The ultimate guide to 7 string guitar tuning

7-string guitars seem to be everywhere these days. Theyve gotten expressly popular in recent years. Unshortened genres have been built virtually this particular type of guitar. You can really swoop into the deep, deep rabbithole that is extended range guitars, but well alimony it simple here.

So, have you overly wondered what it would be like to play a 7-string guitar (if so, trammels out our guide to budget 7-string guitars)? Or do you have one and are just curious well-nigh variegated 7 string guitar tunings? Then this is the right place. Today we’re going to walk you through some of the most popular and interesting tunings for seven string guitars.

7-string crash course

For those unaware, a seven-string guitar is exactly what it says, a guitar with a seventh string. This string is usually tuned lower than the 6th string, giving it an extended range.

The history of the seven-string guitar might surprise you. We all know that lower tunings are very popular in modern metal. Overly since the mid-1990s bands have experimented with lower and lower with tunings. Down-tuning is not new at all, but tuning so low was an experimental concept. But 7-string guitars have been virtually since the 1800s. They were primarily played by solo classical guitarists. The point was to still be worldly-wise to play chords and melodies the way theyre used to, whilst stuff worldly-wise to simultaneously trailblaze yourself in the toned register. This substantially removed the need for a toned player. Seven-string guitars were used in a variety of styles, from Russian folk-music to orchestral solo pieces. Theyre still fairly worldwide in non-westen countries like Mexico, where 7-string guitars prove popular with mariachi groups.

Why use a seven-string? Some players want to be worldly-wise to play lower notes while still having the full treble range of a six-string guitar. Some want to be worldly-wise to play a bassline withal with a melody, as is a very popular style of playing these days (think of artists like Polyphia or Ichika Nito). And some just want to use crazy volitional tunings for increasingly possible songwriting flavours.

Why tune down? Tuning lanugo gives the music a darker feel, which in term can enhance the finger a particular song is trying to convey. Whereas tuning up (or using a capo) is very popular with sensory guitarists to requite it a brighter feel, tuning lanugo does the opposite. Thats why its so popular in the darker genres of music. As I said, unshortened genres have been built virtually this concept. One such genre is Djent. Djent is an lattermost form of metal often played with 8-9 string guitars tuned lanugo to waif E (1 octave down) or plane lower. The visionless sounds gives a very ominous and alerting sound that conveys unrepealable emotions very well.

But unbearable of all that, lets get into some of the most popular – and fun – 7 string guitar tunings…

7 String Guitar Tuning – B standard tuning (B-E-A-D-G-b-e)

Minimum scale length: 25.5 (265 recommended)
Used by: Trivium (Shogun), Haken (The Virus), Dream Theatre (many variegated songs)

This is the standard tuning of the modern 7-string guitar. Its the same as E standard, but the 7th string is tuned a fourth lanugo from the low E, making it a low B. This 7-string guitar tuning is so popular considering the intervals between the lowest strings are the same as on a six-string guitar. It moreover allows you to play in E standard as if the guitar has 6 strings. A popular variation of this tuning is when the G string is tuned up a semitone to G#. This makes the shifts the major 3rd interval up one string, permitting the player to play familiar chords shapes one strong lower. Other popular variations are tuning all the strings lanugo to A# standard or A standard for instance. B standard is very popular with all sorts of metal bands, with styles ranging from thrash-metal to complicated prog-groups.

Examples of artists who use B standard are Trivium, Haken, Dream Theatre, and Alien Weaponry, Crowbar etc.

7 String Guitar Tuning – Drop A tuning (A-E-A-D-G-B-e)

Minimum scale length: 255 (26,5-27 recommended)
Used by: Slipknot (certain songs on All Hope Is Gone), Amon Amarth (many variegated songs), Nile (most songs)

This 7 string tuning basically takes the waif D concept, but tuned lanugo a fourth. This once then allows the player to play in E standard. The only difference between Waif A and B standard is that the low B is tuned lanugo to an A. This makes the interval between the 6th and 7th string a fifths, which makes it easier to play power chords. It moreover makes it easier to play inverted major or minor 3rds, and suspended chords. These sorts of tunings are overly popular with metal bands who play fast power chord sequences, or modern metal bands who play with a lot of ramified chords. Popular variations of this tuning are waif G#, Waif G, or plane lower. This once then involves tuning all the strings lanugo from waif A, giving it an plane darker sound. An plane increasingly popular tuning is drop B (B-F#-B-E-A-C#-f#). Waif A is very popular with volitional metal bands that like to riff hard. Fast and relatively simple riffs are usually the way to go with Waif A. Just play any Waif D riffs in Waif A and youll finger super mighty.

