FretPitch

C G C F A D

Drop C Tuning

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The tuner listens through your microphone.

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      D standard with the low string dropped another whole step to C — the heavy sound of modern rock and metal.

      Press Start tuning, pluck a string and turn its peg until the needle is centred and green. The tuner already knows the Drop C notes, so it tells you which string you are tuning.

      Drop C notes and frequencies

      From the thickest string to the thinnest, and how far each one moves from standard tuning:

      StringNoteFrequencyFrom standard
      6th (thickest)C265.41 HzDown 4 semitones (2 whole steps)
      5thG298.00 HzDown 2 semitones (a whole step)
      4thC3130.81 HzDown 2 semitones (a whole step)
      3rdF3174.61 HzDown 2 semitones (a whole step)
      2ndA3220.00 HzDown 2 semitones (a whole step)
      1st (thinnest)D4293.66 HzDown 2 semitones (a whole step)

      About Drop C

      Drop C starts from D standard (every string a whole step down) and lowers the 6th string another whole step to C: C G C F A D. The relationship between the strings is the same as in Drop D, just a whole step lower, so one-finger power chords work across the three lowest strings.

      It is a staple of hard rock and metal — System of a Down’s “Chop Suey!” is a well-known example. Because the lowest string drops four semitones from standard, a heavier string (or a heavier set) keeps it from flapping and buzzing.

      Tips

      • From standard tuning, lower the 5th to 1st strings by a whole step first, then take the 6th string down to C.
      • Expect to retune a couple of times — this much change in tension takes a few minutes to settle.

      Other tunings

      See all tunings →