Guitar tuning

Every chord in Drop A tuning

A·E·A·D·F#·B

Drop A tuning is A E A D F# B, low to high. Compared with standard tuning, the 6th string goes from E to A (down a perfect fifth); the 5th string goes from A to E (down a perfect fourth); the 4th string goes from D to A (down a perfect fourth); the 3rd string goes from G to D (down a perfect fourth); the 2nd string goes from B to F# (down a perfect fourth); the 1st string goes from E to B (down a perfect fourth). This chart gives you an easy shape for 108 chords: major, minor, power, dominant 7, minor 7, major 7, sus2, sus4 and add9, on all 12 roots.

Strings run low to high (A E A D F# B). A number is the fret, 0 is an open string and x is a string you don't play. A label such as 5fr beside a diagram marks where a shape starts higher up the neck. Tap any chord to open that exact shape in the app, along with every other way to play it.

C C# D Eb E F F# G Ab A Bb B

C chords in Drop A tuning

C x x 3 2 1 1 170 voicings → Cm x x 3 1 1 1 113 voicings → C5 3 3 3 x x x 49 voicings → C7 3 3 1 2 1 1 85 voicings → Cm7 3 3 1 1 1 1 92 voicings → Cmaj7 x 8 7 5 5 5 194 voicings → Csus2 3 3 3 0 x x 176 voicings → Csus4 3 3 3 3 x x 92 voicings → Cadd9 x 8 5 5 8 5 201 voicings →

C# chords in Drop A tuning

C# x x 4 3 2 2 73 voicings → C#m x x 4 2 2 2 147 voicings → C#5 4 4 4 x x x 34 voicings → C#7 4 4 2 3 2 0 97 voicings → C#m7 4 4 2 2 2 0 185 voicings → C#maj7 x 9 8 6 6 6 89 voicings → C#sus2 4 4 4 1 x x 105 voicings → C#sus4 4 4 4 4 x x 121 voicings → C#add9 4 1 4 1 2 x 72 voicings →

D chords in Drop A tuning

D 5 2 0 0 0 x 482 voicings → Dm 0 1 0 0 x x 305 voicings → D5 x x x 0 3 3 203 voicings → D7 5 8 0 0 0 x 314 voicings → Dm7 5 5 3 3 3 3 264 voicings → Dmaj7 5 5 4 0 0 x 369 voicings → Dsus2 0 0 0 0 x x 545 voicings → Dsus4 5 3 0 0 x x 318 voicings → Dadd9 0 0 0 0 0 x 551 voicings →

Eb chords in Drop A tuning

Eb x x 6 5 4 4 77 voicings → Ebm x x 6 4 4 4 162 voicings → Eb5 6 6 6 x x x 44 voicings → Eb7 6 6 4 5 4 4 92 voicings → Ebm7 6 6 4 4 4 4 148 voicings → Ebmaj7 6 6 6 8 8 8 112 voicings → Ebsus2 1 1 1 1 x x 103 voicings → Ebsus4 6 6 6 6 x x 80 voicings → Ebadd9 1 1 1 1 1 x 51 voicings →

E chords in Drop A tuning

E x 0 2 2 2 0 145 voicings → Em x 0 2 2 1 0 246 voicings → E5 x 0 2 2 x x 153 voicings → E7 x 0 2 2 2 3 239 voicings → Em7 x 0 5 5 5 5 323 voicings → Emaj7 x 0 2 2 2 4 147 voicings → Esus2 x 0 2 2 0 0 378 voicings → Esus4 x 0 0 2 3 0 507 voicings → Eadd9 x 0 2 4 2 0 148 voicings →

F chords in Drop A tuning

F x 1 3 3 3 1 209 voicings → Fm x 1 3 3 2 1 84 voicings → F5 x 1 3 3 x x 48 voicings → F7 x 1 3 1 3 1 172 voicings → Fm7 x 1 3 1 2 1 92 voicings → Fmaj7 x 1 3 2 3 1 231 voicings → Fsus2 x 1 3 3 1 1 92 voicings → Fsus4 x 1 1 3 4 1 103 voicings → Fadd9 3 3 3 3 3 x 149 voicings →

