Unlock the Deep Bass and Expansive Voicings of Low C Tuning

Acoustic guitarists in all genres often use alternate tunings. Some of these tunings have become so prevalent that they practically identify their genre—for example, open D or G for slide blues, or DADGAD for Celtic styles. This article will focus on C G D G B E tuning (sometimes known as Hawaiian Wahine slack key), which lends itself well to a variety of styles.

We’ll explore this tuning’s many sonic and practical advantages, including an expanded lower range; huge, lush, easy-to-play chord voicings; and relatively simple adaptation, as the top four strings remain the same as standard tuning. Whether you’re looking to create stirring bass lines, rich chords, or dynamic textures, this tuning has something to offer players of all stripes.

Get in Tune

Let’s get started by tuning down—this is a relatively quick tuning adjustment, one that can be easily done between songs on a gig. Drop the low E and A strings down to C and G, respectively. Then double-check the top four strings, since they will likely go slightly out of tune when you lower the bottom two strings. As I demonstrate in the video, try playing octaves to check the intonation on the two bass strings. Finally, test the bottom three strings with an open triad and adjust them until it sounds good to your ear.

Find Huge, Easy Chords

This tuning allows for some great-sounding low-register chords that resonate like a baritone guitar. Check out how full the basic chords shown in Example 1 sound. Example 2 depicts a few barre chord voicings. These shapes are larger in range than their standard-tuning counterparts, and most of them are easier to play.

In Example 3, you’ll find some basic three-note structures with the roots on the bottom string. These all share a root note of Eb, but the shapes are all movable. It will just take a little time to learn the notes on the two bottom strings. However, for those of you who play mandolin or bouzouki, the stacked-fifths tuning of the bottom three strings will be familiar. Notice how big the Eb chords sound. That’s because they’re open triads—the distance between notes is larger than an octave and results in spread-out, piano-like voicings.

Examples 4 and 5 show some four- and five-note chord voicings. Again, all are movable forms. They sound enormous on an acoustic, due to the two-octave range of the voicings, with few, if any, repeated notes. And they’re a lot easier to play than standard barre chords.

So far, we’ve only looked at chords with sixth-string roots. Example 6 includes some shapes where the root is on the fifth string. You will recognize the upper structure of each chord on the D, G, and B strings. Like chords with a root on the sixth string, these are easier to play than the standard barre forms. They even allow for voicings that are difficult to play in standard tuning.

Be Your Own Bass Player

Some players use seven-string guitars to get low bass lines, but you can approximate this sound using the low bass tones of C G D G B E tuning. Example 7 is a chord progression in a Brazilian samba style. The lowered bass strings give you a wider range, thereby distinguishing the bass and chord parts from one another. This flexibility allows you to sound more like two players while enabling deliciously low bass notes for fills and lines.

Example 8 illustrates this concept in the manner of Chet Atkins. These types of chords sound equally good with or without a bass player on the gig. Example 9 shows a simple bass line that connects two chords in an R&B-type progression. This approach is great if you’re playing in a solo or duo situation.

Try a Tune

“Fannie Poer” (aka “Fanny Power”) is a popular piece from the 17th- and 18th-century Irish composer Turlough O’Carolan. The melody comes from the Irish musician and folk music collector Edward Bunting’s Ancient Music of Ireland, and the beautiful playing of the late New England guitarist David Surette inspired this arrangement.

Some fingerstyle arrangements use down-stemmed notes to show what’s picked by your thumb and up-stemmed notes to show what’s picked by your fingers. Here, I wanted to highlight the melody, so I’ve stemmed the melody up and the accompaniment down. This means that not all down-stemmed notes are played with the thumb.

Observe the overall sustaining, lyrical quality—think music for Irish harp—and the grace notes and trills characteristic of Irish phrasing. Pay attention to the position shifts in measures 21–23 and the natural harmonics in measure 29. Measures 10 and 11 feature five-note chords plucked with your thumb, index, middle, and ring fingers. The bottom two strings are plucked with the thumb, and the ring finger plays the top string.

After you’ve learned this composition, take some time to experiment with C G D G B E tuning on your own—you may discover new chords, patterns, or melodies that inspire your playing even further.