You can use this technique on any fretted string instrument like guitar, bouzouki, mandolin etc, but we are going to focus on the guitar now.
What is a Drone in Music?
First let’s define what a drone sound is in music. The most common way of using a drone is to have a low sustained note that keeps “droning” on the same note for an extended time.
For example: A pedal tone on an organ, a sustained bass note on piano, or most common today: a low synth pad bass note that sustains for a long part.
The point is that the droning sound will become more of a background element that adds a deep and powerful harmonic anchor to all the other parts and instruments playing over it.
How to Play a Drone on Guitar?
Now, on a guitar the drone technique will be a bit different since you strum strings in a rhythmic way. Instead of a long sustaining drone note, you use one of the lower strings as kind of rhythmic drone.
It basically will be more of a pulse (also called ostinato) on that open string, that is so repetitive that it will feel like a drone on your guitar.
The final effect will sound very rich and deep harmonically, as you play the same open drone string over melodies and even harmonies and chords on the other strings above it.
You can also get more variation and options if you switch between playing the low E string as the drone, and the A string.
What you want to make sure of though, is that the open drone strings are part of the key the song you play is in. It works especially great if the drone string is either the root of the key, or the perfect 5th.
Other Guitar Tunings – Next Level
You can also try other tunings on your guitar to open up a whole new dimension not only for overall sound and playing, but also for that drone string effect.
Open tunings work especially great for drones, like: DADGAD for example.