Leeneia,

I highly accept the advice from such guitar masters as Don Firth and the others but I am going to fly in the face of their comments by saying I have been tuning high for years and it is relatively easy with some very distinct provisions. Hidden in all the discussions was a very common phenomenon that all have missed. Generally the highest tuned string on a guitar is the high "G" on a 12-string guitar. It is usually an .08 gauge string and will tune down nicely to the F# you need to start your tuning to "D". Since the highest string is usually the one to break, start from there. From highest to lowest try a .10 or .11 for "B", something around a .14 or .15 for "G", a wound .22 to .24 for "D", a 35 for your "A" and a .45 for your low "E". Now tune the whole lot up one whole note to get your C to D tuning.

It's the gauge of the strung that counts and many single string ordered from good music stores will specify the draw strength for each string for three different notes tuned on that string. At the other end, I have used extremely heavy gauges on my Larrivee, starting a .14 for my high E and dropping to .60 on my low E. I play a Baritone uke that is tuned like a soprano, that is GCEA and the only problem was finding a high tension nylon E that would stay the course, Augustine Flamencos. I have two guitars that can take the heavy strings, the Larivee and a Tacoma. DO NOT DO THIS TO A MARTIN, THEY ARE VERY WEAK AT THE BRIDGE. And I used tenor banjo strings on my five string Wildwood Soloist with a .13 fifth sting.

My advice would be to go to a good music store and ask to see their string catalogue. If you buy custom strings as I do, then you won't be looking at the packaged strings, except to see what note is specified at what tension. Unless the store has a box of broken package single strings, you may have to order them four at a time. If they tell you that they only have packages and not singles, then fool'em. Buy a package of light gauge banjo strings which have loop ends, and use an old guitar string button to secure the lightest string (usually an .08 or .09) in your bridge. Then buy a package of light gauge guitar strings and start with the light "E" string in the package as your next "B". You'll be tuned to "D" in no time with no increase pull on your bridge on your bridge. If you do hear a buzz from the string on your frets try one of two things; have the guitar shop loosen the tension bar in the guitar neck, since you don't play many bridged chords, or step up slightly in your string gauges. Good Luck!

BTW, while I don't use a capo very often, I carry a couple curved and straight Kysers just in case. And I do used a cut Shubb for a very heavy strung guitar with the whole guitar tuned down to D and the capo bring the highest 5 strings to E, giving you every bridged cord except a natural Em and that dropped D sound.

You really should learn to use the capo…

And responding to your comment about the "A" chord, do not make the mistake of many players and mash all your fingers together to make the common A chord. If you played the piano you know how to stretch an octave. Play the A chord by bridging all four of the lighter strings at the second fret with one finger and then let your little finger catch the high E string at the fifth fret (stunningly, an A note) for a much easier and much fuller A chord.