Drop C Guitar Scales
Drop C tuning on guitar is C, G, C, F, A, D, from the 6th string to the first.
Guitar · 6-string (Drop C), tuned low to high: C, G, C, F, A, D. 24 frets.
- C string: fret 0 C (flat 3), fret 2 D (4), fret 4 E (5), fret 7 G (flat 7), fret 9 A (root), fret 12 C (flat 3), fret 14 D (4), fret 16 E (5), fret 19 G (flat 7), fret 21 A (root), fret 24 C (flat 3).
- G string: fret 0 G (flat 7), fret 2 A (root), fret 5 C (flat 3), fret 7 D (4), fret 9 E (5), fret 12 G (flat 7), fret 14 A (root), fret 17 C (flat 3), fret 19 D (4), fret 21 E (5), fret 24 G (flat 7).
- C string: fret 0 C (flat 3), fret 2 D (4), fret 4 E (5), fret 7 G (flat 7), fret 9 A (root), fret 12 C (flat 3), fret 14 D (4), fret 16 E (5), fret 19 G (flat 7), fret 21 A (root), fret 24 C (flat 3).
- F string: fret 2 G (flat 7), fret 4 A (root), fret 7 C (flat 3), fret 9 D (4), fret 11 E (5), fret 14 G (flat 7), fret 16 A (root), fret 19 C (flat 3), fret 21 D (4), fret 23 E (5).
- A string: fret 0 A (root), fret 3 C (flat 3), fret 5 D (4), fret 7 E (5), fret 10 G (flat 7), fret 12 A (root), fret 15 C (flat 3), fret 17 D (4), fret 19 E (5), fret 22 G (flat 7), fret 24 A (root).
- D string: fret 0 D (4), fret 2 E (5), fret 5 G (flat 7), fret 7 A (root), fret 10 C (flat 3), fret 12 D (4), fret 14 E (5), fret 17 G (flat 7), fret 19 A (root), fret 22 C (flat 3), fret 24 D (4).
Above: the A minor pentatonic drawn on a guitar in Drop C tuning. Every note is placed and named for this tuning, not transposed from a standard-tuning diagram — so the note names are the ones you actually play.
Why players use it
Drop C is drop D with the whole guitar taken down another whole step. Common in metalcore and hardcore: the low string is heavy enough to sound almost baritone, while the one-finger power chord shape from drop D still works.
Open strings
C, G, C, F, A, D — sixth string to first.
Scales in Drop C
Each link opens the interactive fretboard with that scale and this tuning already applied. You can change key, hear any note, and export a printable PDF from there.
| Scale | Key |
|---|---|
| Minor Pentatonic | A · E · D · G · C · B |
| Major Pentatonic | A · E · D · G · C · B |
| Minor Blues | A · E · D · G · C · B |
| Natural Minor | A · E · D · G · C · B |
| Major | A · E · D · G · C · B |
| Dorian | A · E · D · G · C · B |
| Phrygian | A · E · D · G · C · B |
| Mixolydian | A · E · D · G · C · B |