Guitar tuning
8-String Drop E Tuning
Eight-string drop E lowers the eighth string to E for a drop-tuned relationship an octave below six-string drop E.
- Notes low to high
- E, B, E, A, D, G, B, E
- Strings
- 8
- Default frets
- 24
- Open pitch range
- E1 to E4
- 24-fret pitch range
- E1 to E6
- Also called
- EBEADGBE
How this tuning changes the guitar
The upper seven strings remain in seven-string standard tuning while the eighth string drops from F sharp to E. The lowest three open strings form E-B-E across strings 8, 7, and 6.
Fretboard and chord implications
A single fret across the lowest three strings creates movable power chords, while standard seven-string patterns remain unchanged above them. The open E strings repeat across a three-octave span from the eighth string to the first.
8-String Drop E Tuning fretboard notes
8-String Drop E Tuning string notes
| String | Note | Pitch |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | E | E1 |
| 7 | B | B1 |
| 6 | E | E2 |
| 5 | A | A2 |
| 4 | D | D3 |
| 3 | G | G3 |
| 2 | B | B3 |
| 1 | E | E4 |
Common uses
- modern heavy music
- djent
- extended-range rhythm guitar
- bass-register riffing
Practice this tuning
- Tune from low to high as E B E A D G B E, then play each open string while saying its note name and string number aloud.
- Trace E roots and B fifths from the eighth string to the first string, then connect them with G notes as minor thirds for E minor arpeggios.
- Write an E-centered part that separates bass-register power chords from upper-register harmony so the extended range remains clear.
Open this tuning in the fretboard tool
Start with 8-string drop e tuning loaded, then adjust root, scale, fret count, labels, colors, and orientation.
Open in interactive fretboard