In open G the open strings form a G major chord: D G D G B D. Only three strings change, each down a whole step: the 6th from E to D, the 5th from A to G and the 1st from E to D. Lay a finger or a slide across any fret and you get a major chord, which is why open G is the home of slide guitar and Delta blues, where it was once called Spanish tuning.
Keith Richards plays many Rolling Stones riffs in open G with the 6th string removed. This page opens the guitar tuner with Open G selected, so every target note is already set.
How to use it
- Tap Turn on microphone and lower the 6th string from E to D.
- Lower the 5th string from A to G and the 1st from E to D. The 4th (D), 3rd (G) and 2nd (B) stay where they are.
- Strum all six open strings: you should hear a clean G major chord.
- Do a final pass: the neck relaxes a little.
Slide, banjo rolls and the way back
With a slide, the 12th fret gives G again, the 5th fret C and the 7th fret D: the three chords of most blues in G. The top four strings, D G B D, match the long strings of a 5-string banjo in open G, so banjo rolls carry over directly. To go back, choose Standard in the Tuning menu and raise the 6th, 5th and 1st strings a whole step.
Tips
- Use a slightly heavier set if you play slide, so the strings don't touch the frets.
- By ear: the 6th string's 12th-fret harmonic matches the open 4th, and the 5th string's matches the open 3rd.
- Capo at the 2nd fret turns open G into open A.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are open G tuning?
D G D G B D, low to high. The open strings spell a G major chord.
Which strings change for open G?
The 6th (E to D), the 5th (A to G) and the 1st (E to D), each down a whole step.
Is open G good for slide guitar?
Yes. With open D and open E it is the classic slide tuning, because a straight bar across the strings makes a major chord.
Is open G the same as Spanish tuning?
In old blues and parlor-guitar books, yes: open G was called Spanish tuning and open D was called Vastopol or Sebastopol.