Open C tuning

Open C Tuning is an open tuning for guitar. The open string notes in this tuning are CGCGCE. 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

• CGCGCE - used by Justin Hayward (Moody Blues) acoustic guitar on "Question" ("Question of Balance" LP). Also used extensively by John Butler.

• CGCGCEb - 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.

• CGCGCF - C modal tuning, analogous to DADGAD. Used 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)

• Devin Townsend of Strapping Young Lad tunes his guitars to CGCGCE, sometimes with the addition of a lower seventh string, which is tuned to G. Devin has said many times that he got the idea to use this tuning for his own material after learning Led Zeppelin's "Friends."

• 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 all their songs.