E) and second (B) string, as well as the separation between the third (G), fourth (D), fifth (A), and sixth (low E) strings by a five-semitone interval (a perfect fourth) allows the guitarist to play a chromatic scale with each of the four fingers of the fretting hand controlling one of the first four frets (index finger on fret 1, little finger on fret 4, etc.) only when the hand is in the first position. The open notes of the second (B) and third (G) strings are separated by four semitones (a major third). This tuning pattern of (low) fourths, one major third, and one fourth was inherited by the guitar from its predecessor instrument, the viol. The irregular major third breaks the fingering patterns of scales and chords, so that guitarists have to memorize multiple chord shapes for each chord. Scales and chords are simplified by major thirds tuning and all-fourths tuning, which are regular tunings maintaining the same musical interval between consecutive open-string notes. {| class="wikitable" |+ Chromatic note progression ! !! 0 !! I !! II !! III !! IV |- ! String ! open ! 1st fret(index) ! 2nd fret(middle) ! 3rd fret(ring) ! 4th fret(little) |- style="text-align:center" | 6th ! E | F | F / G | G | G / A |- style="text-align:center" | 5th ! A | A / B | B | C | C / D |- style="text-align:center" | 4th ! D | D / E | E | F | F / G |- style="text-align:center" | 3rd ! G | G / A | A | A / B | B |- style="text-align:center" | 2nd ! B | C | C / D | D | D / E |- style="text-align:center" | 1st ! E | F | F / G | G | G / A |} Alternative Alternative ("alternate") tuning refers to any open-string note arrangement other than standard tuning. These offer different kinds of deep or ringing sounds, chord voicings, and fingerings on the guitar. Alternative tunings are common in folk music where the guitar may be called upon to produce a sustained note or chord known as a drone. This often gives folk music its haunting and lamenting ambiance due to the atmosphere and mood that the notes make. Alternative tunings change the fingering of common chords when playing the guitar, and this can ease