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A Guide to Pearl Jam's Tunings
by Evan Cowan and Rick Posey
Using this guide, you will be able to tune your guitar to the many different tunings Pearl Jam uses throughout their catalogue. The songs are listed in chronological order as they were released by the band. While going over these, please follow these pointers:
- The tunings are read from the lowest string to the highest string (l-h) or, if you wish, from the 6th string to the 1st string.
- The 6th string is your low E (the thickest one); the fifth is your A string, and so on.
If you have any further questions, please ask in our forums.
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Open D: DADF#AD (click to hear)
How it differs from standard tuning:
Lower the 1st, 2nd, and 6th strings one whole step.
Lower the 3rd string one half step.
How To Do It:
Lower the 1st string to match the 3rd fret of the 2nd string.
Next, lower the 2nd string to match the 2nd fret of the 3rd string.
Then lower the 3rd string to match the 4th fret of the 4th string.
Finally, lower the 6th string and match its octave to the open 4th string.
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Dropped D: DADGBE (click to hear)
How it differs from standard tuning:
Tune your low-E string down one whole step to a D.
How To Do It:
You can do this by matching the open low D to it's octave with the open 4th string D, or by matching the 7th fret on the low D string to the open A string.
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Open A: EAEAC#E (click to hear)
How it differs from standard tuning:
Raise the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th strings one whole step.
How To Do It:
Match the 7th fret of the 5th string to the open 4th string, then match the 5th fret of the 4th string to the open 3rd string.
Finally match the 4th fret of the 3rd string to the open 2nd string.
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Open G: DGDGBD (click to hear)
How it differs from standard tuning:
Lower the 1st, 5th, and 6th strings one whole step.
How To Do It:
Match the 3rd fret of the 2nd string to the open 1st string.
Match the 7th fret of the 5th string to the open 4th string.
Finally, match the 5th fret of the 6th string to the 5th string.
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Open G (variation): GGDGBD (click to hear)
How it differs from standard tuning:
Lower the 1st and 5th strings one whole step.
Raise the 6th string one and a half steps.
How To Do It:
Match the 3rd fret of the 2nd string to the open 1st string.
Match the 7th fret of the 5th string to the open 4th string.
Finally, match the open 6th string to the open 5th string.
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EADGCE (click to hear)
How it differs from standard tuning:
Raise the 2nd string one half step.
How To Do It:
Match the 5th fret of the 3rd string to the open 2nd string.
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D Suspended: DADGAD (click to hear)
How it differs from standard tuning:
Lower the 1st, 2nd, and 6th strings one whole step.
How To Do It:
Match the 7th fret of the 6th string to the open 5th string.
Match the 2nd fret of the 3rd string to the open 2nd string, and then the 5th fret of the 2nd string to the open 1st string.
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EADGAD (click to hear)
How it differs from standard tuning:
Lower the 1st and 2nd strings one whole step.
How To Do It:
Match the 2nd fret of the 3rd string to the open 2nd string, and then the 5th fret of the 2nd string to the open 1st string.
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xxGCEA (click to hear)
How it differs from standard tuning:
Raise 4th string 2 1/2 steps.
Raise 3rd string 2 1/2 steps.
Raise 2nd string 2 1/2 steps.
Raise 1st string 2 1/2 steps.
How To Do It:
Stretch your strings.
Raise the open 4th string to match the 10th fret of the 5th string.
Raise the open 3rd string to match the 5th fret of the 4th string.
Raise the open 2nd string to match the 4th fret of the 3rd string.
Raise the open 1st string to match the 5th fret of the 2nd string.
Please Note: This type of tension could very well break your strings if they are not stretched properly. Another possible solution to this would be to capo the 5th fret on your guitar and play the notes relative to the capo.
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CGDGBE (click to hear)
How it differs from standard tuning:
Lower the 5th string 1 whole step.
Lower the 6th string 2 whole steps.
How To Do It:
Match the 7th fret on the 5th string with the open 4th string, or you can match the open 5th string to the 3rd fret on the 6th string.
Match the 12th fret harmonic on the 6th string to the 5th fret of the re-tuned 5th string.
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CGCFAD
How it differs from standard tuning:
Lower strings 1-5 1 whole step.
Lower the 6th string 2 whole steps.
How To Do It:
Match the open 1st string to the 3rd fret of the 2nd string.
Match the 5th fret of the 2nd string to the retuned open 1st string.
Match the 4th fret of the 3rd string to the retuned open 2nd string.
Match the 5th fret of the 4th string to the retuned open 3rd string.
Match the 5th fret of the 5th string to the retuned open 4th string.
Match the 12th fret harmonic on the 6th string to the 5th fret of the re-tuned 5th string or the retuned open 4th string.
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BGDGBD (click to hear)
How it differs from standard tuning:
Lower the 5th string 1 whole step.
Lower the 6th string 2 1/2 steps.
Lower the 1st string 1 whole step.
How To Do It:
Match the 7th fret on the 5th string with the open 4th string, or you can match the open 5th string to the 3rd fret on the 6th string.
Match the 12th fret harmonic on the 6th string to the 4th fret of the re-tuned 5th string.
Match the open 1st string to the 3rd fret on the 2nd string.
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C#ADGBE (click to hear)
How it differs from standard tuning:
Lower the 6th string 2 1/2 steps.
How To Do It:
Match the 7th fret on the 5th string with the open 4th string, or you can match the open 5th string to the 3rd fret on the 6th string.
Match the 12th fret harmonic on the 6th string to the 4th fret of the 5th string.
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DGDGBE (click to hear)
How it differs from standard tuning:
Lower the 5th, and 6th strings one whole step.
How To Do It:
Match the 7th fret of the 5th string to the open 4th string.
Finally, match the 5th fret of the 6th string to the 5th string.
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Eb Tuning: EbAbDbGbBbEb (click to hear)
How it differs from standard tuning:
Tune all strings down ½ step.
How To Do It:
From standard tuning, match the 6th fret of the low E string to the open A string, then tune the guitar normally using the new low Eb string as a basis for the other strings.
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