In this article, I will try to list down all the 8 string guitar tunings that are commonly used by guitarists.
An 8 string guitar is basically a continuation of 7 string whose additional low F# string is just a whole step up from a bass guitar’s low E string.
While Luthiers have been building these instruments previously, Ibanez and Agile were the first to offer a production 8-string guitar in March 2007.
Many other companies now produce 8-string models, yet these guitars remain relatively uncommon.
Also, Read – Guitar Capo – Everything You Need To Know
Here is a list of the most common 8 string guitar tunings that you can experiment with
| 8 String Guitar Tuning | Tune To (from low to high) |
|---|---|
| Standard Tuning | F# – B – E – A – D – G – B – E |
| F Tuning | F – B♭ – E♭ – A♭ – D♭ – G♭ – B♭ – E♭ |
| E Tuning | E – A – D – G – C – F – A – D |
| Eb Tuning | E♭ – A♭ – D♭ – G♭ – B – E – A♭ – D |
| A-Tuning | A – D – G – C – F – A – D – G |
| High A-Tuning | B – E – A – D – G – B – E – A |
| Drop E Tuning | E – B – E – A – D – G – B – E |
| Drop E♭ Tuning | E♭ – B♭ – E♭ – A♭ – D♭ – G♭ – B♭ – E♭ |
| Drop D Tuning | D – A – D – G – C – F – A – D |
1. Standard Tuning
The eight-string standard tuning looks something like this, F# – B – E – A – D – G – B – E.
Here the eighth (low) string is tuned to F# and 1st (high) string is tuned to E.
You can hear this tuning on the song “Mechanical Soul Cybernetics” by Scar Symmetry from their album Dark Matter Dimensions and by Deftones on their album Diamond Eyes.
2. F Tuning
The 8 string F tuning looks like F – B♭ – E♭ – A♭ – D♭ – G♭ – B♭ – E♭.
This tuning is also called half a step down from standard tuning. Metal bands like Meshuggah and After The Burial uses this tuning a lot. Almost all the songs on Meshuggah’s last two albums were recorded in F tuning.
3. E Tuning
The E tuning looks like E – A – D – G – C – F – A – D, where the eight-string is tuned to E and 1st string is tuned to D.
This tuning is also called one full step down and is used mostly by Meshuggah.
4. Eb Tuning
The Eb tuning looks like E♭ – A♭ – D♭ – G♭ – B – E – A♭ – D and it is also called one and a half step down from standard tuning. This tuning is also used by Messhugah.
5. A Tuning
The A tuning in 8 string guitar looks like A – D – G – C – F – A – D – G and it is also called three and one-half step down from standard tuning.
6. High A Tuning
High A tuning looks like B – E – A – D – G – B – E – A. This tuning is often seen in the songs played by Rusty Cooley.
7. Drop E Tuning
The drop E tuning for 8 strings looks like E – B – E – A – D – G – B – E, where the 8th string is tuned to E, and the 1st string is also tuned to E.
This tuning is a combination of standard 7 string tuning and an 8th string dropped one full step. It is mostly used for power chords.
8. Drop E♭ Tuning
Drop E♭ tuning for 8 string looks like E♭ – B♭ – E♭ – A♭ – D♭ – G♭ – B♭ – E♭ and it is also called half a step down from drop E tuning.
9. Drop D Tuning
Drop D tuning for 8 string looks like D – A – D – G – C – F – A – D and it is also called one full step down from drop E.
Summing Up
For sure there are tons of other 8 string guitar tuning possibilities including open tunings. Experiment with the ones listed here first then try the others until you find the tuning you like the most.
Of course, standard tuning would be a good place to start. So, I hope you liked this post, and if you do then don’t forget to share it with your guitar buddies.
Source – Guitar Files
