Dropped A tuning is an alternate tuning for a 7 string guitar where an A is placed over the original standard E tuning or on a 6 string guitar where the strings are tuned to AEADF♯B. This is a "drop 1" tuning in the key of B (i.e. tune the whole guitar down a perfect fourth

Perfect fourth

In classical music from Western culture, a fourth is a musical interval encompassing four staff positions , and the perfect fourth is a fourth spanning five semitones. For example, the ascending interval from C to the next F is a perfect fourth, as the note F lies five semitones above C, and there...

 from standard tuning

Standard tuning

In music, standard tuning refers to the typical tuning of a string instrument. This notion is contrary to that of scordatura, i.e. an alternate tuning designated to modify either the timbre or technical capabilities of the desired instrument.-Bowed strings:...

, then tune the 6th string a whole step down). As a result, it uses the same fingering as drop D tuning

Drop D tuning

Drop D tuning, also known as DADGBE, is an alternate, or scordatura, form of guitar tuning — specifically, a dropped tuning — in which the lowest string is tuned down from the usual E of standard tuning by one whole step to D.- Uses of drop D tuning :In drop D the three bass strings...

 and dropped B tuning.

It has been used by Chris Rubey and Jeremy DePoyster of The Devil Wears Prada (band)

The Devil Wears Prada (band)

The Devil Wears Prada is an American metalcore band from Dayton, Ohio. Formed in 2005, they are currently signed to Warner Music Group...

, Zakk Wylde

Zakk Wylde

Zachary Phillip Wylde , best known by the stage name Zakk Wylde, is an American musician, songwriter, and occasional actor who is best known as the former guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and founder of the heavy metal band Black Label Society. He was the lead guitarist and vocalist in Pride & Glory,...

 of Black Label Society

Black Label Society

Black Label Society is a heavy metal band formed by Zakk Wylde, with nine studio albums, one live album, two compilation albums, one EP, and three video albums released since formation of the band.-Formation and Sonic Brew :...

, Buzz Osborne

Buzz Osborne

Roger "Buzz" Osborne , also known as King Buzzo, is the guitarist/vocalist/songwriter and technically the only remaining founding member of the Melvins...

 of The Melvins

The Melvins

The Melvins are an American band that formed in 1983. They usually perform as a trio, but in recent years have performed as a four piece with two drummers. Since 1984, singer and guitarist Buzz Osborne and drummer Dale Crover have been the band's constant members...

, Peter Tagtgren

Peter Tägtgren

Alf Peter Tägtgren is a Swedish musician and producer. He is the founder, main songwriter, lead vocalist, and guitarist of the death metal band Hypocrisy as well as the industrial metal band PAIN in which he is the only member....

 of Hypocrisy

Hypocrisy (band)

Hypocrisy is a melodic death metal band from Sweden. It was formed in 1990 in Ludvika, Sweden by Peter Tägtgren.Musically, the band started off with a traditional death metal sound on their first albums, and soon drifted to become a melodic death metal band. The lyrics in their early stages -...

 and Pain, Nile

Nile (band)

Nile is an American death metal band from Greenville, South Carolina, formed in 1993. Their music and lyrics are inspired by Ancient Egyptian/Near Eastern mysticism, history, religion, and art, as well as stories by H. P. Lovecraft.- History :...

, RED

Red (band)

Red is an American rock band from Nashville, Tennessee, formed in 2004. The band's lineup consists of singer Michael Barnes, guitarist Anthony Armstrong, bassist Randy Armstrong and drummer Joe Rickard. They are known for their Christian rock music which incorporates other sounds such as...

, Jim Root

Jim Root

James Donald "Jim" Root , also known by his number #4, is an American musician known for being the rhythm/lead guitarist of the heavy metal band, Slipknot, and the lead guitarist for rock band, Stone Sour...

 and Mick Thomson of Slipknot

Slipknot (band)

Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995, the group was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray...

, Monte Bryan Money of Escape the Fate

Escape the Fate

Escape the Fate is an American post-hardcore band from Las Vegas, Nevada formed in 2005 and originally from Pahrump, Nevada. They have released three EPs and three full-length studio albums. Dying Is Your Latest Fashion was the band's debut album and only album to feature vocalist Ronnie Radke...

