Tunings/Guitar/Double Drop D (D A D G B D)
Guitar TuningBeginner

Double Drop D (D A D G B D)

drop6 strings440 Hz

Detected

--
Ready to tune

Target

D2

73.4 Hz

Select String

6D273 Hz
Play
5A2110 Hz
Play
4D3147 Hz
Play
3G3196 Hz
Play
2B3247 Hz
Play
1D4294 Hz
Play

Ready to tune?

Click "Start Listening" and select a string to tune. Auto-detect is assist-only and works best when the string is already close to pitch.

Drop tunings lower the lowest string (and sometimes others) to create a heavier, darker sound. Drop D is the most popular: you lower the 6th string from E to D, making power chords playable with a single finger barre across the bottom two or three strings. This enables faster riff playing and gives you a deeper bass note for heavy palm-muted sections. Drop C, Drop B, and Drop A go even lower for extreme metal styles.

Note Layout

6String 6
D2
5String 5
A2
4String 4
D3
3String 3
G3
2String 2
B3
1String 1
D4

Notation

D2 A2 D3 G3 B3 D4

How to Tune

1

Click "Start Listening"

Allow microphone access when prompted.

2

Play Each String

Auto-detect will find the string, or click to select manually.

3

Adjust Until Green

Center the needle and watch for the green "In Tune" indicator.

Tips for Drop tunings

Power chords become one-finger shapes across the bottom strings

Consider using slightly heavier gauge strings for better tension

Great for riff-heavy music and palm muting

Drop D only changes one string, so most chord shapes still work

String gauge tip

For drop tunings, consider using slightly heavier strings (.011-.052 or higher) to maintain good tension and prevent fret buzz on the lowered strings.

About drop tunings

History & context

Drop tunings became widespread in the 1990s grunge and alternative metal scenes, though players like Led Zeppelin and The Beatles used Drop D decades earlier.

Common genres

RockMetalGrungeAlternativePunkNu-metal

Famous artists

SoundgardenRage Against the MachineNirvanaToolSystem of a Down

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