Learn 6 guitar chords that are great for drop D tuned hard rock styles

Page Hamilton
(Image credit: Andrew Meares/Fairfax Media via Getty Images)

Guitar skills (opens in new tab): Hard rock and metal bands will often use drop D tuning (drop C# and drop C too). The sus2 chord is a basic powerchord with a major 2nd interval added. We also find the root and 5th doubled in some chords, expanding the shapes potentially over two octaves or more and giving a fatter, more ‘post grunge’ sound than the common or garden powerchord (opens in new tab).

(Image credit: Future)
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Chords

(Image credit: Future)

Try out the chords with this track 

(Image credit: Future)
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Here we take the classic drop D one-finger powerchord and extend it into bigger fatter sounding shapes. Try to make more out of the interwoven melody of bar 1.

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Check out more of our guitars lessons with chords  (opens in new tab)

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