F# chords in Drop A tuning

F# x 2 4 4 4 2 144 voicings → F#m x 2 4 4 3 2 339 voicings → F#5 x 2 4 4 x x 82 voicings → F#7 x 2 4 2 4 2 183 voicings → F#m7 x 2 4 2 3 2 399 voicings → F#maj7 x 2 4 3 4 2 129 voicings → F#sus2 x 2 4 4 2 2 121 voicings → F#sus4 9 9 9 9 0 0 234 voicings → F#add9 4 4 4 4 4 x 82 voicings →

G chords in Drop A tuning

G x 3 2 0 1 0 265 voicings → Gm x 3 1 0 4 x 108 voicings → G5 x 3 5 5 x x 86 voicings → G7 x 3 5 3 5 3 167 voicings → Gm7 x 3 5 3 4 3 88 voicings → Gmaj7 x 3 2 0 0 0 280 voicings → Gsus2 x 3 5 5 3 3 318 voicings → Gsus4 x 3 3 5 6 3 176 voicings → Gadd9 x 3 5 5 3 0 390 voicings →

Ab chords in Drop A tuning

Ab x 4 3 1 2 1 106 voicings → Abm x 4 2 1 2 0 110 voicings → Ab5 x 4 6 6 x x 34 voicings → Ab7 x 4 6 4 6 4 123 voicings → Abm7 x 4 2 1 0 0 135 voicings → Abmaj7 x 4 3 1 1 1 64 voicings → Absus2 x 4 1 1 4 x 80 voicings → Absus4 x 4 4 6 7 4 105 voicings → Abadd9 x 4 1 1 4 1 88 voicings →

A chords in Drop A tuning

A 0 0 0 2 3 2 336 voicings → Am 0 0 0 2 3 1 305 voicings → A5 0 0 0 x x x 203 voicings → A7 0 0 0 2 1 2 245 voicings → Am7 0 0 0 2 1 1 268 voicings → Amaj7 0 0 0 2 2 2 227 voicings → Asus2 0 0 0 2 3 0 507 voicings → Asus4 0 0 0 0 x x 545 voicings → Aadd9 0 0 2 2 3 2 376 voicings →

Bb chords in Drop A tuning

Bb 1 1 1 0 x x 139 voicings → Bbm x x 1 3 4 2 96 voicings → Bb5 1 1 1 x x x 35 voicings → Bb7 x 6 8 6 8 6 64 voicings → Bbm7 x 6 8 6 7 6 65 voicings → Bbmaj7 x 6 5 3 3 3 235 voicings → Bbsus2 x x 1 3 4 1 103 voicings → Bbsus4 1 1 1 1 x x 103 voicings → Bbadd9 x 6 3 3 6 3 133 voicings →

B chords in Drop A tuning

B x x 2 1 0 0 223 voicings → Bm 2 2 2 0 0 0 364 voicings → B5 2 2 2 x x x 134 voicings → B7 2 2 0 1 0 0 317 voicings → Bm7 2 2 0 0 0 0 530 voicings → Bmaj7 2 2 1 1 0 0 183 voicings → Bsus2 x x 2 4 5 2 234 voicings → Bsus4 2 2 2 2 0 0 378 voicings → Badd9 2 2 4 1 0 0 191 voicings →

Try any of these in the app

Open—Shape shows every voicing of every chord in Drop A tuning, and lets you hear them and chain them into a progression.

Open Drop A in the app Drop A tuning guide

Questions

Do my standard-tuning chord shapes still work in Drop A tuning?

No. All six strings are different from standard tuning, so standard shapes sound different and the chart above gives you the shape for each chord by its actual name.

Why are power chords easier in Drop A tuning?

The bottom three strings are tuned A, E, A, which is a root, a fifth and an octave. Barring them at any one fret gives you a power chord with a single finger, so it is faster to move and to mute than the two-finger power chord in standard tuning.

How were these shapes chosen?

The chord engine searches every way to voice each chord in Drop A tuning, then these are the easiest of them: no thumb, at most four fingers, within four frets, a root or fifth in the bass, and no muted string between played ones, preferring low positions and fewer muted strings. Each card says how many other voicings exist, and tapping it opens that exact shape in the app.

Drop A tuning guide Drop D Drop C Drop C# Drop B Drop Bb Double Drop D All tunings