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→Common Tunings
* 6 - E (E2)
This is commonly written as ''(E A D G B E)''. This is also called '''''E Standard'''''. Notice that it starts on the 6th string and ends on the 1st. Things in music are often written from the lowest pitch to the highest. However, this is the reverse the way the strings are numbered.
These notes are common to the keys of C, G, and D major (same as A, E, and B minor respectively), which are the most common keys for guitar-oriented music. All but one pair of adjacent strings are perfect ascending 4th/descending 5th intervals. It allows for patterns to emerge when playing scales, as well as common chord shapes.
Some rock players like to tune down a half-step - (E{{f}} A{{f}} D{{f}} G{{f}} B{{f}} E{{f}}). This is sometimes called '''E{{f}} Standard''' or a ''half-step below Standard''. This may be because this makes a key easier to play in that a keyboard or horn player can play more easily in. Or it may be to get a slighter lower open 6th string note, which some interpret as being "heavier". Or it might be simply to get less string tension, which can make fretting more effortless, but this comes at a price (covered in [[Strings#String Gauge|string gauge]]). One could similarly use thicker or thinner strings and retain similar tension at different tunings.
Another common rock tuning is '''''Drop D'''''. This is the same as Standard Tuning, but the 6th string is dropped down from E to D (D A D G B E). This allows the player to barre the 6th, 5th, and 4th strings with a single finger to get a "power chord" (covered later). When bands first started using this, they were often derided for being lazy; however, it allows a number of new opportunities, including a new lowest note, power chord playing nearly as fast as single note playing, and a different interval between the 5th and 6th strings (changing scale patterns).
There are also '''''open tunings''''', named because all the open strings' notes belong to particular chord. For example, ''Open E'' is (E B E G{{s}} B E) - all notes are from the (E G{{s}} B) triad or E major chord. All of the 12 notes can potentially have an open tuning. Again, people may call this lazy, but it really has far more inventive uses.
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