Guitar tuning

Every chord in Major Thirds tuning

C·E·G#·C·E·G#

Major Thirds tuning is C E G# C E G#, low to high. Compared with standard tuning, the 6th string goes from E to C (down a major third); the 5th string goes from A to E (down a perfect fourth); the 4th string goes from D to G# (down a tritone); the 3rd string goes from G to C (down a perfect fifth); the 2nd string goes from B to E (down a perfect fifth); the 1st string goes from E to G# (down a minor sixth). This chart gives you an easy shape for 101 chords: major, minor, power, dominant 7, minor 7, major 7, sus2, sus4 and add9, on all 12 roots.

Strings run low to high (C E G# C E G#). 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 Major Thirds tuning

C 0 0 4 7 0 x 247 voicings → Cm 0 3 4 3 3 x 84 voicings → C5 x x x 0 3 4 59 voicings → C7 0 3 2 0 0 x 218 voicings → Cm7 0 3 4 3 6 x 118 voicings → Cmaj7 0 3 3 0 0 x 174 voicings → Csus2 0 3 6 0 x x 131 voicings → Csus4 0 3 4 5 3 x 104 voicings → Cadd9 0 3 6 0 0 x 294 voicings →

C# chords in Major Thirds tuning

C# x x 0 1 1 0 123 voicings → C#m x x 0 1 0 0 342 voicings → C#5 x x 0 1 4 x 96 voicings → C#7 x 4 3 1 1 0 118 voicings → C#m7 x 4 3 1 0 0 218 voicings → C#maj7 x 4 4 1 1 0 260 voicings → C#sus2 x x 5 3 4 5 104 voicings → C#sus4 x x 0 1 2 0 170 voicings → C#add9 x 4 5 5 4 7 64 voicings →

D chords in Major Thirds tuning

D 2 2 1 2 x x 61 voicings → Dm 2 1 1 2 1 1 61 voicings → D5 No easy shape 25 voicings → D7 2 2 1 0 2 x 150 voicings → Dm7 2 1 1 2 1 4 150 voicings → Dmaj7 2 2 1 1 2 1 50 voicings → Dsus2 2 0 1 2 0 x 170 voicings → Dsus4 2 3 1 2 x x 46 voicings → Dadd9 2 2 1 2 0 x 140 voicings →

Eb chords in Major Thirds tuning

Eb 3 3 2 3 x x 42 voicings → Ebm 3 2 2 3 2 2 42 voicings → Eb5 No easy shape 20 voicings → Eb7 x 6 5 3 3 5 60 voicings → Ebm7 3 2 2 3 2 5 60 voicings → Ebmaj7 3 3 2 2 3 2 40 voicings → Ebsus2 3 1 2 3 1 x 46 voicings → Ebsus4 3 4 2 3 x x 131 voicings → Ebadd9 x 6 7 7 6 9 40 voicings →

E chords in Major Thirds tuning

E x 0 0 4 7 0 247 voicings → Em x 0 3 4 3 3 84 voicings → E5 x 0 3 4 x x 59 voicings → E7 x 0 3 2 0 0 218 voicings → Em7 x 0 3 4 3 6 118 voicings → Emaj7 x 0 3 3 0 0 174 voicings → Esus2 x 0 3 6 0 x 131 voicings → Esus4 x 0 3 4 5 3 104 voicings → Eadd9 x 0 3 6 0 0 294 voicings →

F chords in Major Thirds tuning

F 0 1 1 0 x x 123 voicings → Fm 0 1 0 0 x x 342 voicings → F5 x x x 0 1 4 96 voicings → F7 x 1 1 3 1 4 118 voicings → Fm7 x 1 4 3 1 0 218 voicings → Fmaj7 0 1 1 0 0 x 260 voicings → Fsus2 5 3 4 5 3 x 104 voicings → Fsus4 0 1 2 0 x x 170 voicings → Fadd9 x 1 1 0 3 4 64 voicings →

F# chords in Major Thirds tuning

F# x 2 2 1 2 x 61 voicings → F#m x 2 1 1 2 1 61 voicings → F#5 No easy shape 25 voicings → F#7 x 2 2 4 2 5 150 voicings → F#m7 6 5 5 6 0 x 150 voicings → F#maj7 x 2 2 5 2 5 50 voicings → F#sus2 x 2 0 1 2 0 170 voicings → F#sus4 x 2 3 1 2 x 46 voicings → F#add9 x 2 2 1 2 0 140 voicings →

G chords in Major Thirds tuning

G x 3 3 2 3 x 42 voicings → Gm x 3 2 2 3 2 42 voicings → G5 No easy shape 20 voicings → G7 x 3 3 5 3 6 60 voicings → Gm7 7 6 6 7 6 9 60 voicings → Gmaj7 x 3 3 6 3 6 40 voicings → Gsus2 x 3 1 2 3 1 46 voicings → Gsus4 x 3 4 2 3 x 131 voicings → Gadd9 No easy shape 40 voicings →

Ab chords in Major Thirds tuning

Ab x x 0 0 4 7 247 voicings → Abm x x 0 3 4 3 84 voicings → Ab5 x x 0 3 4 x 59 voicings → Ab7 x 4 4 3 2 0 218 voicings → Abm7 x 4 3 3 2 0 118 voicings → Abmaj7 x 4 4 3 3 0 174 voicings → Absus2 x x 0 3 6 0 131 voicings → Absus4 x x 0 3 4 5 104 voicings → Abadd9 x 4 4 3 6 0 294 voicings →

A chords in Major Thirds tuning

A x 0 1 1 0 x 123 voicings → Am x 0 1 0 0 x 342 voicings → A5 x 0 1 4 x x 96 voicings → A7 x 0 1 1 3 1 118 voicings → Am7 4 3 1 0 0 x 218 voicings → Amaj7 x 0 1 1 0 0 260 voicings → Asus2 x 5 3 4 5 3 104 voicings → Asus4 x 0 1 2 0 x 170 voicings → Aadd9 x 0 1 1 0 3 64 voicings →

Bb chords in Major Thirds tuning

Bb x x 2 2 1 2 61 voicings → Bbm x x 2 1 1 2 61 voicings → Bb5 No easy shape 25 voicings → Bb7 x 6 6 8 6 9 150 voicings → Bbm7 x 1 2 1 1 0 150 voicings → Bbmaj7 x 6 6 9 6 9 50 voicings → Bbsus2 x x 2 0 1 2 170 voicings → Bbsus4 x x 2 3 1 2 46 voicings → Bbadd9 x 1 2 2 1 4 140 voicings →

B chords in Major Thirds tuning

B x x 3 3 2 3 42 voicings → Bm x x 3 2 2 3 42 voicings → B5 No easy shape 20 voicings → B7 x 7 7 9 7 10 60 voicings → Bm7 x 2 3 2 5 3 60 voicings → Bmaj7 x 7 7 10 7 10 40 voicings → Bsus2 x x 3 1 2 3 46 voicings → Bsus4 x x 3 4 2 3 131 voicings → Badd9 x 2 3 3 2 5 40 voicings →

No easy shape: D5, Eb5, F#5, G5, Gadd9, Bb5, B5. The engine finds voicings for these, but none that avoid a thumb, a wide stretch or a muted string in the middle; each card links to all of them in the app.

Try any of these in the app

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

Open Major Thirds in the app Major Thirds tuning guide

Questions

Do my standard-tuning chord shapes still work in Major Thirds 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.

How were these shapes chosen?

The chord engine searches every way to voice each chord in Major Thirds 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.

Major Thirds tuning guide DADGAD American Football Nashville High Strung New Standard (Fripp) All Fourths All Fifths All tunings