Neil Young Guitar Tunings
Neil Young has used standard and alternate guitar tunings across their recorded discography. Below you will find 11 songs with exact string notes and tuning configurations.
Neil Young Songs & Guitar Tunings
| Song Title | Tuning required | Genre / Style | Tune Now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvest Moon | D - A - D - G - B - EDrop D Tuning | Folk Rock / Country Rock | Tune |
| Cinnamon Girl | D - A - D - G - B - DDouble Drop D | Rock / Classic | Tune |
| Cortez The Killer | D - A - D - G - B - DDouble Drop D Tuning | Alternative / Rock | Tune |
| cowgirl in the sand | D - G - C - F - A - DD Standard / Whole-Step Down | Alternative / Rock | Tune |
| Don't let bring you down | C - G - C - F - A - DDrop C Tuning | Alternative / Rock | Tune |
| Dont Let It Bring You Down | CGCFACCustom Tuning (CGCFAC) | Alternative / Rock | Tune |
| goin back | D - A - D - G - A - DDADGAD Celtic Tuning | Alternative / Rock | Tune |
| My My Hey Hey Out of the Blue | E - A - D - G - B - EStandard E | Alternative / Rock | Tune |
| Ohio | CGCFACCustom Tuning (CGCFAC) | Alternative / Rock | Tune |
| old man | DGDGCDCustom Tuning (DGDGCD) | Alternative / Rock | Tune |
| Tell Me Why | D - G - C - F - A - DD Standard / Whole-Step Down | Alternative / Rock | Tune |
Neil Young's Most Used Tunings
Custom Tuning (CGCFAC)
Double Drop D
D Standard / Whole-Step Down
Drop D Tuning
Drop C Tuning
DADGAD Celtic Tuning
String Pitch Guide: Custom Tuning (CGCFAC)
Primary tuning reference used for 3 songs in Neil Young's catalog.
Neil Young Guitar Tuning Overview
Neil Young utilizes a dynamic selection of guitar tunings to achieve distinct voice leading, open resonance, and chord voicings across their music. While standard tuning forms the foundation for many tracks, alternate tunings—such as drop tunings and open tunings—play a pivotal role in shaping their signature guitar sound.
Using our interactive tuner above, you can inspect each string note required for Neil Young songs, tune your guitar using microphone pitch detection, and explore chord voicings for each song.