Examples of artists who often use Waif A are Slipknot, Amon Amarth, Nile, Suicide Silence and Impending Doom.

7 String Guitar Tuning – Drop G tuning (G-D-G-C-F-A-d)

Minimum scale length: 26,5 (27 recommended)
Used by: Periphery (certain songs on most albums), Born of Osiris (many variegated songs)

Now where getting into the extremes. I know this is similar to waif A, but its just so popular that I have to talk well-nigh it. For many people, Waif G is deemed the weightier waif tuning for 7-string guitars, as it combines a slightly darker sound than E standard on the 6 higher strings, and still having the lowest string be well-marked to unbearable to unmistakably hear whats stuff played.

Whether thats true is debatable, but you have to stipulate that this tuning iscertainly a wham to play and hear, and thats why lots of bands use it. Bands like Periphery, Born of Osiris, Whitechapel, and Wage War. Plane Pantera technically used Waif G. But Dimebag played it on a six-string guitar tuned to G-G-C-F-A-D, where the lowest G is an octave unelevated the higher G.

7 String Guitar Tuning – Open C tuning (G-C-G-C-G-C-E)

Minimum scale length 26,5 (27 recommended)
Used by Devin Townsend (many variegated songs)

This is a very interesting tuning, as all the strings are tuned to the notes in a C major triad. This opens up lots of possibilities for interesting chord voicings. This tuning is increasingly popular one six-string guitars, where a variety of unshut chords are stuff used as tunings. Tunings like Unshut G and Unshut D are very popular in genres with slide guitar, like blues and country. These tunings are moreover popular with sensory guitarists who want to take their vital chords to the next level. These tunings are very fun to experiment with and are a unconfined songwriting tool for discovering new sounds that you wouldnt have on a increasingly standard tuning.

An example of an versifier who uses unshut tunings on seven-string guitars is Devin Townsend.

7 String Guitar Tuning – G-C-G-C-F-A-D tuning

Minimum scale length 26,5 (27 recommended)
Used by Killswitch Engage, Periphery

This is a unconfined tuning for if you want to play chords that sound huge. This tuning is basically Waif C but with a low G. This enables you to play simple power chords over 4 strings and two octaves. This tuning can moreover be used as a flavour by primarily playing in Waif C but using the low G to underscore unrepealable chords. Theres a lot of fun that can be had with this tuning. plane forgetting all the interesting flavours, just playing simple power chords over two octaves will sound veritably massive!

I couldnt find any bands that play in G-C-G-C-F-A-D, but theres lots of bands that play in Waif C, and this tuning can be used in unison with G-C-G-C-F-A-D.

Bands that play in waif c are: As I Lay Dying, Killswitch Engage, Papa Roach, and Periphery.

7 String Guitar Tuning – Drop E tuning (E-B-E-A-D-G-B)

Minimum scale length 27 (28-28,5 recommended)
Used by Meshuggah (all albums)

This is where it gets really crazy. Stepping fully into toned guitar territory (yes, this ways you can finally fire your toned player) this tuning gets pretty extreme. The point of this tuning is not the same as B standard for instance. B standard is increasingly meant for the same sorts of riff youd play in E standard but lower, whereas Waif E morphs into a completely variegated style of playing, where low unshut strings and upper chords and melodies are rapidly alternated. Waif E is usually played on 8 string guitars, but its veritably performable on a 7 string guitar. Waif E is often used in the increasingly lattermost styles of progressive metal, like Djent for instance. This tuning is so crazy that if a wreath that plays in Waif E has a toned player, the toned player usually tunes UP to be in the same register (From E-A-D-G to E-B-E-A). Tuning an octave lanugo is nearly untellable on a toned guitar, and whats the point? As long as the guitars and toned are mixed well, the toned player doesnt plane have to play lower than the guitarist(s) for the mix to sound full. Bands that often play in Waif E are Meshuggah, Born of Osiris, and Loathe.

Final thoughts on 7 String Guitar Tuning

We hope our 7 string guitar tuning guide was of use to you, and you stick virtually to see increasingly (like our full guide to variegated types of guitar)! We depend on you spreading the word well-nigh KillerGuitarRigs in order to alimony making these self-ruling guides and resources, so finger self-ruling to share this vendible with your friends.

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