Guitar Open F Tuner — Tune to Open F in Your Browser
Mic-based chromatic tuner pre-set to Open F. No download, no sign-up, works in your browser.
Tuning summary
- Notes (low to high)
- F2 · A2 · C3 · F3 · C4 · F4
- Instrument
- Guitar
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- About this tuning
- Open F major spread across the six strings. Less common than Open D or Open G — used by Mississippi Fred McDowell and a few country-blues players.
Start tuning
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About Open F on guitar
Open F is F A C F C F, low to high. The open strings spell an F major chord with a particularly thick voicing — three Fs across the lower, middle, and high registers — which gives Open F a darker, almost piano-bass-like character compared to the brighter Open D or Open A.
The tuning is rare. Mississippi Fred McDowell used variants of it, and a small number of country-blues and Delta slide players have recorded in Open F. Devon Allman, son of Gregg, uses Open F occasionally for slide. The reason it stays rare is mechanical — three of the strings have to be raised in pitch from standard, which puts substantial extra tension on the neck and demands a careful setup.
Mechanically, Open F is the most demanding common open tuning. The 6th string raised from E to F is fine, but raising the 4th from D to F (a minor third) and the 1st from E to F (a half step) shifts neck tension substantially upward. Most players who use Open F use lighter strings to compensate, and many simply capo a lower open tuning rather than tuning all the way to true Open F.
Honestly, Open F is a specialist tuning. If you are exploring open tunings, start with Open D and Open G; those two cover 95% of the slide-guitar repertoire. Open F is worth learning only if you specifically want to play in F major as your default key, or if a particular Mississippi Fred McDowell song you want to learn requires it. For most players, Open D capoed at fret 3 (giving Open F pitches with much less tension) is the practical alternative.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Open F a common tuning?
- No — it's quite rare. Open D, Open G, and Open E cover most slide and open-tuning repertoire.
- Can I use Open D capoed at fret 3 instead?
- Yes, and many players do. The pitches are equivalent and the tension is much lower.
- What artists use Open F?
- Mississippi Fred McDowell on some recordings, a small number of Delta blues players, and Devon Allman on occasion.
- Will Open F damage my guitar?
- It puts more tension on the neck than standard. Use lighter strings, or simply capo a lower open tuning to get the same pitches.
- What chord shapes work in Open F?
- The same shapes as Open D and Open E, just at a different pitch. A barre at any fret produces a major chord.