The Open G5 tuning is a resonant and powerful configuration for the guitar, particularly favored in blues, folk, and rock genres. It provides a full, harmonically rich sound when strummed open, making it exceptionally well-suited for slide guitar, drone accompaniment, and creating robust chords with minimal fingering. The absence of a major or minor third in the open chord gives it a versatile, neutral quality, allowing it to blend seamlessly into various musical contexts.

Technical Analysis

In Open G5, the open strings form a G5 chord, specifically G-G-D-D-G-G. This means the open strings provide the fundamental root (G) and the perfect fifth (D), purposefully omitting the major third (B). This characteristic gives the tuning its strong, somewhat raw, and powerful sound, which can be interpreted as either major or minor depending on context.

The intervals between the open strings are:

• 6th String (G2) to 5th String (G2): Unison
• 5th String (G2) to 4th String (D3): Perfect Fourth
• 4th String (D3) to 3rd String (D3): Unison
• 3rd String (D3) to 2nd String (G3): Perfect Fourth
• 2nd String (G3) to 1st String (G4): Octave

This arrangement, with its unisons and perfect fourths, creates a dense and harmonically stable foundation. A significant advantage of this tuning is that barring across any single fret will instantly yield a 5th chord (power chord) across all strings. For example, barring the 1st fret gives a G#5, the 2nd fret an A5, and so on. This makes playing power chords extremely intuitive and accessible across the fretboard. The strong drone provided by the duplicated G and D notes also enhances the richness of the sound, making it ideal for rhythmic accompaniment and open voicings.

How to Tune

To achieve the Open G5 tuning from standard EADGBe, follow these specific string adjustments:

• 6th String (Low E): Tune up 3 semitones from E2 to G2. (Take care when tuning up more than 3 semitones.)
• 5th String (A): Tune down 2 semitones from A2 to G2.
• 4th String (D): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) from D3.
• 3rd String (G): Tune down 5 semitones from G3 to D3. Caution: Tuning down 5 semitones is a significant drop. If you plan to use this tuning frequently, a heavier gauge string is highly advised for this string to maintain proper tension and intonation, or it may feel very slack.
• 2nd String (B): Tune down 4 semitones from B3 to G3. Caution: Tuning down 4 semitones is a significant drop. If you plan to use this tuning frequently, a heavier gauge string is highly advised for this string to maintain proper tension and intonation, or it may feel very slack.
• 1st String (High E): Tune up 3 semitones from E4 to G4. (Take care when tuning up more than 3 semitones.)

6th String: G2

5th String: G2

4th String: D3

3rd String: D3

2nd String: G3

1st String: G4