Standard Guitar Tuning Explained
Standard tuning is what most six-string guitars arrive in from the shop and what most chord diagrams assume. The strings, from thickest to thinnest, are tuned to E · A · D · G · B · E. The full picture — octave numbers, frequencies, and the reason the pattern isn't symmetrical — is below.
The notes, string by string
Strings are numbered from the thinnest (1) to the thickest (6). Most chord books and tab editors use that numbering, and the homepage tuner's reference panel follows the same convention.
- 6th string — E2 — 82.41 Hz (low E, the thickest)
- 5th string — A2 — 110.00 Hz
- 4th string — D3 — 146.83 Hz
- 3rd string — G3 — 196.00 Hz
- 2nd string — B3 — 246.94 Hz
- 1st string — E4 — 329.63 Hz (high E, the thinnest)
Those frequencies are the equal-tempered values relative to A4 = 440 Hz. They're the same numbers the tuner on the homepage uses as targets for each string.
What the octave number means
A note name like "E" repeats up and down the keyboard at every doubling of frequency. The number after the letter (E2, E4, A2 …) is the octave, using scientific pitch notation where middle C is C4.
On a standard-tuned guitar, the low E is E2 and the high E is E4 — that's two octaves apart, even though both strings are called E. If your tuner ever shows you the right letter but a wildly different number on the meter, it's usually because the detector locked onto the octave above or below the one you meant to play. Pluck more cleanly, let the note ring, and try again.
Why the pattern is E A D G B E
Look at the intervals between adjacent strings:
- E → A — a perfect fourth (five semitones)
- A → D — a perfect fourth
- D → G — a perfect fourth
- G → B — a major third (four semitones)
- B → E — a perfect fourth
Five of the six gaps are fourths. One — the G to B gap — is a third. That single asymmetry is what gives standard tuning its character.
The reasoning is a compromise between two competing goals. Tuning every string a fourth apart would be perfectly regular, easy to learn, and very friendly for scales — but common open chords like C, G, and D become awkward shapes that stretch across more frets. Dropping the B string by a semitone (compared to a "pure-fourth" tuning) makes those chord shapes fall under the hand. Players gain ergonomic chords; they pay for it with a slightly less regular fretboard map.
Worked example: tuning string by string
A reliable order is low-to-high — string 6 to string 1. On the homepage tuner, that looks like this:
- Press the Start Tuning button and grant microphone access.
- Play the 6th string (the thickest) open and look at the readout. If the meter sits left of centre, you're flat; tighten the tuning peg slowly. If it sits right of centre, you're sharp; loosen and come back up to pitch.
- Always finish by approaching the target from below — tightening the string into pitch rather than loosening into it. This keeps the slack on the right side of the tuning peg and reduces drift.
- Repeat for strings 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
- Go around once more. The first string you tuned will have drifted slightly as the others changed neck tension; the second pass corrects it.
A=440 and concert pitch
The 440 Hz reference for A4 is the modern concert-pitch convention used by most orchestras, recording software, and electronic tuners. Some ensembles, period-instrument groups, and individual players use other references — 432 Hz and 442 Hz come up most often.
If you're playing alone, the reference you choose only matters when you next play with another instrument that has fixed pitch (piano, fixed-tuned harp). If you're playing with anyone else, agree on a reference before you start. The tuner on this site is calibrated to A=440 by default and is not currently configurable.
Common mistakes
- Tuning to the wrong octave. If the readout says "E" but the cents value is wildly off and the needle jumps around, you're probably playing E3 against an E2 target. Pluck more cleanly and check the octave number on the display.
- Skipping the second pass. Strings affect one another. A single pass leaves the first string slightly flat. Always go round twice.
- Tuning down to pitch. Approach the target by tightening, not loosening. Strings settle better that way.
- Forgetting the capo. Tune without the capo on, then put the capo on. A capo never makes a guitar more in tune than the strings under it.
Where to go from here
Once standard tuning feels comfortable, two natural next steps are: trying an alternate tuning such as Drop D for a heavier low end, or learning to tune by ear as ear-training and as a backup when no tuner is to hand. If a string keeps drifting between sessions, the why a guitar won't stay in tune page covers the usual mechanical causes.
To put the numbers above into practice, open the tuner, allow microphone access, and start with the low E.