One thing that Dream Theater is known for as a band is the range of music that they create. John Petrucci and John Myung (although to a lesser extent) are known for the tunings they use across the band's discography in order to express the range of the band's music through their instruments. Below is a comprehensive list of every guitar and bass guitar tuning used on a studio recording or live performance. The tunings are written from low to high.
6 String Tunings[]
E Standard (E-A-D-G-B-E)[]
Most guitars that are built around the world come from the factory set up in this tuning. For this reason, this tuning is also just called "standard tuning." This tuning will be used as a reference to tune down from.
When Dream and Day Unite[]
Full album
Images and Words[]
Full album
Awake[]
- 6:00
- Innocence Faded
- Erotomania
- Voices
- The Silent Man
- Lifting Shadows Off a Dream
- Scarred
- Space-Dye Vest
Falling Into Infinity[]
- You Not Me
- Peruvian Skies
- Hollow Years
- Burning My Soul
- Hell's Kitchen
- Lines in the Sand
- Take Away My Pain
- Anna Lee
- Trial of Tears
Scenes From a Memory[]
- Scene One: Regression
- Scene Two: I. Overture 1928
- Scene Two: II. Strange Deja Vu
- Scene Three: II. Fatal Tragedy
- Scene Four: Beyond This Life
- Scene Five: Through Her Eyes
- Scene Seven: II. One Last Time
- Scene Eight: The Spirit Carries On
- Scene Nine: Finally Free
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence[]
- The Great Debate
- Disappear
- Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (studio and live)
Octavarium[]
Systematic Chaos[]
- Constant Motion
- Prophets of War
- The Ministry of Lost Souls
- In the Presence of Enemies: The Heretic and the Dark Master
Black Clouds & Silver Linings[]
A Dramatic Turn of Events[]
Dream Theater[]
The Astonishing[]
- The Answer
- A Better Life
- Lord Nafaryus
- A Saviour In The Square (intro, live only)
- A Life Left Behind
- A New Beginning
- Begin Again
- The Walking Shadow
Distance Over Time[]
A View From The Top Of The World[]
Parasomnia[]
Other songs[]
- All songs the band recorded as Majesty
- Don't Look Past Me
- To Live Forever (pre-1994 version)
- A Change of Seasons (original/pre-1995 version)
- Eve
- Raise the Knife
- Where Are You Now?
- Cover My Eyes
- You or Me (original version of You Not Me)
- The Way It Used to Be
- Speak to Me
E♭ Standard (E♭-A♭-D♭-G♭-B♭-E♭)[]
This tuning is achieved by tuning the entire guitar down a semitone, or 1 half-step from E Standard tuning.
Train of Thought[]
- Vacant (live only, as of 2024)
- Stream of Consciousness
Octavarium[]
Drop D (D-A-D-G-B-E)[]
This tuning is achieved by tuning the low E string on a standard-tuned guitar down a full tone, or 1 full step, down to D. This creates a power chord with the three lowest open strings.
Scenes From a Memory[]
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence[]
- Misunderstood (live only)
The Astonishing[]
D Standard (D-G-C-F-A-D)[]
This tuning is achieved by tuning the entire guitar down a full tone, or 1 full step from E Standard tuning.
Train of Thought[]
Octavarium[]
Systematic Chaos[]
Black Clouds & Silver Linings[]
A Dramatic Turn of Events[]
Distance Over Time[]
Parasomnia[]
C Standard (C-F-B♭-E♭-G-C)[]
This tuning is achieved by tuning the entire guitar down 2 full tones, or 2 full steps from E Standard.
Train of Thought[]
Black Clouds & Silver Linings[]
Distance Over Time[]
Parasomnia[]
Drop B♭ (B♭-F-B♭-E♭-G-C)[]
This tuning is achieved by tuning low E string on a standard-tuned guitar down three full tones, or 3 full steps, down to B♭ and the rest of the guitar down down 2 full tones, or 2 full steps from E Standard.. This creates a power chord with the three lowest open strings.
Parasomnia[]
- Dead Asleep (Confirmed in this video by John at the 0:58 mark)
7 String Tunings[]
Petrucci started using 7 string guitars when recording Awake, and has used them from time to time throughout the years to write heavier riffs and more complex melodies than a normal 6 string allows.
