Tunings

Riff supports 8 guitar tunings. The tuning determines the open string pitches and affects which fret positions the generator chooses for each note.

Available Tunings

| Tuning | Strings (low → high) | Availability | |--------|----------------------|-------------| | Standard | E A D G B E | Free | | Drop D | D A D G B E | Pro | | Drop C | C G C F A D | Pro | | Half Step Down | D# G# C# F# A# D# | Pro | | Full Step Down | D G C F A D | Pro | | Open G | D G D G B D | Pro | | Open D | D A D F# A D | Pro | | DADGAD | D A D G A D | Pro |

How Tuning Affects Generation

The generator maps notes to fret positions based on your selected tuning. Changing the tuning doesn't change which notes are played — it changes where on the fretboard those notes fall.

For example, the note A in Standard tuning is the open 5th string (fret 0). In Drop D tuning, it's still on the 5th string but the fretboard geometry is different for the 6th string, which is tuned down to D.

When to Use Alternate Tunings

• Drop D / Drop C — Heavy riffs and power chords. Common in rock and metal. The low string gives access to deeper bass notes.
• Half Step Down / Full Step Down — Same fingering patterns as standard but a darker, heavier tone. Popular in blues and classic rock (Hendrix, SRV).
• Open G — Strum all open strings to get a G major chord. Great for slide guitar and Rolling Stones-style riffs.
• Open D — Open strings form a D major chord. Used in folk, blues slide, and fingerpicking.
• DADGAD — A suspended, modal sound. Popular in Celtic and folk music. Neither major nor minor by default.

Selecting a Tuning

On the Generate page, use the tuning dropdown to select your tuning before generating. The fretboard visualization and tab output will reflect the chosen tuning.

Free plan users are limited to Standard tuning. Upgrade to Pro to unlock all 8 tunings.