Drop D Tuning

“Drop D Tuning” means you are tuning the low E string on an acoustic or electric guitar a whole step down, to a D. This is one of the simplest alternate tunings you can use, and one of the most versatile. Songs as diverse as “Dear Prudence” (The Beatles), “Blackwater” (Doobie Brothers), and “I Love This Bar” (Toby Keith), all use the Drop D Tuning. Guitarists who use this often replace the standard E string with a heavier gauge to keep the string from being too loose and, thus, prone to going out of tune. If you use a .046 E string, replace it with a .052, and you should be fine.