Open G Tuner Online — DGDGBD Slide Tuning

Open G tuning is DGDGBD from low to high, which sounds a G major chord when all six strings are played open. The fifth string is the root G. It is a traditional slide and Delta blues tuning, and the version Keith Richards uses omits the sixth string.

How to use it

1. Start from standard tuning. Two bass strings and the first string move; the middle three stay put.
2. Lower the sixth string from E2 to D2 (73.42 Hz). A whole tone down.
3. Lower the fifth string from A2 to G2 (98.00 Hz). A whole tone down. This is the root of the open chord, so take your time here.
4. Leave the fourth, third and second strings alone. They are already D3 (146.83 Hz), G3 (196.00 Hz) and B3 (246.94 Hz).
5. Lower the first string from E4 to D4 (293.66 Hz). A whole tone down.
6. Strum all six strings and listen. You should hear a clean G major chord. If one string beats against the others, re-check it against its card.
7. For the five-string variant, remove the sixth string rather than leaving it slack and rattling against the fretboard.

The tuning is confirmed by ear as well as by display: play the open fourth string (D3) against the open sixth string (D2) and listen for a clean octave, then play the open second string (B3) against the open third string (G3) to check the major third.

Open G string frequencies

String	Note	Frequency (A4 = 440 Hz)
6th (often removed)	D2	73.42 Hz
5th (root)	G2	98.00 Hz
4th	D3	146.83 Hz
3rd	G3	196.00 Hz
2nd	B3	246.94 Hz
1st	D4	293.66 Hz

What open G changes

The open strings are a complete G major triad, so the I chord needs no fingers at all. Everything else moves around that:

• Barre at the fifth fret gives C. The root is on the fifth string, so a full barre five frets up is a C major chord. At the seventh fret the same shape gives D. The three main chords of the key of G are all available as moveable barre shapes.
• The third of the chord is already in the tuning. The second string is B, the major third of G. That is what makes open G sound unambiguously major. In a suspended tuning such as DADGAD the third is missing and the chord floats between major and minor.
• Slide playing gets easier. A slide laid across all six strings at any fret produces a full major chord, so a single slide position is a complete chord rather than a partial voicing.
• The five-string variant exists for a reason. Removing the sixth string leaves the root G2 as the lowest note and removes the low D that can muddy the bass under distortion or heavy slide. It is the version most associated with Keith Richards and with the Rolling Stones’ open-G sound.
• Blues players have used it for a century. Open G and open D are the two classic bottleneck tunings of Delta blues; Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters are both strongly associated with them. The tuning’s drone strings and easy I–IV–V shapes suit a slide and a single voice.

Because open G is a slide tuning, many players set the guitar up with slightly heavier strings and a little more action so the slide does not rattle on the frets. That is a setup choice, not a tuning requirement.

Accuracy and limits

• D and G each appear on more than one string. D is on the sixth, fourth and first strings (D2, D3, D4) and G on the fifth and third (G2, G3). Pluck the fifth string while the third is ringing and the display can correctly report G3: the right note, the wrong string. Mute the other strings and compare against the card for the string in your hand.
• The bass strings carry the chord and the microphone’s weak spot. D2 and G2 are the root and fifth of the open tuning, and they sit in the region where small laptop and phone microphones are least sensitive (typically below ~100 Hz), so they can read weaker than the treble strings even when they sound strong in the room. Pluck them firmly with your thumb and let the note settle.
• A slide resting on the strings is not a pitch. A slide laid across the strings damps them and adds a continuous gliding tone that the detector will follow instead of settling. Put the slide down and tune the open strings first.
• The cards hold open-string targets. Fretted notes are not what the preset names, so expect the needle to sit away from centre if you check a fretted note against an open-string card.

If a reading flickers, the cause is usually sympathetic ringing from a neighbouring string rather than a fault; muting the strings you are not playing is the single most effective fix.

Safety

• Open G only ever lowers strings. The sixth, fifth and first strings each drop a whole tone, so the tuning removes tension from the neck rather than adding it. There is no special risk in reaching it.
• Returning to standard is the careful part. Raise the sixth, fifth and first strings back up a whole tone in small increments. The first string is thin, and a rushed whole-tone rise is how treble strings break.
• Do not tune the third string up. It is already at G3 in standard tuning. A player new to open G sometimes tries to “correct” the middle strings and ends up over-tightening them; leave the fourth, third and second strings exactly where they are.
• Remove a string properly if you go five-string. A slackened sixth string left on the guitar will rattle and can buzz against the slide. Take it off completely or leave it at pitch.
• If the low D or G rattles, fix the setup. Tuning sharp to silence a buzz leaves the guitar out of tune and adds tension. Heavier strings or a small action adjustment are the real fixes.
• Check the whole guitar after a big retune. Three strings moving at once changes the load on the neck; give the set a moment to settle, then check all six strings again.