Open E Tuning – Easy Guitar Guide + Fun Ways to Play
In this lesson, I’m not just going to show you how to tune your guitar to Open E – I’m going to show you some easy and fun ways to start making music with it right away.
Instead of memorizing shapes, scales, and exercises, we’re going to focus on three simple ways to explore this tuning so you can actually enjoy playing it.
What Is Open E Tuning?
Open E tuning means that when you strum all the strings without touching anything, you get a full E major chord.
That’s what makes it so powerful – your guitar is already doing a lot of the work for you.
How to Tune to Open E
Start in standard tuning:
E A D G B e
Then make these changes:
- Leave low E as is
- Tune A up to B
- Tune D up to E
- Tune G up to G#
- Leave B the same
- Leave high e the same
Important Tip
After tightening those strings, the rest of your guitar will likely go slightly out of tune. That’s normal.
Take a moment to re-tune everything so it sounds clean and balanced.
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1. One-Finger Chords (Super Easy)
One of the best things about Open E is that you can play full chords with just one finger.
Just lay your finger across a fret – that’s a chord.
You don’t even need to hit all the strings:
- Play just the low strings for a fuller sound
- Play higher strings to stay out of the bass range
- Try partial chords – sometimes they sound even better
This is a great way to understand how your guitar fits into a mix, especially if you’re playing with others.
2. Melody Inside the Chord
This is my favorite part of Open E.
You can strum the open strings, and then pick out melody notes while that big E chord keeps ringing in the background.
Try this simple idea:
- Play open strings
- Then try the 2nd fret on each string
- On the G string, use the 1st fret instead
You can practice going:
- Open → 2nd fret (most strings)
- Open → 1st fret (G string)
This creates a really musical, layered sound without needing to think too hard.
You can:
- Strum and add notes
- Focus on melody and lightly strum
- Just experiment and follow your ear
This ties into the idea of muscle memory, where repetition helps your hands naturally find musical ideas over time.
3. Slide Guitar (The Classic Sound)
Open E is famous for slide guitar.
Players like Duane Allman and Derek Trucks used it to create that blues-rock sound.
But before jumping into slide:
- Get comfortable with the tuning first
- Try “fake slide” by just gliding your fingers
- Learn where the notes sound good
Then when you add a slide, it’ll feel much more natural.
The Big Idea
You don’t need to memorize anything complicated.
Just:
- Tune your guitar
- Try simple shapes
- Experiment with sound
Let the open strings do a lot of the work.
Want to Go Further?
If you want a worksheet to go along with this lesson, plus step-by-step courses and extra guidance, check out:
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You’ll get:
- On-demand access to my full lesson library
- Exclusive bonuses that go deeper than YouTube
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- Direct access to ask me questions
Everything is designed to help you actually build real skills – and enjoy the process.
Have a fun time practicing and I’ll see you soon!
-James
