Open D Tuner for Guitar
In open D tuning the guitar sits in D A D F♯ A D, from the 6th string to the 1st (D2 up to D4), and the open strings ring a D major chord. From standard, the 6th, 2nd and 1st strings go down a whole step and the 3rd goes down a half step; the 5th and 4th stay where they are. This open D tuner is our guitar tuner with Open D already selected.
String notes and frequencies
Guitar tuning, open D (6 strings): D2 A2 D3 F♯3 A3 D4, from 73.42 Hz to 293.66 Hz, with A4 = 440 Hz.
| String | Note | Frequency (Hz) |
|---|---|---|
| String 6 | D2 | 73.42 |
| String 5 | A2 | 110.00 |
| String 4 | D3 | 146.83 |
| String 3 | F♯3 | 185.00 |
| String 2 | A3 | 220.00 |
| String 1 | D4 | 293.66 |
How to use it
- Turn on the microphone and check that the Tuning menu shows Open D.
- Play an open string and wait for the attack to pass before looking at the needle.
- Note too low: tighten the peg; too high: loosen it, always in small moves.
- Tap a string's button to lock the target, and press Play to hear its reference note.
- Four strings changed tension: after the first pass, check them all again, starting with the 6th.
Help and explanations
With a straight barre or a slide, every fret becomes a major chord: G at the 5th, A at the 7th. It is the most used open tuning for slide, blues and folk, and the fullest-sounding on a steel-string guitar, because the D rings in three octaves. Old blues and parlor-guitar books call it Vestapol, after the 19th-century piece The Siege of Sebastopol.
From standard to open D, string by string
6th string: from E2 down to D2 (73.42 Hz), a whole step. 3rd: from G3 down to F♯3 (185.00 Hz), a half step. 2nd: from B3 down to A3 (220.00 Hz), a whole step. 1st: from E4 down to D4 (293.66 Hz), a whole step. The 5th (A2, 110.00 Hz) and the 4th (D3, 146.83 Hz) don't change.
By ear, compare the octaves: the three Ds (6th, 4th and 1st strings) and the two As (5th and 2nd) must sound clean together. The 3rd string, F♯, makes the chord major; if it is sharp, the whole D major chord sounds sour.
Chords in open D
With a straight barre: open, D; 2nd fret, E; 3rd fret, F; 5th fret, G; 7th fret, A; 12th fret, D again, an octave up. D, G and A (I, IV and V) are all you need for a blues in D. A capo at the 2nd fret gives you the sound of open E with the same shapes, so you can play along with songs written in that tuning.
Minor and seventh chords need other shapes, because the 3rd string (F♯) makes the chord major. The chord dictionary has the Open D tuning and shows the positions for each chord.
A Brazilian cousin: the viola caipira
Players of the Brazilian viola caipira know this sound: its Cebolão in D tuning is A D F♯ A D, and the five thinnest strings of a guitar in open D have exactly those notes, in the same octaves as the lower string of each viola pair. That makes open D an easy way to bring viola caipira pieces to the guitar.
Tips
- For slide, keep the bar right above the fret wire without pressing the string down: the note is in tune over the fret, not between two frets.
- Strings loosened a whole step get soft; if the slide clacks against the frets, use a heavier set.
- Three D strings and two A strings: if the tuner lights up a neighbor with the same name, tap the button of the string you are tuning to lock the target.
- Going back to standard? Bring the strings up a little at a time, alternating between them, so the neck takes the tension evenly.
Frequently asked questions
What are the notes of open D tuning?
D, A, D, F♯, A and D, from the 6th string to the 1st: D2 (73.42 Hz), A2 (110.00 Hz), D3 (146.83 Hz), F♯3 (185.00 Hz), A3 (220.00 Hz) and D4 (293.66 Hz), with A4 = 440 Hz.
How do I tune a guitar to open D?
From standard tuning, loosen the 6th string a whole step (E to D), the 2nd a whole step (B to A) and the 1st a whole step (E to D), and the 3rd a half step (G to F♯). The 5th and 4th stay. Strum all six at the end: you should hear D major.
Is open D the same as Vestapol tuning?
Yes. Vestapol, or Sebastopol, is the old blues and parlor-guitar name for open D.
What chords can I play in open D?
With a straight barre: open, D; 5th fret, G; 7th fret, A; 12th fret, D again. For minor chords and others, open the chord dictionary and choose the Open D tuning.
What is the difference between open D and DADGAD?
Both start with D A D, but in DADGAD the 3rd string stays on G and the 2nd goes to A: the open strings form neither a major nor a minor chord, a suspended sound much used in Celtic music. In open D the 3rd string goes to F♯ and the open chord is D major.
Open D or open G: which should I choose?
Open G (D G D G B D) changes three strings and sounds lighter; open D changes four and sounds deeper and fuller, with the D on the 6th string too. Both work for slide; pick the one that fits the key of the song.