Drop D Guitar
Lowest string dropped to D. Allows one-finger power chords on the bottom three strings.
Drop D is the most popular alternate tuning in rock and metal. Only the lowest string changes, going from E down to D. That one change opens up one-finger power chords on the bottom three strings and gives you a deeper low end for heavy riffs while keeping the top four strings in standard position.
Foo Fighters, Rage Against the Machine, Tool and dozens of metal bands rely on Drop D. It is the easiest alternate tuning to switch to and from during a set.
Alter Bridge 1
Attack on Titan Theme 1
Avenged Sevenfold 4
Bullet For My Valentine 1
Creed 3
Darkenhöld 6
Day Of Suffering 1
Dead Embryonic Cells 1
Dimmu Borgir 2
Evanescence 1
For All Tid 1
Galdrum 1
Game of Thrones Theme 1
Imagine Dragons 1
Led Zeppelin 2
Linkin Park 1
Linkin Park feat. Kiiara 1
Marilyn Manson 1
Memoria Sylvarum 1
Metallica 9
- 1 2x4 TAB 1996
- 2 Devil's Dance TAB 1997
- 3 Don't Tread On Me TAB 1991
- 4 Lux Æterna TAB 2023
- 5 Spit Out The Bone Guitar Solo LESSON 2016
- 6 The Thing That Should Not Be TAB 1986
- 7 Welcome Home TAB 2008
- 8 Welcome Home - First Solo LESSON 1991
- 9 Welcome Home - Outro w/Solo LESSON 1991
Mourning Palace 1
Pearl Jam 1
Plug in Babe 1
Rage Against The Machine 1
Satyricon 1
Soundgarden 4
Tool 4
Van Halen 1
You Really Got Me 1
Drop D Technique
The main advantage is the one-finger power chord: lay your index finger flat across the bottom three strings at any fret and you have a root-fifth-octave chord. This frees up your other fingers for hammer-ons, pull-offs and embellishments while the power chord rings out.
The top four strings (A D G B E) are unchanged, so all your regular chord shapes, scales and licks on those strings still work. The only adjustment is on the 6th string, where every note is now two frets higher than you expect.
See also Drop C for an even heavier version of this concept.