Double C (gCGCD) Tuning
Tune your banjo to Double C (gCGCD) — G4, C3, G3, C4, D4
About Double C (gCGCD) Tuning
Double C tuning (G4-C3-G3-C4-D4) is one of the most important old-time banjo tunings, named for its two C strings. The tuning creates an open C-based sound that's neither major nor minor — it has a modal, ancient quality that defines much of the old-time Appalachian repertoire. Clawhammer players especially love Double C for its deep, resonant drone.
This tuning became prominent through the playing of old-time masters like Roscoe Holcomb, Dock Boggs, and Fred Cockerham. Many classic Appalachian tunes were composed in Double C, and learning this tuning opens up a whole repertoire that doesn't translate well to Standard Open G. The modal sound — neither happy nor sad — captures the soul of mountain music.
From Standard Open G, reaching Double C requires lowering the 4th string from D to C and raising the 2nd string from B to C. The result is a tuning where three of the five strings are either G or C, creating a powerful fifth-based drone that underpins melody playing on the remaining strings.
String Notes
Recommended Strings
Standard banjo strings handle Double C well. The 4th string drops from D3 to C3, which reduces its tension slightly — if it feels too loose, consider a marginally heavier 4th string. The 2nd string rises from B3 to C4, a small increase that standard strings manage easily. No special string set is needed.
How to Tune to Double C (gCGCD)
- 1.Start from Standard Open G (gDGBD). Two strings need to change.
- 2.Lower the 4th string from D3 down to C3 (130.81 Hz). This is a whole step drop.
- 3.Raise the 2nd string from B3 up to C4 (261.63 Hz). This is a half step increase.
- 4.The 5th string (G4), 3rd string (G3), and 1st string (D4) stay the same as Open G.
- 5.Strum the open strings — you should hear a suspended, modal quality. The two C strings and two G strings create a C5 power chord drone with the D string adding tension.
Common Chords in Double C (gCGCD)
C Drone (open)
Strum all strings open. The modal sound of Double C — not quite C major, with the D string adding a suspended quality.
F Shape
Various F chord voicings work well against the C drone, creating the IV chord relationship common in old-time music.
G Shape
G voicings on the fretted strings against the C drone. The V-I relationship between G and C drives many old-time tunes.
Hammer-ons from Open
In clawhammer style, hammering onto fretted notes from the open C and G strings is the primary melodic technique in this tuning.