I would say that the aforementioned key signatures are the easiest to play in, at least for me, especially E Minor due to the fact there is only one sharp in E Minor, F#. Some people out there often refer to particular key signatures as “Guitar Key Signatures,” as well, due to their suitability to the guitar’s structure.įor instance, the Key of C Major, A Minor, G Major, E Minor, D Major, and E Major, are some of the easiest keys to play in on the guitar, particularly, C Major, A Minor, G Major, and E Minor. This is also why playing the harmonica is a lot easier, in my opinion, because all you have to do is figure out the breathing techniques, in addition to understanding what key you’re in. With the exception of a chromatic harmonica, most harmonicas come in a particular key signature, so if you wanted to play in the key of Eb Major on the harmonica, you would actually have to go out and buy a harmonica in that specific key. There are countless other examples of songs in Drop D tuning. Admittedly, there are instruments out there that are created in a specific key signature or scale, for instance, harmonicas. Drop D power chords are employed all over that song and on the rest of the record, to be honest. If you’re interested in learning more songs like this, Guitar Tricks is one great place to go. What this does is that it makes it very easy to play power chords all over the neck with additional notes added on top, also known as extensions.ĭrop D tuning was most popular during the late 1980s and the 1990s, especially with bands like Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, and other bands that employed the use of this lowered tuning and “darker” songs.įor instance, “Them Bones,” from Alice In Chains’ second record, Dirt, uses a riff in Drop D in the very beginning. Essentially, it’s the exact same tuning as standard tuning except with the low-E tuned to a D, instead. This is arguably the most popular alternate tuning on the guitar. In effect, it’s possible to produce very unique compositions that would be impossible on any other instrument, for example, tuning the guitar in such a way where each string is a part of a particular chord, like a Dmin9 chord.įrom here, you can play alternate versions of the chord all over the guitar neck, in a way that isn’t normally possible in standard tuning. This is a Dsus4 chord, so whenever you strum all of the strings together, it’ll produce a Dsus4 chord without ever fretting any notes. DADGAD Tuningįor example, it’s not uncommon for acoustic guitarists to tune their guitar into what’s called “DADGAD,” which sounds like the way it’s spelled “Dad-Gad.” I would argue that this is one of the major advantages guitarists have over a piano player. Admittedly, the piano can be tuned in different ways as well, however, it’s almost always tuned the same way every single time.Īs I just mentioned, each guitar string can be tuned to a different pitch, to the point where it’s actually possible to tune each string to fit into an entirely new chord, scale, or key signature. What key signature and scale you’re playing on the guitar depends mostly on the notes you choose to play, rather than some quality of the instrument in itself. With all that said, the guitar can be tuned in a variety of different ways in comparison to the piano. If you’ve read my other article on whether guitars and pianos are in the same key, you’ll be familiar with what I just mentioned above, the fact that both instruments aren’t necessarily in one key or another.
Guitar tuner standard how to#
The reason why I say it’s in E Phrygian mode is that the 6th string and the 1st string are both E, so one could argue that it’s the tonal center of the notes when tuned to standard tuning. If you want to read more about modes and how to use them, I’d recommend checking out my article about modes on Producer Society, which is at this link here.īy the way, there are always deals going on in the guitar and music world, so here are some of my favorite products and gear that are on sale right now: JamPlay In other words, one could argue the guitar, when tuned to standard tuning, is in the Key of C Major, more specifically, in E Phrygian mode, the third mode of the C Major scale. With that said, every single guitar string is tuned to a note that belongs to the Key of C, which has no sharps or flats.
As most guitar players know, the guitar is tuned to E, A, D, G, B, and E again, from the lowest to the highest strings, respectively. Some people wonder what key the guitar is tuned to, but this is one of those questions that, in itself, doesn’t make much sense, because of the fact that the way you play the instrument determines what key you’re in rather than the inherent structure of the instrument itself.