Open C tuning

Open C tuning.

Open C Tuning is an open tuning for guitar. The open string notes in this tuning are CGCGCE.^[1] It uses the three notes that form the triad of a C major chord: C, the root note; G, the perfect fifth; and E the major third.

When the guitar is strummed without fretting any of the strings a C major chord is sounded. This means that any major chord can be easily created using one finger, fretting all the strings at once.

Variants and users

• CGCGCE - used by Justin Hayward (Moody Blues) acoustic guitar on "Question" ("Question of Balance" LP). Also used extensively by John Butler.
• Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad) tunes his guitars to CGCGCE in most of his songs or, when he uses a 7 string guitar, GCGCGCE. From Ki onwards,

he started to tune his six string guitars down a half step (BF#BF#BD#) or a whole step (BbFBbFBbD). Townsend has said many times that he got the idea to use this tuning for his own material after learning the song "Friends" by Led Zeppelin

• CGCFCE - used by Nick Drake in the song Pink Moon.^[2]

• CGCGCE♭ - open C minor tuning, which produces a C minor chord. Used by Laurence Juber on "The Age of Rhythm", from Al Stewart's Between the Wars.

• CGCE♭GC - open C minor tuning, which produces a C minor chord. Used by Niko Wenner on the Oxbow songs: A Winner Every Time; Time Gentlemen, Time; It's the Giving Not the Taking; etc.

• CGCGCD - C modal tuning (Csus2), analogous to DADEAD. Used by Ani Difranco in “Falling Is like This” from Out of Range, by Nic Jones in “Canadee I O” from Penguin Eggs, and very frequently by Jim Tozier^[3].

• CGCGCF - C modal tuning (Csus4), analogous to DADGAD. Used frequently by Kelly Joe Phelps^[4] and occasionally by John Renbourn.

• CACGCE (Open C 6th) - used by Jimmy Page in Led Zeppelin songs "Friends" (Led Zeppelin III), "Bron-Yr-Aur" (Physical Graffiti) and "Poor Tom", (Coda)

• CGCGGE (Open C doubled 5th) - used by Soundgarden on songs "Pretty Noose" and "Burden in My Hand" (Down on the Upside) and "Head Down" and "Half" (Superunknown)

• The British band Aliases, formed by ex-SikTh member Graham "Pin" Pinney, uses Open C tuning on several songs.

• CECGCC - used by Bad Company on "Can't Get Enough."

• CGCEGC - used by Elliott Smith on "Ballad Of Big Nothing," "See You Later," and "Independence Day."

• CGEGCC - used by Bon Iver on "Skinny Love."

• CGCGCC (Open C5) - used by Fair to Midland on much of their songs.^[5] They also tune it down 1/2 step (BF#BF#BB).

References

1. ^ Baughman, Steve (2004). "Open C". Mel Bay Beginning Open Tunings. Pacific, Missouri: Mel Bay Publications. pp. 8–14. ISBN 978-0-7866-7093-2. http://books.google.com/books?id=zCSPzwsNhcIC&pg=PA8. 
2. ^ Healy, Chris. "Pink Moon". Nick Drake Files. Mikael Ledin. http://www.algonet.se/~iguana/DRAKE/chrispink.html. Retrieved 4 May 2011. 
3. ^ Guitar tuning C-G-C-G-C-D
4. ^ Kelly Joe Phelps tunings
5. ^ "Interview with Fair to Midland". http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=183723738&blogId=343414308. ^{[self-published source?]}