You've probably heard us say, "four IS more!" For someone coming from six-string guitar, a four-string tenor guitar may seem like a limitation. But it actually represents a world of musical possibilities. Four strings can accommodate a plethora of creative tunings, and fewer strings means less places to remember to put your fingers!

Whether you're a six-string guitar player looking to branch out, a violinist or mandolinist looking to electrify your sound, or if tenor guitar is your first instrument: welcome! We want to get you up and running with a guide to tenor guitar chord shapes—mostly in first position—for three of the most popular tenor guitar tunings. You'll be jamming along to your favorite tunes in no time!

Standard Tenor Guitar Fifths Tuning: G-D-A-E

If you want to start an argument among tenor guitar players, pick a tuning and say it's "standard!" We're going to start with a very common tuning in fifths for tenor guitars: low to high, G-D-A-E. Most of our tenor guitars ship with this tuning.

This tuning is the same as mandolin or violin tuning, dropped one octave. So if you're coming from mandolin or violin, these shapes may be familiar to you! For folks coming from guitar or just starting out, these shapes offer wide intervals and lush textures. They're great for jazz chord melodies or for strumming along with vocals.

Another common tenor tuning is C-G-D-A (low to high), which is also a fifths tuning. Traditionally, this tuning would match the pitch of a viola or mandola, a fourth above the G-D-A-E tuning we just discussed. Here at tenor-guitars.com, we also have instruments we call "tenor baritones" which feature this same tuning one octave down—the same pitch as a cello. All of the chord shapes above will also work on a tenor with a C-G-D-A tuning, however the chords will have different note names. To find the new name, just add a fourth to the root note: A becomes D, B becomes E, C becomes F, and so on.

"Chicago" or "Guitar" Tuning: D-G-B-E

Those of you coming from standard six-string guitar will recognize this tuning, which is the same as the highest four strings of a guitar: low to high, D-G-B-E. This tuning offers loads of advantages. Smaller intervals between the strings means neat, compact chord shapes that are easy to play, and guitar players will find this tuning to be a breeze to navigate.

One wonderful thing we've heard from loads of folks about this tuning is the way it allows them to keep enjoying music as their abilities change. Folks with arthritis who once loved strumming around the campfire but now struggle with the size of a six-string guitar neck can get right back in the game. We even know of an incredible customer who plays this tuning one-handed, freeing up his strumming hand for some deft drum machine work!

Open D Tuning: D-A-D-F#

Frankly, exploring the vast array of open tunings available to a tenor guitar player would take up more space than we have in a blog post! There are endless possibilities with open tunings, but in order to keep this blog manageable we're going to stick to one of the most popular: D-A-D-F#, low to high.

Open tunings are especially popular among slide players, since any fret barred straight across provides a clean major chord. They're great for composition, exploration, and pairing with spacey effects pedals such as delay and reverb—letting the low strings drone and noodling around on the high strings is an excellent way to spend a few hours, if we do say so ourselves!

Another common open tuning for tenor guitar is D-G-B-D low to high. This tuning is an open G chord and it's also called "banjo" tuning, since the string names are the same as the highest four strings of a five-string banjo. Banjo players will find this tuning fun to mess around on, and folks who are fluent in "Chicago" or "Guitar" tuning should give it a try as well. Tune your E string down to D and see what you come up with! We think you'll dig it.

Go forth and rock!

The beauty of tenor guitar is that there's no wrong way to explore it. Whether you stick with one tuning you're familiar with or try something new, you're tapping into a tradition of players who are all about creativity and exploration. These chord charts are just the beginning. Once you've got the basics down, don't be afraid to experiment! Move shapes up the neck, try partial chords, or even invent your own tunings. The four-string setup rewards curiosity, and with fewer strings to wrangle, you can focus more on the music and less on finger gymnastics.

Eastwood Classic Tenor

So grab your tenor guitar, pick a tuning that speaks to you, and start making some noise. We can't wait to hear what you come up with!