, Kevin Skaff of A Day to Remember

A Day to Remember

A Day to Remember is an American rock band from Ocala, Florida. Founded in 2003 by guitarist Tom Denny and drummer Bobby Scruggs, the band has released four studio albums, nine singles and eight music videos...

, and in recent years primarily by deathcore

Deathcore

Deathcore is an extreme metal music genre that combines elements of death metal with elements of metalcore or hardcore punk, or both. It is defined by an "excessive" use of death metal riffs, blast beats and use of hardcore punk breakdowns...

 bands, such as Whitechapel

Whitechapel (band)

Whitechapel is an American deathcore band from Knoxville, Tennessee. The group comprises vocalist Phil Bozeman, guitarists Ben Savage, Alex Wade, Zach Householder; bassist Gabe Crisp and drummer Ben Harclerode. Their band name is derived from a district in the built-up inner city of London, known...

, Chelsea Grin

Chelsea Grin (band)

Chelsea Grin is an American deathcore band from Salt Lake City, Utah. Formed in 2007, the group is currently signed to Artery Recordings and have released one EP and two full-length albums...

, Suicide Silence

Suicide Silence

Suicide Silence is an American extreme metal band from Riverside, California. The group consists of vocalist Mitch Lucker, guitarists Chris Garza and Mark Heylmun, drummer Alex Lopez and bassist Dan Kenny. Formed in 2002, the band has released three full-length studio albums, one EP and seven music...

, Oceano

Oceano (band)

Oceano is an American deathcore band from Chicago, IL formed in 2006. The band signed to Earache Records and released their debut album, Depths on April 7, 2009. Their second album, Contagion was released on November 9, 2010.-History:...

 and Impending Doom

Impending Doom

Impending Doom is a Christian deathcore band from Riverside, California.-History:Brook Reeves and Manny Contreras started the band in 2005 with ex members Chris Forno, Isaac Bueno, and Jon. After releasing the The Sin and Doom of Godless Men EP, Greg Pewthers joined on third guitar after leaving...

, as well as the Latin metal

Latin metal

Latin metal is a genre of metal music with Latin origins, influences, and instrumentation, such as Spanish vocals, Latin percussion and rhythm such as Salsa rhythm-History:...

 band Ill Niño

Ill Niño

Ill Niño is an American six-piece metal band from New Jersey founded in 1998. The band has sold over 3.3 million units worldwide; they have 5 studio albums and 10 music videos.-History:...

 on their Dead New World

Dead New World

- Personnel :Cristian Machado: VocalsDiego Verduzco: Rhythm GuitarAhrue Luster: Lead guitarLazaro Pina: BassDave Chavarri: DrumsDaniel Couto: Percussion...

 album. Brent Hinds

Brent Hinds

Brent Hinds is an American guitarist/singer best known as a member of the Atlanta, Georgia metal band Mastodon, in which he shares guitar duties with Bill Kelliher and vocal duties with Troy Sanders and Brann Dailor....

 and Bill Kelliher

Bill Kelliher

Bill Kelliher is a guitarist in the Atlanta heavy metal band Mastodon. He is a native of Victor, New York. He shares guitar duties with Brent Hinds, playing mainly complex rhythm parts. Kelliher is married, with two young sons—the eldest one named Harrison, after Harrison Ford of Star Wars fame...

 of Mastodon

Mastodon (band)

Mastodon is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1999. The band is composed of bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders, guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds, guitarist Bill Kelliher and drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor...

 and Periphery

Periphery (band)

Periphery is an American metal band from Bethesda, Maryland , formed in 2005.- Formation and lineup changes :Periphery was formed by guitarist Misha Mansoor in 2005...

 use a "dropped A" tuning which is AGCFAD ("drop perfect fourth in the key of the D", i.e. whole guitar is tuned down one step, then the lowest string is dropped to A).

