Duane Allman · Derek Trucks · electric slide
Open E Tuning Chords & Fretboard (EBEG#BE)
The fretboard is in Open E — the electric slide tuning of Duane Allman and Derek Trucks. Open strings are E major, a straight bar at fret 5 is A and fret 7 is B. Pick any chord below for voicings, then read the tension warning: three strings tune up, so many players use Open D with a capo instead.
- E–B–E–G#–B–E
- Open strings = E major
- Three strings tune UP
- Open D + capo 2 = same notes
Fretboard & chord finder
Pick a tuning and key, click any fret to hear it, and see every scale tone and chord degree across the neck.
Scale & Arpeggio Neck Boxes Show / Hide ▾
Chord voicings
Every playable voicing of each chord in the current key, ranked V1–Vn up the neck. Filter by difficulty or chord type, and use ← → on a card to step through its voicings.
Progression looper & tab
Queue chords, choose a picking pattern and meter, loop it, then export tab, MIDI or a printable chord sheet.
String tension calculator
Total: 103.8 lbs • Avg: 17.3 lbs • All Strings Safe (Balanced) • Custom .010–.046
| Str | Pitch | Scale | Gauge | Tension | Status |
|---|
Guitar tuner
Tune with your microphone to any preset or custom tuning, or tap a string to hear its reference pitch.
Odd-time drum machine
Program custom odd-meter drum grooves in 4/4, 5/4, 6/8, 7/8, 9/8, or 11/8, or enable Sync with Chord Looper so the kit plays behind your chord progressions.
Chord identifier & capo transposer
Tap frets on the neck below or type any 6-string fret grip (like 0-5-3-0-0-0 or X-3-2-0-1-0) to identify every possible chord name, interval formula, and capo equivalent.
Capo & Alternate-Tuning Transposer Equivalents
See how to play this exact concert chord using different capo positions or alternate tunings.
Fretboard & ear trainer
Master note locations across unfamiliar tunings (FACGCE, DAEAC#E, DADGAD, Standard), sharpen interval ear recognition, drill scale degrees, and spell complex chord formulas.
When practicing in alternate tunings such as FACGCE or DAEAC#E, the trainer dynamically recalculates fretboard intervals, open drone strings, and chord voicings so you build genuine muscle memory.
Open E tuning explained
Open E tunes the guitar to an E major chord: E–B–E–G#–B–E. It is Open D raised a whole step, which keeps the 6th and 1st strings at standard pitch — handy on electric, where the bright top string and firm low E suit slide. Duane Allman's "Statesboro Blues" and Derek Trucks' entire approach are built on it, as are the Rolling Stones' "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and "Gimme Shelter" (Keith Richards in Open E), and the Black Crowes' "She Talks to Angels".
The 3rd string carries the major third (G#); lower it one fret for E minor-flavoured voicings, raise it one fret (A) for Esus4. Slide positions with a straight bar: E (0), G (3), A (5), B (7), D (10), E (12). Everything on the Open D page applies here a whole step higher.
How to tune to Open E from standard
- 6th string: E — unchanged.
- 5th string: A → B (up a whole step).
- 4th string: D → E (up a whole step).
- 3rd string: G → G# (up a half step).
- 2nd and 1st strings: B, E — unchanged.
Tension warning: three strings go up, two of them by a whole step. On a 25.5" scale with .010–.046 that adds roughly 4–5 lb each on the 5th and 4th strings and 1–2 lb on the 3rd — about 10 lb more total than standard. Vintage or lightly built acoustics should use Open D with a capo at fret 2 instead, which produces the same notes with lower tension. On electric, a .009 or .010 set is usual for Open E. Check the numbers in the tension calculator.
Essential EBEG#BE chord shapes
⬇ Printable EBEG#BE 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 — E major.
A at fret 1 on the 3rd string: the open-tuning hammer-on chord.
Barre at fret 5 with the 3rd string one fret lower — the minor version of any barre.
D at fret 3 on the 2nd string for a dominant 7th.
F# on the 1st string — the sweet note above the barre.
C# at fret 2 on the 2nd string.
Straight barre at fret 5 — the IV chord (slide position).
A major on the top four strings only.
Straight barre at fret 7 — the V chord.
B7 over the open B string.
The relative minor: C# at fret 2 on the 5th string, open E, G# and B.
The ii chord with open strings ringing.
The iii chord; mute the high E.
Suggested starting point on a 25.5" scale: .009–.042 or .010–.046 electric; use Open D + capo on acoustic. Run your own gauges through the tension lab before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
Open E or Open D — which one?▾
Same shapes, a whole step apart. Open E raises three strings (adds tension; standard on electric slide); Open D lowers three (gentler; standard on acoustic). If a song needs Open E and you are on an acoustic, tune to Open D and capo at fret 2 — identical pitches, less strain.
Will Open E break strings or hurt my guitar?▾
A modern electric or sturdy acoustic handles it fine with a .009–.010 set. The 4th string tuned up to E is the most likely to snap; use a fresh string and tune up slowly. On vintage or lightly braced acoustics prefer Open D with a capo.
What songs are in Open E?▾
"Statesboro Blues" (Allman Brothers), "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and "Gimme Shelter" (Rolling Stones), "She Talks to Angels" (Black Crowes), "Big Yellow Taxi" (Joni Mitchell), much of Derek Trucks' and Bonnie Raitt's slide playing.
How do I play minor chords in Open E?▾
Lower the 3rd string (the only major third) one fret within a barre — for example at fret 5, play 5-5-5-4-5-5 for A minor — or use the four-string shapes shown above. The chord finder generates minor, 7th and extended voicings for any root in Open E.
Related tools & tunings
Found a mistake or want a tuning covered? Leave a note on Ko-fi. Last updated 2026-10-28.