What is Double Drop D tuning?

Double Drop D lowers both the 6th (low E) and 1st (high E) strings to D: D-A-D-G-B-D (low to high). The middle four strings stay in standard tuning.

What scales work in Double Drop D?

D major, D minor, and D Mixolydian are the most natural fits. The three D strings (6th, 4th, and 1st) create powerful drones for D-centric scales. The D Dorian mode gives a beautiful folk character.

Is Double Drop D hard to learn?

It's one of the easiest alternate tunings. Only two strings change, both by the same interval (one whole step down). Most chord shapes on the B, G, D, and A strings work exactly the same as standard tuning.

C# Phrygian Guitar Scale

Guitar scale in Double Drop D tuning — fretboard diagram

Tuning

Frets

C# Phrygian in Double Drop D — Notes and Intervals

The C# Phrygian scale is the third mode of the major scale, defined by its immediate dark and tense character. On Guitar, its notes are C#, D, E, F#, G#, A, B. It has a strong Spanish or ethnic flavor, making it the definitive sound of Flamenco. In modern contexts, it is widely used in heavy metal to create an aggressive, brooding atmosphere. The diatonic chords of C# Phrygian are C#m7, DMaj7, E7, F#m7, G#m7b5, AMaj7, Bm7. Commonly used in Flamenco, Metal, Djent, Middle Eastern. Notable players include Al Di Meola, Metallica, Meshuggah, Paco de Lucia. Use over sus(b9), m7 chords in Phrygian contexts. Often played over a droning root note or power chord. The b2 → 1 resolution is the mode's signature move.

Notes: C#, D, E, F#, G#, A, B

Intervals: 1P, 2m, 3m, 4P, 5P, 6m, 7m

Degrees: 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7

Formula: H-W-W-W-H-W-W

Number of notes: 7

Tuning: Double Drop D (D-A-D-G-B-D)

Diatonic Chords

C♯m7 — DMaj7 — E7 — F♯m7 — G♯m7♭5 — AMaj7 — Bm7

About Double Drop D Tuning

Double Drop D tuning (D-A-D-G-B-D) lowers both the 6th and 1st strings from E to D, creating a symmetrical frame of D notes around the standard middle four strings. This gives a distinctly resonant, jangly character that has been beloved in folk-rock and acoustic music since the late 1960s.

Neil Young used Double Drop D extensively — 'Cinnamon Girl' features its distinctive droning riff, and 'The Needle and the Damage Done' showcases its intimate fingerpicking potential. Jimmy Page used it on Led Zeppelin's 'Going to California'. Fleetwood Mac's 'The Chain' also employs this tuning. Because only two strings change (both by just one whole step), Double Drop D is one of the easiest alternate tunings to learn — most standard chord shapes on the inner four strings remain unchanged.

Folk-RockAcoustic RockClassic RockSinger-Songwriter

Notable artists: Neil Young, Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Fleetwood Mac, Crosby Stills Nash & Young

Best for: Folk-rock songwriting, D-centric acoustic arrangements, droning fingerpicking patterns, and any song that benefits from rich D-string resonance on both outer strings

Musical Character

DarkAggressiveUrgentExotic

The b2 interval from the root creates an immediate sense of tension and 'danger'. This single semitone is what gives Phrygian its unmistakable flamenco/metal character.

Chord Progressions Using This Scale

i – VII – VI – V (Andalusian Cadence)World / Flamenco — Tension & Drama

Explore This Scale in Other Tunings

← All Guitar scales in Double Drop D tuning