This 'Baritone' tuning for the Guitar is a heavy, deep, and resonant alteration from standard tuning. As described in the original tuning, it's a significant drop, moving every string down two and a half steps (5 semitones), resulting in a much lower overall pitch. This creates a darker, more guttural sound that has been foundational in genres like early Swedish death metal, as popularized by bands such as Entombed, Dismember, and At The Gates. Its modern use by groups like Five Finger Death Punch and Amon Amarth further solidifies its reputation for creating massive, aggressive tones. The uniformity of the drop across all strings maintains the relative intervals of standard tuning, making it familiar yet profoundly heavier.

Technically, this is a uniform drop tuning where every string is lowered by five semitones from standard EADGBe tuning, resulting in B Standard (B E A D F# B). While the intervals between strings remain the same as standard tuning (perfect fourths, major third, perfect fourths), the overall range is significantly extended downwards. Open chords in standard tuning will translate directly to their lower counterparts in B Standard. For example, an open E major chord shape will now produce a B major chord (a perfect fifth lower), and an open A minor shape will become an E minor. This parallel shift makes adapting existing chord voicings relatively straightforward, but with a much deeper sonic character.

The open strings themselves (B1, E2, A2, D3, F#4, B3) don't form a common full open chord like C or G major, but they contain notes that can be used to form powerful lower register voicings. For instance, the combination of B, D, F# forms a B minor triad, and with the addition of A, it can imply a B minor 7 chord. The lowest three strings (B-E-A) are all perfect fourths apart, providing a strong foundation for power chords. This structure is ideal for creating thick, unison, and octave riffs across all strings, characteristic of the genres mentioned. Due to the significant drop of 5 semitones on *every* string, using a heavier gauge of strings is highly recommended to maintain proper tension, intonation, and playability, preventing strings from becoming too floppy.

How to Tune

To achieve the Baritone tuning, you will need to adjust each string from its standard EADGBe pitch. Please follow these steps carefully:

• String 6 (Low E): Tune down 5 semitones to B1.
• String 5 (A): Tune down 5 semitones to E2.
• String 4 (D): Tune down 5 semitones to A2.
• String 3 (G): Tune down 5 semitones to D3.
• String 2 (B): Tune down 5 semitones to F#4.
• String 1 (High E): Tune down 5 semitones to B3.

Important Note: Considering that all strings are tuned down by 5 semitones, which exceeds the typical recommendation of 4 semitones for standard string gauges, it is strongly advised to use a heavier gauge string set specifically designed for baritone or drop tunings. This will ensure proper string tension, intonation, and playability, preventing excessive floppiness and potential damage to your instrument's neck from improper tension.

String 6 (Low E): Tuned to B1

String 5 (A): Tuned to E2

String 4 (D): Tuned to A2

String 3 (G): Tuned to D3

String 2 (B): Tuned to F#4

String 1 (High E): Tuned to B3