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: 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.

(Image credit: Future)

Chords

(Image credit: Future)

Try out the chords with this track 

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Click on the top right of the tab to enlarge it 

Check out more of our guitars lessons with chords 

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