If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day

Required String Notes:E - A - E - A - C# - E

How to Tune from Standard to Open A Tuning

Start in standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E) and change 3 of 6 strings to play “If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day”:

String	Standard	Target	What to do
String 6	E2	E2	Leave as is
String 5	A2	A2	Leave as is
String 4	D3	E3	Tune up a whole step
String 3	G3	A3	Tune up a whole step
String 2	B3	C#4	Tune up a whole step
String 1	E4	E4	Leave as is

Recommended string gauge: .010–.046. Tension stays close to standard, so a regular set works without any setup changes.Ernie Ball Regular Slinky (.010–.046) · affiliate link

Song Overview & Tuning Breakdown

"If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day" by Robert Johnson is played in Open A Tuning (E - A - E - A - C# - E). Starting from standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E), you retune 3 of 6 strings: string 4 up to E, string 3 up to A, string 2 up to C#. Overall string tension rises, so tune up slowly to avoid breaking strings. Robert Johnson uses this same tuning on 6 other songs in our catalog, so you can stay tuned and keep playing.

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Tunings Close to Open A Tuning

Already tuned to E - A - E - A - C# - E? These tunings are just one small change away.

Open G Tuning59 songs

D - G - D - G - B - DSame chord shapes, every string a whole step lower.

Name Alt-Tuning28 songs

D - A - E - A - C# - EOnly string 6 differs: D instead of E.

Custom Tuning (EAEABE)1 song

EAEABEOnly string 2 differs: B instead of C#.

Custom Tuning (EAEACE)1 song

EAEACEOnly string 2 differs: C instead of C#.

Robert Johnson’s Guitar Tunings

Robert Johnson plays 7 of 10 songs in our catalog in Open A Tuning. Most-used tunings:

Open A TuningE - A - E - A - C# - E7 songs
Open D TuningD - A - D - F# - A - D1 song
Open G TuningD - G - D - G - B - D1 song
Custom Tuning (GDGB)GDGB1 song

Gear for Open A Tuning

Strings and tools that make playing "If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day" in Open A Tuning easier.

Ernie Ball Regular Slinky (.010–.046)

Recommended gauge .010–.046. Tension stays close to standard, so a regular set works without any setup changes.

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D'Addario Universal Micro Headstock Tuner

A headstock tuner makes switching in and out of this tuning quick, even on stage or without a mic.

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D'Addario Pro-Winder (winder + cutter)

Retuning 3 strings means a lot of turning — a winder speeds it up and trims new strings too.

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“If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day” Tuning FAQ

What tuning is "If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day" by Robert Johnson in?

"If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day" is played in Open A Tuning: E - A - E - A - C# - E, from the lowest to the highest string.

How do I tune my guitar to play "If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day"?

Start from standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E). String 4: tune up a whole step (D3 → E3). String 3: tune up a whole step (G3 → A3). String 2: tune up a whole step (B3 → C#4). Leave the other strings as they are.

What string gauge should I use for Open A Tuning?

Use a .010–.046 set. Tension stays close to standard, so a regular set works without any setup changes.

Which other Robert Johnson songs use this tuning?

"Cross Road Blues", "Come On In My Kitchen", "Last Fair Deal Gone Down", "Milkcows Calf Blues", "Traveling Riverside Blues", "Walkin Blues" — all in E - A - E - A - C# - E, so you can play them without retuning.