String Instruments
String instruments like guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin, and ukulele each have a specific tuning that determines which chord voicings are possible. ChordColor supports standard, drop, and open tunings, with moveable chord shapes that transpose by sliding up or down the fretboard.
How Tunings Work
A string instrument's tuning defines the pitch of each open string. Standard guitar tuning is E-A-D-G-B-E — mostly perfect 4ths (5 semitones between strings), with one major 3rd gap (G to B). This irregularity means chord shapes change when they cross the G-B string boundary.
Standard Tunings
| Instrument | Tuning | Interval Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Guitar (6-string) | E A D G B E | P4, P4, P4, M3, P4 |
| Bass (4-string) | E A D G | P4, P4, P4 |
| Ukulele | G C E A | P4, M3, P4 |
| Mandolin | G D A E | P5, P5, P5 |
| Banjo | g D G B D | Short 5th string + P4, P4, M3, m3 |
Alternate and Open Tunings
Drop tunings lower the lowest string by a whole step, allowing power chords with a single finger. Drop D is used by Foo Fighters and Tool. Open tunings tune the strings to form a chord when strummed open: Open G (used by Keith Richards for "Start Me Up"), Open D (used by slide guitarists), and DADGAD (used on "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin).
Moveable Shapes
Because each fret equals one semitone on every string, chord shapes are transposable. A barre chord at the 3rd fret can slide to the 5th fret — same shape, different root. Learn one shape, play it in all 12 keys.
In ChordColor
ChordColor supports 10 string instruments with multiple tunings each. The fretboard display colors every note by interval, and chord voicings show fret positions with recommended fingerings. Switching tunings triggers a full voicing recalculation.