Pink Moon · fingerstyle folk · cluster voicings
CGCFCE Chords & Fretboard — the Nick Drake Tuning
The fretboard is in CGCFCE, the tuning Nick Drake used across much of Pink Moon. The open strings put a major third (E) and a fourth (F) side by side over a C–G–C bass, which is why so many one-finger shapes sound like clusters. Pick any chord below for voicings, then read the shapes and tuning steps.
- C–G–C–F–C–E
- Nick Drake "Pink Moon" tuning
- Open strings = Cadd4
- Low C needs a heavy string
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Total: 103.8 lbs • Avg: 17.3 lbs • All Strings Safe (Balanced) • Custom .010–.046
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CGCFCE tuning explained
CGCFCE is the tuning Nick Drake used for the title track of Pink Moon and several other songs ("Place to Be", "Road", "Which Will"). It is Open C (CGCGCE) with the 3rd string lowered from G to F — a small change with a big effect. The open strings now contain both the major third (E, 1st string) and the perfect fourth (F, 3rd string), so the open chord is a Cadd4 that hovers between resolution and suspension. Drake's arrangements lean on that: thumb on the low C–G–C, fingers picking the F–C–E strings, melody notes added on top.
The intervals from the 4th string up are C–F–C–E: a fourth, a fifth, a third. Shapes that fret the 3rd string one fret higher (F → F#) give you Lydian colour; two frets higher (G) returns to pure Open C. Because the 2nd and 1st strings are a major third apart, melodies on them are "two-string thirds" automatically — the sound of "Pink Moon"'s opening figure.
How to tune to CGCFCE from standard
- 6th string: E → C (down two whole steps).
- 5th string: A → G (down a whole step).
- 4th string: D → C (down a whole step).
- 3rd string: G → F (down a whole step).
- 2nd string: B → C (up a half step).
- 1st string: E — unchanged.
Like Open C, the low C needs a heavy 6th string (.054–.056) and the 5th, 4th and 3rd strings all relax; a .012–.056 acoustic set or a custom balanced set keeps the fingerstyle response even. Compare options in the tension calculator.
Essential CGCFCE chord shapes
⬇ Printable CGCFCE chord chart (PDF)Diagrams show strings low to high (6 → 1, left to right). × = don't play that string, ○ = open string, orange = the root note. Every shape was checked note-by-note against the tuning. Press Play to load it on the fretboard above and hear it.
Open strings — C major with the fourth (F) inside. The sound of "Pink Moon".
Fret the 3rd string at 2 (G) to resolve the fourth: plain C major.
Mute the high E and the open strings are a pure Csus4.
G on the 3rd string and D on the 2nd for Cadd9.
One finger: B at fret 6 on the 3rd string.
Bb at fret 5 on the 3rd string, Eb and G at fret 3 on the top two.
A at fret 2 on the 5th string over the open strings: Fmaj7 with the C in the bass.
Barre at fret 5 with the 3rd string two frets higher — F major.
F on the 1st string over the open strings (G and C make it a sus2 sound).
Barre at fret 7 with the 3rd string two frets higher — G major, the V chord.
G, D, F and C: a hanging dominant that resolves to C.
A on the 5th string, G on the 3rd; the open C and E supply the 3rd and 5th.
Dm7 with A in the bass on the middle strings.
bVII chord with the open C ringing as a 9th.
Suggested starting point on a 25.5" scale: .012–.056 acoustic with a .054–.056 6th string. Run your own gauges through the tension lab before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
What tuning is "Pink Moon" in?▾
CGCFCE. Nick Drake used it for "Pink Moon", "Place to Be", "Road" and "Which Will"; other songs on the album use different tunings (for example "Things Behind the Sun" is in a dropped-D variant). A capo is used on some tracks.
How is CGCFCE different from Open C?▾
Only the 3rd string: Open C is CGCGCE, with G giving a pure C major chord. CGCFCE lowers that string to F, adding a fourth to the open chord (Cadd4). All bass-string shapes are identical between the two.
What strings should I use for CGCFCE?▾
The 6th string is tuned down a major third, so use at least a .054. A .012–.056 or .013–.056 acoustic set works well; the 2nd string tunes up a half step, which is harmless. The tension calculator shows the per-string pull for your scale length.
Why does the open chord sound unresolved?▾
Because F (the fourth) and E (the major third) ring together. In most tunings you would never hear those a semitone-plus-octave apart in an open chord; here it is the signature. Fret the 3rd string at 2 (G) whenever you want a plain C major.
Related tools & tunings
Found a mistake or want a tuning covered? Leave a note on Ko-fi. Last updated 2026-10-28.