page_title: Overtones tuning
section_title: Open G tuning
hierarchical_section_title: Overtones tuning / Open tunings / Examples / Open G tuning
caption_attribution_description: English: Joni Mitchell performing in concert photo by Paul C Babin
context_page_description: Among alternative tunings for the guitar, an overtones tuning selects its open-string notes from the overtone sequence of a fundamental note. An example is the open tuning constituted by the first six overtones of the fundamental note C, namely C₂-C₃-G₃-C₄-E₄-G₄.
  Overtone tunings that are open tunings have been used in songs by folk musician Joni Mitchell and by rock guitarist Mick Ralphs of Bad Company; these open overtones-tunings select their open notes from the first six partials of their overtone sequence on C or G. For open tunings, the open strings and the frets are each associated with a major-chord, which is played by strumming the open strings or the strings after they have been barred at one fret with one finger, greatly simplifying major-chord playing. For each such open or barred chord, the overtones reinforce the bass note, increasing the guitar's volume of sound and resonance. In an open overtones-tuning, adjacent strings that differ by a third interval can be tuned in just intonation, resulting in greater consonance than thirds in equal temperament.
context_section_description: G-G-D-G-B-D
  This open G tuning was used by Zebra's Randy Jackson for "Who's Behind the Door?". Mick Ralphs used this open-G overtones-tuning for "Hey Hey" and while writing the demo of "Can't Get Enough". The open G tuning G-G-D-G-B-D was used by Joni Mitchell for For the Roses ("Electricity" and "For the Roses") and "Hunter (The Good Samaritan)". Truncating this tuning to G-D-G-B-D for his five-string guitar, Keith Richards plays this overtones-tuning on The Rolling Stones's  "Honky Tonk Women", "Brown Sugar" and "Start Me Up".
caption: Joni Mitchell used the open-G overtones-tuning G-G-D-G-B-D for "Electricity", "For the Roses", and "Hunter (The Good Samaritan)".
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