Guitar tuning

Every chord in Open C tuning

C·G·C·G·C·E

Open C tuning is C G C G C E, 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 G (down a whole step); the 4th string goes from D to C (down a whole step); the 2nd string goes from B to C (up a semitone). This chart gives you an easy shape for 106 chords: major, minor, power, dominant 7, minor 7, major 7, sus2, sus4 and add9, on all 12 roots.

Strings run low to high (C G C G C E). 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 Open C tuning

C 0 0 0 0 0 0 864 voicings → Cm 0 0 0 0 3 3 416 voicings → C5 0 0 0 0 0 x 429 voicings → C7 0 0 0 3 0 0 592 voicings → Cm7 0 0 0 3 3 3 400 voicings → Cmaj7 0 0 0 4 0 0 610 voicings → Csus2 0 0 0 0 2 x 547 voicings → Csus4 0 0 0 0 0 1 702 voicings → Cadd9 0 0 0 0 2 0 616 voicings →

C# chords in Open C tuning

C# 1 1 1 1 1 1 69 voicings → C#m 1 1 1 1 1 0 198 voicings → C#5 1 1 1 1 1 x 81 voicings → C#7 x 1 1 4 1 1 40 voicings → C#m7 x 6 4 4 4 4 108 voicings → C#maj7 x 6 5 5 8 8 212 voicings → C#sus2 x x 1 1 3 4 118 voicings → C#sus4 x x 1 1 1 2 96 voicings → C#add9 x 1 1 1 3 1 68 voicings →

D chords in Open C tuning

D 2 2 2 2 2 2 54 voicings → Dm x x 2 2 5 5 133 voicings → D5 2 2 2 2 2 x 81 voicings → D7 x 2 2 5 2 2 160 voicings → Dm7 x 7 5 5 5 5 298 voicings → Dmaj7 x 7 6 6 9 9 92 voicings → Dsus2 2 2 2 2 2 0 198 voicings → Dsus4 2 2 2 0 x x 282 voicings → Dadd9 x 2 2 2 4 2 108 voicings →

Eb chords in Open C tuning

Eb 3 3 3 3 3 3 151 voicings → Ebm x x 3 3 6 6 96 voicings → Eb5 3 3 3 3 3 x 56 voicings → Eb7 3 0 1 3 1 x 140 voicings → Ebm7 x 8 6 6 6 6 92 voicings → Ebmaj7 3 0 2 3 2 x 160 voicings → Ebsus2 x x 3 3 3 1 104 voicings → Ebsus4 x x 3 3 3 4 76 voicings → Ebadd9 x 3 3 3 5 3 184 voicings →

E chords in Open C tuning

E 4 4 4 4 4 4 66 voicings → Em 4 4 4 0 x x 348 voicings → E5 4 4 4 4 4 x 63 voicings → E7 x 4 4 7 4 4 108 voicings → Em7 x 9 7 7 7 7 224 voicings → Emaj7 x 4 3 1 3 0 100 voicings → Esus2 x x 4 4 6 0 147 voicings → Esus4 x x 4 4 4 5 66 voicings → Eadd9 x 4 4 4 6 4 56 voicings →

F chords in Open C tuning

F 5 5 5 5 5 5 277 voicings → Fm 5 5 5 5 8 x 255 voicings → F5 5 5 5 5 5 x 171 voicings → F7 5 5 5 8 5 5 250 voicings → Fm7 x 10 8 8 8 8 218 voicings → Fmaj7 5 2 5 2 0 0 352 voicings → Fsus2 5 0 0 0 0 x 702 voicings → Fsus4 5 5 5 5 5 6 277 voicings → Fadd9 5 2 0 0 0 x 416 voicings →

F# chords in Open C tuning

F# 6 6 6 6 6 6 52 voicings → F#m 6 6 6 6 9 x 96 voicings → F#5 6 6 6 6 6 x 44 voicings → F#7 6 6 6 9 6 6 124 voicings → F#m7 6 6 6 6 9 0 156 voicings → F#maj7 No easy shape 60 voicings → F#sus2 6 6 6 6 8 x 96 voicings → F#sus4 6 6 6 6 6 7 52 voicings → F#add9 6 6 6 6 8 6 40 voicings →

G chords in Open C tuning

G 7 7 7 7 7 7 88 voicings → Gm x 0 2 3 2 x 253 voicings → G5 x 0 2 0 x x 132 voicings → G7 7 7 7 10 7 7 168 voicings → Gm7 x 0 2 3 2 1 216 voicings → Gmaj7 x 0 2 4 2 2 100 voicings → Gsus2 x 0 2 2 2 x 282 voicings → Gsus4 x 0 0 0 2 x 547 voicings → Gadd9 x 0 2 4 2 5 80 voicings →

Ab chords in Open C tuning

Ab x 1 3 1 0 x 262 voicings → Abm x 1 3 4 3 x 52 voicings → Ab5 x 1 3 1 x x 55 voicings → Ab7 x 1 3 1 0 2 174 voicings → Abm7 No easy shape 56 voicings → Abmaj7 8 8 0 0 0 x 340 voicings → Absus2 x 1 3 3 3 x 76 voicings → Absus4 x 1 1 1 3 x 118 voicings → Abadd9 8 8 8 8 10 8 196 voicings →

A chords in Open C tuning

A 9 9 9 9 9 9 156 voicings → Am x 2 4 2 0 0 407 voicings → A5 9 9 9 9 9 0 102 voicings → A7 x 2 4 0 1 0 320 voicings → Am7 x 2 0 0 0 0 536 voicings → Amaj7 x 2 1 1 1 0 200 voicings → Asus2 x 2 4 4 4 x 66 voicings → Asus4 x 2 2 2 2 0 198 voicings → Aadd9 x 2 1 4 1 0 60 voicings →

Bb chords in Open C tuning

Bb x 3 2 3 5 x 91 voicings → Bbm x 3 1 3 1 1 67 voicings → Bb5 x 3 5 3 x x 56 voicings → Bb7 x 3 2 1 2 1 116 voicings → Bbm7 x 3 1 1 1 1 64 voicings → Bbmaj7 x 3 2 2 5 5 128 voicings → Bbsus2 x 3 5 3 0 x 277 voicings → Bbsus4 x 3 3 3 5 x 104 voicings → Bbadd9 x 3 0 3 2 1 202 voicings →

B chords in Open C tuning

B x 4 3 4 6 x 54 voicings → Bm x 4 2 4 2 2 52 voicings → B5 x 4 6 4 x x 41 voicings → B7 x 4 3 2 3 2 56 voicings → Bm7 x 4 2 2 2 2 40 voicings → Bmaj7 x 4 3 3 6 6 68 voicings → Bsus2 x 4 1 4 1 2 52 voicings → Bsus4 x 4 4 4 6 0 147 voicings → Badd9 6 6 6 8 6 7 44 voicings →

No easy shape: F#maj7, Abm7. 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 Open C tuning, and lets you hear them and chain them into a progression.

Open Open C in the app Open C tuning guide

Questions

Do my standard-tuning chord shapes still work in Open C tuning?

Partly. 4 of the 6 strings change, so a standard shape that avoids them (it can only use the 3rd, 1st strings) keeps its fingering and its sound. Any shape that uses a changed string sounds different and needs adjusting, which is what the chart above does for you.

Why are power chords easier in Open C tuning?

The bottom three strings are tuned C, G, C, 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 Open C 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.

Open C tuning guide Open G Open D Open E Open A All tunings