Guitar tunings chart and tuning reference
A4 at 440 Hz.
Click a string to hear it. With the tuner running, the string you are closest to lights up.
Standard tuning is E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4: 82.41, 110.00, 146.83, 196.00, 246.94 and 329.63 Hz, with A4 at 440 Hz. A bass in standard is an octave below the guitar's bottom four strings: E1 A1 D2 G2.
Reference pitches
- A440 is the international standard (ISO 16) and what nearly every tuner, plugin and DAW instrument assumes.
- A442 and A443 are common with orchestras, especially in continental Europe, for a slightly brighter sound.
- A415 is the usual pitch for Baroque music on period instruments, roughly a semitone below A440.
- A432 is a taste choice. It is 31.8 cents below A440. There is no acoustic evidence it is special, but if you like how it feels, tune everything to it, including your DAW's instruments and any pitch-correction plugin.
Guitar tunings
| Tuning | Low → high | Hz at A440 |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4 | 82.41 · 110.00 · 146.83 · 196.00 · 246.94 · 329.63 |
| Half step down (E♭)Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Guns N' Roses | E♭2 A♭2 D♭3 G♭3 B♭3 E♭4 | 77.78 · 103.83 · 138.59 · 185.00 · 233.08 · 311.13 |
| Drop Done-finger power chords on the low strings | D2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4 | 73.42 · 110.00 · 146.83 · 196.00 · 246.94 · 329.63 |
| D standarda whole step down | D2 G2 C3 F3 A3 D4 | 73.42 · 98.00 · 130.81 · 174.61 · 220.00 · 293.66 |
| Drop C♯drop D, a half step lower | D♭2 A♭2 D♭3 G♭3 B♭3 E♭4 | 69.30 · 103.83 · 138.59 · 185.00 · 233.08 · 311.13 |
| Drop Cheavy rock and metal | C2 G2 C3 F3 A3 D4 | 65.41 · 98.00 · 130.81 · 174.61 · 220.00 · 293.66 |
| C standarddoom and stoner | C2 F2 B♭2 E♭3 G3 C4 | 65.41 · 87.31 · 116.54 · 155.56 · 196.00 · 261.63 |
| Drop B | B1 F♯2 B2 E3 G♯3 C♯4 | 61.74 · 92.50 · 123.47 · 164.81 · 207.65 · 277.18 |
| B standarddoom, sludge, baritone guitar | B1 E2 A2 D3 F♯3 B3 | 61.74 · 82.41 · 110.00 · 146.83 · 185.00 · 246.94 |
| Drop Aas low as most six-strings go | A1 E2 A2 D3 F♯3 B3 | 55.00 · 82.41 · 110.00 · 146.83 · 185.00 · 246.94 |
| DADGADopen, modal, drones | D2 A2 D3 G3 A3 D4 | 73.42 · 110.00 · 146.83 · 196.00 · 220.00 · 293.66 |
| Open Gslide and Keith Richards riffs (he takes the low string off) | D2 G2 D3 G3 B3 D4 | 73.42 · 98.00 · 146.83 · 196.00 · 246.94 · 293.66 |
| Open Dslide, folk | D2 A2 D3 F♯3 A3 D4 | 73.42 · 110.00 · 146.83 · 185.00 · 220.00 · 293.66 |
| Open Eslide | E2 B2 E3 G♯3 B3 E4 | 82.41 · 123.47 · 164.81 · 207.65 · 246.94 · 329.63 |
| Open Cbig ringing chords | C2 G2 C3 G3 C4 E4 | 65.41 · 98.00 · 130.81 · 196.00 · 261.63 · 329.63 |
| 7-string standard | B1 E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4 | 61.74 · 82.41 · 110.00 · 146.83 · 196.00 · 246.94 · 329.63 |
Going down more than a couple of steps, heavier strings keep the tension and the tuning stable. Detuned guitars also want less low end and more mids than you would expect, so they cut through rather than turning to mud.
Bass tunings
| Tuning | Low → high | Hz at A440 |
|---|---|---|
| Standard (4-string) | E1 A1 D2 G2 | 41.20 · 55.00 · 73.42 · 98.00 |
| 5-string | B0 E1 A1 D2 G2 | 30.87 · 41.20 · 55.00 · 73.42 · 98.00 |
| Drop D | D1 A1 D2 G2 | 36.71 · 55.00 · 73.42 · 98.00 |
| D standard | D1 G1 C2 F2 | 36.71 · 49.00 · 65.41 · 87.31 |
| Drop C | C1 G1 C2 F2 | 32.70 · 49.00 · 65.41 · 87.31 |
| C standard | C1 F1 B♭1 E♭2 | 32.70 · 43.65 · 58.27 · 77.78 |
Tuning tips that actually help
- Tune up to the note. If you are sharp, drop below and come back up, so the string settles with the gear tension holding it.
- Play one string, let it ring. The tuner needs a single, steady note. Mute the others.
- Low bass strings and laptop mics do not get along, because small mics barely pick up 40 Hz. Play the 12th fret harmonic instead: it is the same note an octave up, and much easier to read.
- Check the octave against the 12th fret after you tune. If the fretted note is off but the open string is right, it is intonation, not tuning.
Drown is a two-knob doom fuzz.
C standard and B standard were made for it. MURK brings up the fuzz and an octave-below sub together, DEPTH blooms the note into a drone, FREEZE holds it under you. Plug your guitar in and play it live in the browser. Bass player? Try La Bestia.
Play Drown live →Quick answers
How do I tune my guitar online?
Use the online guitar tuner: press Start, allow the microphone and play one open string. It finds the string and shows how many cents sharp or flat you are. The chromatic tuner on this page works too and shows the nearest note.
What are the frequencies of standard guitar tuning?
With A4 at 440 Hz: E2 82.41 Hz, A2 110.00 Hz, D3 146.83 Hz, G3 196.00 Hz, B3 246.94 Hz and E4 329.63 Hz.
What is A440?
A440 means the A above middle C is tuned to 440 vibrations per second. It is the international standard reference pitch (ISO 16), and almost all tuners and instruments default to it.
Should I tune to 432 Hz or 440 Hz?
Either works if the whole band and the session agree. 432 Hz is 31.8 cents lower than 440 Hz. There is no acoustic evidence that 432 is special; it is a taste choice. 440 is the standard, so it is the safe default when you will play with others or use samples.
What notes is drop D tuning?
Drop D is D2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4: standard tuning with the low E string lowered a whole step to D.
Can I tune a bass with an online tuner?
Yes. This tuner reads down to the low B of a five-string (about 31 Hz). Built-in laptop and phone mics pick up very little at that range, so if the reading jumps around, play the 12th fret harmonic, which is the same note an octave higher.
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