Guitar tuning

Open G Tuning (D-G-D-G-B-D)

In Open G the six open strings form a G major chord: D-G-D-G-B-D, from the sixth string to the first. You get there from standard tuning by dropping three strings a whole step each — the sixth, the fifth and the first — and leaving the other three alone. No string changes, nothing else to touch. Along with Open D it is the open tuning of blues and roots rock: it is the tuning Keith Richards plays. Strum the open strings and a chord is already there; lay a capo or a slide straight across any fret and you have another major chord.

The tuner opens already preconfigured; you only need to allow microphone access.

Strings and frequencies

How to get to Open G from standard tuning

Three strings move and all three go down, a whole step each. The three in the middle stay put: the fourth, third and second are already D, G and B in standard tuning.

• Sixth: E to D, a whole step. It is the same drop as Drop D, so if you are coming from there it is already done.
• Fifth: A to G, a whole step. It should sound like the open third string, one octave below it.
• First: E to D, a whole step. It should sound like the open fourth string, one octave above it.
• Fourth, third and second stay exactly where they are.
• Strum the open strings: you should hear a clean G major. If something is off it is almost always the fifth, the string that resists the drop most.

Is Open G tuning bad for a guitar?

No. In Open G three strings come down and none goes up, so the total tension on the neck and on the top is lower than in standard tuning, not higher. It is one of the gentlest tunings for the instrument.

It does not strain a nylon-string guitar either — quite the opposite, it sits looser than usual. The one thing to watch is that the three strings that drop can feel slack for hard picking; if you notice it, go one gauge up on those three.

Open G and slide

It is one of the great slide tunings, along with Open D, and for the same reason: if the open strings already spell a major chord, the bar laid straight across any fret gives another major chord, with no shapes to fret. The open G major suits electric blues and southern rock especially well.

For slide playing, consider going one gauge up: the bar needs some resistance under it or the strings give way and the note goes sharp as you press.

The five-string guitar of Keith Richards

Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones is the name most associated with Open G, and with a detail almost nobody mentions: he plays it on a five-string guitar, with the sixth string — the low D — removed.¹

With the sixth gone, the open chord is G-D-G-B-D: a G major without the fifth doubled underneath, cleaner for his way of strumming. Open G sounds just as good on a normal six-string; it is only that his sound comes from five.

What is played in Open G

The natural ground is blues, slide and roots rock. The tuning comes out of the old blues tradition, where it was known as "Spanish" tuning, and from there it passed into rock.

The best known examples are by the Rolling Stones: Honky Tonk Women, Start Me Up and Brown Sugar are all three in Open G.¹

Beyond the repertoire, it is a generous tuning for accompaniment: with G and D ringing open in several octaves, you can move around the neck on one or two notes and keep the key sounding underneath the whole time.

Open A with a capo, without touching the tuners

If you are already in Open G and want Open A — a whole step higher and brighter — there is no need to retune: put a capo on the second fret. It raises all six strings two semitones at once, so it keeps exactly the same relationships and the same open chord, just higher.

It is the same trick that takes Open D to Open E, with the same advantage: no string has its tension raised. All you lose is whatever lies below the capo, which here is the low open D.

How it sounds

Open, resonant and full-bodied. The two Gs and three Ds spread across the range give a wide, full chord, very different from the brightness of standard tuning.

When you pick with the open strings ringing underneath, the effect is a continuous drone, close to DADGAD but major and more emphatic.

How it sounds

Along with Open D, it is the classic open tuning of blues and roots rock. The open G major chord and the one-finger barre make it very expressive for slide and for accompaniment with ringing drones.

Styles and genres

Recommended string gauges

With three strings down a whole step, the tuning sits a little softer than standard. An acoustic set of 0.012-0.053 works well.

For slide or hard strumming, go one gauge up on the three strings that drop — sixth, fifth and first — to get the tension back.

It works fine on a nylon-string guitar, with even less effort than on steel, because nylon starts from lower tension.

Tuning tip

Use the repeated strings: in Open G you can let the two G strings ring together and check they match, then do the same with the Ds on the sixth, fourth and first. When the repeated notes sound without beating against each other, the tuning is clean.

Frequently asked questions

What is Open G tuning?

Open G is an open tuning where the six open strings form a G major chord: D-G-D-G-B-D, from the sixth string to the first. It is used mainly in blues, slide and roots rock.

How do you tune a guitar to Open G?

Three strings come down a whole step each: the sixth from E to D, the fifth from A to G and the first from E to D. The fourth, third and second stay the same.

Is Open G tuning bad for a guitar?

No. In Open G three strings come down and none goes up, so total tension on the neck is lower than in standard tuning. It does not harm a nylon-string guitar either.

What is Open G tuning used for?

Mainly for slide playing and for blues and roots rock. Because the open strings form a major chord, a capo or the slide bar across any fret gives another major chord.

Is Open G the tuning of Keith Richards?

Yes. It is the tuning most associated with Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, who usually plays it on a five-string guitar with the sixth string removed.

Can you get Open A from Open G with a capo?

Yes. With a capo on the second fret, Open G becomes Open A: it raises all six strings two semitones and keeps the same open chord, higher.

Is Open G the same on guitar and banjo?

The notes are the same. Open G (D-G-D-G-B-D) is also the standard tuning of the five-string banjo, which adds a high fifth string in G.

What string gauges work in Open G?

An acoustic set of 0.012-0.053 works well. For slide or hard strumming, go one gauge up on the three strings that drop to get the tension back.

Related tunings

• Open D: the other great slide tuning, in D major
• Open C: another open-chord tuning, lower
• Open E: the Open D relationships a whole step up
• DADGAD: modal, the same drone effect but with no third

Sources

1. Confirmed by ear and from his own knowledge by Juan Carreño, September 2026: the five-string guitar of Keith Richards and the three Rolling Stones songs cited. The rest of the page — the notes, the chord, the tension and the capo — follows from the frequencies in the table above, which are the ones the tuner itself uses, and from calculation.

Updated 2026-09-03