27 Best Drop-C Songs – With Tabs

“Bad Horsie” by Steve Vai

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If you’re vaguely familiar with wah pedals, you’re probably aware of the Bad Horsie model made by Morley. Any person who isn’t a Steve Vai fan would probably wonder at the reasoning behind the pedal’s name. 

Well, it does actually come from the song titled, Bad Horsie (big surprise there). And while the track is full of standard Vai tendencies, Bad Horsie is actually incredibly heavy. 

In fact, Bad Horsie could rival some of the heavier bands from any era. It truly does chug at a level that is surprising for even Steve Vai.

“Something In The Way” by Nirvana

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There are many memorable moments on Nirvana’s Unplugged album, all of which are notable for different reasons. Something In The Way is an especially memorable track, if only for its performance.

Out of all of the songs in the Nirvana catalog, Something In The Way just hits a little differently. It is, by far, one of the most vulnerable songs that Cobain ever penned.

The track is played in Drop-C, but much of that vulnerable sound comes from the addition of the cello. Regardless, it’s something every Nirvana fan should learn if they’re dabbling in the Drop-C tuning. 

“Into The Void” by Nine Inch Nails

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Every Nine Inch Nails fan will go into a debate about which album they think is the best. For many, it’s the 1999 release, The Fragile, which sees Reznor honing his craft to greater detail. 

The Fragile has many musical themes that play throughout the tracklist. Many of these thematic elements can be heard in the song, Into The Void. 

Somehow, Reznor blends elements of gospel, pop, metal, rock, and even funk, in one package.

“Chop Suey!” by System Of A Down

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For many people, the song, Chop Suey!, was their first introduction to the band, System Of A Down. The song quickly got attention for its explosiveness mixed with melodic pop elements, which contrast each other throughout the song. 

Of course, Chop Suey! also caused quite a stir in regard to its seemingly anti-religious chorus lyrics. Though the song was released a month before, 9/11 seemed to have tainted its mainstream viability. 

That obviously didn’t hurt System Of A Down’s success by any means. 

“Curl Of The Burl” by Mastodon

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Mastodon has always seemed to be one of those metal bands that just always does things the right way. Infectious riffs, world-class musicianship, and wickedly-good song compositions are par for the course here.

Their track, Curl Of The Burl, has all of the things you’d want to find in a stoner metal song. The main riff has some sneaky syncopation that will require you to slow the track down to locate its timing. 

Most of the solos tend to fall more on the melodic side, making it easy for any blues player.

“N Dakota” by Parquet Courts

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Parquet Courts tapped into the right vein of indie rock sounds that helped give them a status of royalty. Their 2012 album, Light Up Gold, is considered one of the best indie rock albums of the 2010s.

Of course, the group has garnered comparisons to indie-rock godfathers, Pavement, due to their jangly sound. The song, N Dakota, encapsulates the essence of Pavement’s obtuseness.

This track is especially ideal if you’re primarily used to playing barre chords. Compared to other songs in this article, N Dakota is a breeze that anybody can handle. 

“The Darkest Nights” by As I Lay Dying

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While As I Lay Dying obviously takes its name from the Faulkner novel, they are anything but boring. The band is known for its screaming vocals and infectious riffs that dance like lightning. 

Many of the group’s songs are actually played in Drop-C, with The Darkest nights being one example. Anyone who was a teenager around 2005 probably listened to this at least once in high school. 

The Darkest Nights is composed mostly of catchy guitar riffs mixed with some repeating melodic phrases throughout. It leans toward the melodic side of things rather than heavy, rhythmic chugging. 

“Blew” by Nirvana

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For as popular as Nirvana has been, you’d be surprised how many people overlook the 1989 album, Bleach. This album features Nirvana at its most primitive form, with song’s like the opening track, Blew. 

If you’re a beginner guitarist who’s also a Nirvana fan, Blew is a good foray into exploring the Drop-C tuning. The song utilizes some one-finger barre chords and also has a very melodic and competent guitar solo. 

In fact, you could say that Blew’s guitar solo is more articulate than many of Cobain’s later solos. It could also just be because the guitar solo itself has a rather clean tone, which is unusual for Nirvana. 

“Becoming The Bull” by Atreyu

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Since the early 2000s, Atreyu has seemingly always been a presence in the metal scene. The band found their mainstream stride with their 4th album, which featured the song, Becoming The Bull. 

Musically, this song seems to be built from a sort of marching pulse that persists throughout the composition. The guitar parts range from high-octane riffing (with some horror influences) to chugging, to wicked melodic passages.

Learning this will give you a masterclass in understanding how modern pop-metal (is that a thing?) is written. Many songs have followed a similar formula to what this song uses.

“The Best Deceptions” by Dashboard Confessional

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Again, you don’t have to play metal to utilize the Drop-C tuning in an effective way. If you don’t believe me, check out Dashboard Confessional’s song, The Best Deceptions.

This song comes from early in Dashboard Confessional’s career and features one acoustic guitar. Musically, there the song features some simple chord strumming as well as some melodic cross-string runs. 

Again, if you were a teenager in the early 2000s, chances are you might have encountered this album. It was sort of considered the softer flip-side of emo’s metal sound.