andy Guitar's Heart-Shaped Box lesson says Drop C# as well.
Them Bones taught me to read the time signature before the notes. I counted it in four, fell off the loop every second bar, and only the 7/8 marking on the chart set me straight.
Easy drop C# songs to learn first
Five rows above stay down on the thick strings, with barre shapes or a single-string riff, which makes them good first songs. Start with Hero (the rhythm part). Play its verse on the low C# string. For the chorus, use the open strings and move one barre to frets 2 and 5.
- Hero. Single-string verse, then the barre.
- Remedy, for the same three positions in a stop-start rhythm.
- Lying from You. Adds the 1st and 3rd frets and one stretch up to the 6th.
- Hail to the King, verse only. Skip the lead lines for now.
- Heart-Shaped Box, last. I suspect it sits too high on most beginner lists (a hunch, nothing more), and the 3rd-fret barre is where the soft pad of the index finger near the first knuckle complains first.
Drop C# vs Drop C vs Drop D
| Drop D | Drop C# | Drop C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low string | D2, 73.4 Hz | C#2, 69.3 Hz | C2, 65.4 Hz |
| Every string vs Drop D | baseline | 1 semitone lower | 2 semitones lower |
| Tension on the same strings | baseline | about 11% lower | about 21% lower |
| Genre fit (my read) | hard rock, grunge, punk | alt-rock, nu-metal, modern metal | heavier metal, metalcore |
| Setup effort (my read) | low | low to medium | medium to high |
The percentages come from the physics of a fixed string, where tension rises with the square of the pitch. Fingerings are identical in all three, so a riff learned in Drop D moves straight over. The Drop C vs Drop D comparison and the Drop C guide cover the lower end.
String and setup notes
Try the tuning on the strings you own before buying anything. If the low C# flaps or buzzes when you pick firmly, try a heavier low string. The tuning guide suggests 11-52 to 11-54 as starting sets on a 25.5-inch scale and explains the adjustment order. A ping from the sixth string while tuning can mean the nut slot is pinching it. Have a technician check the slot rather than forcing the string through.
How to practice a Drop C# riff
Barre strings 6-5-4 only, and let the underside of your index finger touch the higher strings so they stay quiet. For palm muting, rest the edge of picking hand on the bridge saddles and slide it until the low note is short but still has a pitch.. that spot took me longest to hear.
Loop one riff, two bars at a time. Start around 70 BPM (my suggestion, nothing official) and add 5 BPM after four clean passes in a row. Four clean passes at 70 is a good day's work, so be glad of it. Songs with full chords, such as Lonely Day, are easier with the chord library open beside you.
FAQ about drop C# songs
Is Drop C# lower than Drop C?
No. C# is a half step up from C. Each string in Drop C# is therefore one semitone higher than in Drop C, with roughly 12% more tension if you keep the same strings and scale length.
Can I play Drop C# on a standard guitar?
Yes. Starting in standard tuning, lower all six strings a half step, then lower the sixth another whole step to C#. A regular electric with a 10-46 set can handle it, though the low string will feel looser. Try a heavier one if it flaps or buzzes.
Are Drop C# songs and Drop Db songs the same thing?
Yes. C# and Db name the same pitch. A tab marked Drop Db should show Db Ab Db Gb Bb Eb: the same tuning, written with flats.
What if the tab says Drop D but the record sounds lower?
If you're already in Drop D and a semitone sharp against the record, lower every string another half step. You're now in Drop C#, and the tab's fret numbers still work.
Start with one riff
To start, tune to C# G# C# F# A# D# and set the metronome to 70 BPM. Play the Hero verse riff on the low string. Get through four clean repetitions before adding the chorus.