7 string B standard (B-E-A-D-G-B-E)[]
Nearly all 7 string guitars are built with an extra low B string below a standard tuned guitar. The result of adding this string allows for heavier riffs.
Awake[]
A Change of Seasons[]
Falling Into Infinity[]
Scenes From a Memory[]
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence[]
- The Glass Prison
- Misunderstood (studio only)
- Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (studio only)
Train of Thought[]
Systematic Chaos[]
Black Clouds & Silver Linings[]
A Dramatic Turn of Events[]
Dream Theater[]
The Astonishing[]
- Dystopian Overture
- The Gift of Music
- A Saviour In the Square
- When Your Time Has Come
- Act of Faythe
- Three Days
- Brother, Can You Hear Me?
- Ravenskill
- Chosen
- A Tempting Offer
- The X Aspect
- The Road To Revolution
- 2285 Entr'acte
- Moment of Betrayal
- Heaven's Cove
- The Path That Divides
- My Last Farewell
- Losing Faythe
- Hymn of a Thousand Voices
- Astonishing
Distance Over Time[]
A View From The Top Of The World[]
Parasomnia[]
Other songs[]
- To Live Forever (1994 version)
7 string Drop A (A-E-A-D-G-B-E)[]
This tuning is achieved by tuning the low B string on the guitar 1 full step down to A from 7 string B standard tuning.
Distance Over Time[]
7 string A Standard (A-D-G-C-F-A-D)[]
This tuning is achieved by tuning the whole 7 string guitar down 1 full tone, or 1 full step from 7 string B Standard tuning.
God of War: Blood and Metal[]
Dream Theater[]
7 string G Standard (G-C-F-B♭-E♭-G-C)[]
This tuning is reached when a 7 string guitar is tuned down 2 tones, or 2 full steps from 7-string B Standard tuning.
Dream Theater[]
8 String Tunings[]
When Distance Over Time was being recorded, a rumour began to spread that Petrucci was looking to incorporate 8 string guitars into Dream Theater's music. However, that's all it was - a rumour. Then, on February 24th, 2021, Petrucci confirmed in an interview with UltimateGuitar that he was in possession of two prototype 8 string Majesty guitars, and that it would be featured on at least one song on the band's fifteenth album, A View from the Top of the World, released on October 22, 2021.
8 string F♯ Standard (F♯-B-E-A-D-G-B-E)[]
Every eight string guitar adds a low F# string beneath a 7 string guitar. The result of this is even lower riffs than a 7 string allows. In fact, the low F# is the same note as the second fret on the E string of a bass guitar in E Standard tuning.
A View From The Top Of The World[]
Parasomnia[]
Baritone Tunings[]
Petrucci is also well-known for his use of baritone guitars in-studio and live. A baritone guitar is a 6 string guitar that has a longer scale length (the distance from the nut to the bridge of the instrument, e.g. normal guitar = 24.75 - 25.5 inch scale, baritone guitar = 27+ inch scale). This allows for lower tunings to be achieved easier with higher tuning stability.
B♭ Standard (B♭-E♭-A♭-D♭-F-B♭)[]
Most baritone guitars are sold tuned B-E-A-D-F#-B (This will be called baritone standard). This tuning is achieved by tuning a baritone guitar down a semitone, or 1 half-step, from baritone standard. This tuning can also be achieved by tuning a normal 6-string guitar down 3 full tones, or 3 full steps from E Standard tuning. However, due to tuning stability and string tension issues, this is usually not feasible or possible on a normal guitar.
Octavarium[]
Black Clouds & Silver Linings[]
Distance Over Time[]
A Standard (A-D-G-C-E-A)[]
This tuning is achieved by tuning a baritone guitar down 1 full tone, or 1 full step from baritone standard. This tuning can also be achieved by tuning a normal 6-string guitar down 3 full tones and 1 semitone, or 3-and-a-half steps from E Standard tuning, but it's recommended to use a baritone guitar, since playing in this tuning on a normal guitar is nigh impossible due to tuning stability and string tension issues.