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Standard guitar tuning

Standard guitar tuning is E A D G B E, from the lowest, thickest string to the highest: E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4. Tap a string to hear it.

Tap a string to hear its note, then tune yours to match.

About standard tuning

Standard tuning is the one almost every song, lesson and chord chart assumes. Each string is a fourth above the one below it, except the B string, a major third above the G.

That one smaller gap is what makes the common chord shapes fit under four fingers, and it is why a shape moves differently when it crosses onto the B string.

Standard tuning notes

Each open string from the 1st, the thinnest, to the 6th, with the frequency a tuner looks for.

Standard tuning: each string’s note and frequency, with A4 at 440 Hz
StringNoteFrequency
1stE4329.63 Hz
2ndB3246.94 Hz
3rdG3196 Hz
4thD3146.83 Hz
5thA2110 Hz
6thE282.41 Hz

Every other note’s frequency is on the note frequency chart.

How to tune a guitar by ear

With one string in tune, the others follow from it.

  1. Tune the 6th string, the low E, to E2 (82.41 Hz), against a tuner or the 6th string’s button above.
  2. Play the 6th string at the 5th fret, A, and tune the open 5th string to match it.
  3. Play the 5th string at the 5th fret, D, and tune the open 4th string to match it.
  4. Play the 4th string at the 5th fret, G, and tune the open 3rd string to match it.
  5. Play the 3rd string at the 4th fret, B, and tune the open 2nd string to match it.
  6. Play the 2nd string at the 5th fret, E, and tune the open 1st string to match it.

To lower a string, go a little below its new note and come back up to it: a string tuned up to its note holds its pitch better.

To tune with your mic instead, in this tuning or another, use the guitar tuner.

Playing in standard tuning

The open chords, C, A, G, E and D, and the barre chords built from the E and A shapes are all written for standard tuning. Learn it first: every other tuning is described by how it differs from this one.

The fretboard in standard tuning

The note on every fret in this tuning. Tap one to hear it, or light up one note or a scale on the neck.

Frets

Tap any fret to hear its note.

Six steps to learning every note on the neck are on the guitar fretboard page.

Questions about standard tuning

What are the notes of standard tuning?

E A D G B E, from the 6th string, the lowest, to the 1st: E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4.

Why is the B string tuned differently?

Every other pair of strings is a fourth apart, five frets; G to B is a major third, four frets. That keeps the common chord shapes under four fingers, and it is why the G string’s 4th fret, not its 5th, matches the open B.

How do I tune a guitar to standard by ear?

Tune the low E to a reference, then play its 5th fret and tune the A string to match. Go up the same way: the A string’s 5th fret for the D, the D’s 5th fret for the G, the G’s 4th fret for the B and the B’s 5th fret for the high E.

More guitar tunings

Half step down tuning

E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭

Every string down a half step.

D standard tuning

D G C F A D

Every string down a whole step.

C standard tuning

C F B♭ E♭ G C

Every string down two whole steps.

All 14, side by side with how far each string moves, are on the guitar tunings page.

Play along in E minor

Open the free editor with a beat in E minor playing, then add your guitar part, a bass line or your voice, part by part. No account needed to start.

Start a beatAll guitar tunings

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