In Open G the strings are tuned D G D G B D from low to high. Strum all six open strings and you already hear a complete G major chord. That’s why it’s called “open”: you don’t have to fret anything.
Retuning from standard
- low E string down a whole step to D
- A string down a whole step to G
- D, G and B strings stay the same
- high E string down a whole step to D
Chords with one finger
Because the open strings already make G major, every other major chord is simply your index finger across all strings at one fret:
- G: all strings open
- C: index finger across fret 5
- D: index finger across fret 7
- G an octave higher: across fret 12
With G, C and D you can already play a whole twelve-bar blues. That’s why Open G is popular for blues and rock – and for slide, a smooth tube that glides over the strings (more in Open D and Open E).
Setting it up in the app
In the tuner, tap “Other tuning …” at the bottom and choose “Open G”. The tuner then shows the strings D G D G B D, the chord charts show the barre shapes, and songs and the blues neck follow the tuning too. A note at the top of every page reminds you – with the button “Back to standard tuning”.
To the tuner