What is Open A tuning?

Open A tuning is E-A-E-A-C#-E (low to high). Strumming all strings produces an A major chord. It's structurally the same as Open G but one whole step higher.

Is Open A the same as Open G with a capo?

Yes, musically they are identical — Open G with a capo at fret 2 gives you the same pitches as Open A. Many players use this approach. Without a capo, Open A has higher string tension which some slide players prefer for better control.

What scales work in Open A?

The A major pentatonic and A blues scale are natural choices. A Mixolydian gives a bluesy feel, and the A major scale works for country and folk styles.

A Locrian Guitar Scale

Guitar scale in Open A tuning — fretboard diagram

Tuning

Frets

A Locrian in Open A — Notes and Intervals

The A Locrian scale is the seventh and most unstable mode of the major scale. On Guitar, the notes are A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G. It sounds highly dissonant and unresolved, as its home chord is a diminished triad. While rare as a primary key, it is a crucial technical tool for jazz musicians improvising over half-diminished chords in tension-heavy passages. The diatonic chords of A Locrian are Am7b5, BbMaj7, Cm7, Dm7, EbMaj7, F7, Gm7. Commonly used in Jazz, Metal, Experimental, Avant-Garde. Notable players include John Coltrane, Meshuggah, Dream Theater. Use over m7b5 (half-diminished) chords. Essential for jazz ii-V-i in minor keys where the ii chord is half-diminished.

Notes: A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G

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

Degrees: 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7

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

Number of notes: 7

Tuning: Open A (E-A-E-A-C#-E)

Diatonic Chords

Am7♭5 — B♭Maj7 — Cm7 — Dm7 — E♭Maj7 — F7 — Gm7

About Open A Tuning

Open A tuning (E-A-E-A-C#-E) produces an A major chord when strummed open. It is structurally identical to Open G tuned up one whole step, delivering a brighter, more tense sound that works particularly well for slide guitar centered on the key of A.

Jimmy Page used Open A with a slide on Led Zeppelin's 'In My Time of Dying' from Physical Graffiti (1975). Rory Gallagher also employed Open A for his raw, energetic slide work. Many players achieve Open A by simply placing a capo at the 2nd fret in Open G tuning, which is why dedicated Open A usage is less commonly discussed. However, without a capo, Open A gives direct access to the open A string resonance and a different feel under the fingers due to the higher tension.

BluesSlide GuitarRockDelta Blues

Notable artists: Jimmy Page, Rory Gallagher, Delta blues players

Best for: Slide guitar in the key of A, blues playing, and situations where you need the brightness of Open G tuned up without a capo

Musical Character

UnstableDissonantDarkTense

The only mode with a diminished 5th (b5) from the root, making its home chord a diminished triad. This instability means Locrian is almost never used as a key center — it is a tool for tension.

Explore This Scale in Other Tunings

← All Guitar scales in Open A tuning