Guitar tuning

Open E Tuning

E·B·E·G#·B·E

Tonal centre E major Also called E major tuning Difficulty Easy shapes, watch the neck tension

Open on the Canvas → Explore chords in the app

Open E tunes the strings to an E major chord: E, B, E, G#, B, E from low to high. It is Open D moved up a whole step — the same intervals and the same shapes — but the higher pitch gives it more tension, more sustain and a brighter ring.

That extra tension is why slide players reach for it. Duane Allman played “Statesboro Blues” and “One Way Out” in Open E; Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes carried it on. Keith Richards used its simple two-finger shapes for “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and “Street Fighting Man.” The trade-off is real strain on the neck and strings — many players tune to Open D and capo the 2nd fret to reach the same pitch safely.

How to tune to Open E

From standard tuning:

6th (lowest) E — unchanged
5th A → B (up a whole step)
4th D → E (up a whole step)
3rd G → G# (up a semitone)
2nd B — unchanged
1st (highest) E — unchanged

Open—Shape’s tuner listens for one string at a time and tells you which string it is and how far off — including in alternate tunings like this one.

What Open E does well

A ringing E major. Strum the open strings for a full E chord — three E’s across the six strings make the tonic huge.
Slide sustain. The higher string tension gives a slide more attack and a longer ring than Open D, which is why blues players favour it.
Straight-barre majors. Any fret barred is a major chord — 3rd fret G, 5th fret A, 7th fret B.
Simple two-finger riffs. Adding one or two fingers to the open tuning gives sixths, sevenths and suspensions — the vocabulary of a lot of Stones rhythm playing.

Common chords in Open E

Open E is Open D up a whole step, so these are the same shapes you would use there. Each is the first voicing the engine returns; tap to browse the rest.

E 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 of 958 → A 5 5 0 5 5 0 1 of 331 → B 7 0 7 7 7 7 1 of 114 → B7 7 0 5 7 7 5 1 of 234 → C#m x 2 0 0 2 0 1 of 469 → F#m 2 2 2 1 2 2 1 of 175 → E7 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 of 742 → Aadd9 5 0 0 5 0 0 1 of 530 →

Numbers read low string to high; 0 is open, × is muted.

A progression to try

A I–IV–V loop in E, ringing on the open strings between changes:

E→A→B→E

Songs in Open E

She Talks to Angels — The Black Crowes
Statesboro Blues — The Allman Brothers Band
Jumpin’ Jack Flash — The Rolling Stones
A wide slide-blues repertoire

Players who use Open E

Duane Allman, Derek Trucks, Warren Haynes, Keith Richards, Bob Dylan (parts of Blood on the Tracks), Joe Walsh, Ry Cooder, Lowell George.

Open a Open E canvas — a tuning module already set, wired to a starter progression, every shape recalculated for you.

Open on the Canvas → Explore chords in the app

Open E tuning FAQ

What are the notes in Open E tuning?

From lowest to highest: E, B, E, G#, B, E. Three strings go up from standard: the 5th (A to B), the 4th (D to E) and the 3rd (G to G#). The 6th, 2nd and 1st stay.

Is Open E hard on the guitar?

It can be. Three strings are tuned up, which adds tension the neck was not built for — over time it can pull the neck forward. Many players use Open D and capo the 2nd fret instead, which gives the same pitch without the strain.

Is Open E the same as Open D?

Same intervals, a whole step apart. Every shape is identical; Open E just sounds higher and rings with more tension. Slide players often prefer Open E for the extra sustain.

What songs are in Open E?

“She Talks to Angels” by The Black Crowes, “Statesboro Blues” by the Allman Brothers, “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” by the Rolling Stones, and a large slide-blues catalogue.

Can I use a capo in Open E?

Yes, though the tuning is already under tension. A capo raises the whole open-E chord to a higher key while keeping the shapes. Open—Shape recalculates every voicing for the capo position.

Related tunings

Open G Open D Open C Open A