6-String Guitar tuner – Double Drop D
D-A-D-G-B-D · Drop
Press “Start tuner” – the browser will ask for microphone access. Sound is analysed on this device and never uploaded.
This free online tuner listens through your microphone and shows how close each string of your 6-String Guitar is to Double Drop D tuning (D-A-D-G-B-D). Play a string, watch the needle, and turn the peg until the meter glows green. If you prefer tuning by ear, tap any string card to hear its reference tone.
About Double Drop D tuning
Compared with Standard E, Double Drop D moves 2 strings. Every change is downward, the largest by 2 semitones, so the instrument sits at lower tension than in Standard E.4 strings stay exactly where they were.
| String | Standard E | Double Drop D | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E2 | D2 | down 2 semitones |
| 6 | E4 | D4 | down 2 semitones |
Played open, the strings sound D-A-D-G-B-D – from D2 at the bottom to D4 at the top, a span of 2 octaves. Step by step across the neck the intervals are a fifth, a fourth, a fourth, a major third, a minor third, and that is what decides how chord shapes fall under the hand.
Left open, the strings together spell Gadd9. That is a by-product of how the intervals are laid out rather than the point of the tuning, but it does mean some chords need very few fingers here. See Gadd9 shapes in this tuning →
Double Drop D takes both E strings down a whole step, leaving the guitar with a D at each end. Neil Young built a large part of his catalogue on it – "Cinnamon Girl" and "Ohio" among them – and it also turns up in Jimmy Page's acoustic writing.
The doubled D at top and bottom gives a drone that rings through chord changes, and because the middle four strings are untouched, modal shapes and partial chords fall under the hand very easily. It is the natural next step for anyone who already lives in Drop D and wants the top end to ring as well.
The drop is small enough that a standard set handles it. If the lowest string starts to rattle against the frets, one step up in gauge fixes it.
History
Where the Double Drop D tuning comes from
Double Drop D became famous in 1968–69 through two songs. John Lennon learned fingerpicking from Donovan in Rishikesh, India, and wrote “Dear Prudence” in DADGBD; the following year Neil Young recorded “Cinnamon Girl”, and he has used the tuning on many songs since, including “Ohio”. Its roots are older still – dropping both E strings is a folk and country fingerstyle habit that goes back to at least the early 20th century.
Other 6-String Guitar tunings
Standard
Drop
Open
Chords for this tuning
How do I tune my 6-String Guitar to Double Drop D?
Allow microphone access, pluck a string, and the tuner will detect it automatically. The needle shows whether the string is flat or sharp – adjust until the reading is within ±5 cents (D-A-D-G-B-D).
Which notes are used in Double Drop D tuning?
Double Drop D tuning for 6-String Guitar uses the notes D-A-D-G-B-D, listed from the lowest string to the highest.
Can I tune without a microphone?
Yes. Every string card plays a reference tone – tap it and match your string to the sound by ear.