Weasel Walter

Weasel Walter

Weasel Walter is a composer and instrumentalist who founded the band The Flying Luttenbachers in Chicago in 1991 with late jazz cult figure Hal Russell and is a current member of Cellular Chaos and Behold...The Arctopus...

 while in Lake of Dracula along with Them Crooked Vultures

Them Crooked Vultures

Them Crooked Vultures is a rock supergroup formed in Los Angeles in 2009 by John Paul Jones , Dave Grohl , and Josh Homme . The group also includes guitarist Alain Johannes during live performances...

 use an alternate dropped A tuning in which a guitar tuned to E Standard is dropped to a low A on the 6th string, resulting in AADGBE with the 6th and 5th strings an octave apart. Them Crooked Vultures

Them Crooked Vultures

Them Crooked Vultures is a rock supergroup formed in Los Angeles in 2009 by John Paul Jones , Dave Grohl , and Josh Homme . The group also includes guitarist Alain Johannes during live performances...

 use it in "No One Loves Me & Neither Do I". This tuning was previously used on the Foo Fighters

Foo Fighters

Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...

 song "Stacked Actors

Stacked Actors

"Stacked Actors" is a Foo Fighters song which was released as a single from their third album There Is Nothing Left to Lose in 2000. It was only released as a limited edition commercial single in Australia exclusively, however radio promotional singles were released in other countries for radio...

", on the Filter

Filter (band)

Filter is a rock group formed in 1993 in Cleveland by singer Richard Patrick and guitarist/programmer Brian Liesegang. Filter has released five studio albums, the most recent being The Trouble with Angels, which was released on August 17, 2010....

 song "Welcome to the Fold" and on Muse

Muse (band)

Muse are an English alternative rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of school friends Matthew Bellamy , Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard...

's "Citizen Erased

Citizen Erased

"Citizen Erased" is a song by English alternative rock band Muse from their second studio album Origin of Symmetry. The track is 7 minutes and 19 seconds long, making it the longest single track in Muse's discography, and second longest piece. The song has a synthetic ending that leads straight...

".

May also refer to 7-string electric guitars'

Seven-string guitar

A seven-string guitar is a guitar with seven strings instead of the usual six. Some types of seven-string guitars are specific to certain cultures . The standard 7-string guitar tuning is BEADGbe...

 most typical drop tunings, either the obvious AEADF#BE or alternatively AEADGBE (which combines a dropped 7th bass string for power chords and 6 strings in what is standard tuning for a 6-string guitar). Such tunings are also generally used for heavier music. The 7-string version of Drop A is used by Melodic Death Metal

Melodic death metal

Melodic death metal is a heavy metal music style that combines elements from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal with elements of death metal. The style was developed during the early and mid-1990s, primarily in England and Scandinavia...

 band Scar Symmetry

Scar Symmetry

Scar Symmetry is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Avesta in Dalarna County, formed in 2004. The band has released five albums, with six released singles...

 on some of their songs, as well as Dir En Grey

Dir en grey

Dir En Grey is a Japanese metal band formed in 1997 and currently signed to Firewall Div., a sub-division of Free-Will. As of 2011, they have recorded eight full-length records...

 guitarist Kaoru (their other guitarist Die

Die (musician)

Die is a Japanese musician and one of the guitarists of Dir en grey. He has been with the band since its inception in 1997 and was previously a member of La:Sadie's and before that he was in Ka･za･ri...

 uses this tuning on a 6-string).

Another artist known for using Drop A tuning is the Sludge Metal

Sludge metal

Sludge metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that melds elements of doom metal and hardcore punk, and sometimes incorporates influences from southern rock, stoner rock and grunge. Sludge metal is typically abrasive; often featuring shouted vocals, heavily distorted instruments and sharply contrasting...

 band Torche

Torche

Torche is a band from Miami, Florida, whose sound is often described as stoner metal, or sludge metal.-Biography:The group was formed in 2004 by Steve Brooks , Juan Montoya , Jonathan Nuñez and Rick Smith Torche is a band from Miami, Florida, whose sound is often described as stoner metal, or...

. While Steve Brooks has a custom tuning known as "bomb tuning" or "Bomb Drop Tuning" (where the low E string is eschewed for a much heavier Z-string which is completely slack), he also uses AADGBE, as did Juan Montoya when Torche was a 4-piece act. The effect of the slack string, being comparable to that of a "bomb" or thunder when plucked, is part of Torche's signature sound and can be heard distinctly on songs like "Charge of the Brown Recluse".