Drop D D A D G B E
Only the low E string changes, down a whole step to D. Power chords on the bottom three strings become one-finger shapes, which makes it a favorite for heavy riffs.
Online guitar tuner
Tune your guitar with your computer’s microphone. Play a string and the tuner shows the note and which way to turn the peg. Free, with nothing to install.
How to tune your guitar
- Press Start tuner and allow the microphone when your browser asks.
- Play one string at a time and let it ring. The tuner works out which string you’re playing.
- Too low? Tighten the string. Too high? Loosen it. When the needle sits in the middle, it turns green and a soft chime plays.
- Go round once more. Each string you tune gets a green tick, but strings pull on the neck and drift while you tune the others.
No microphone? Click a string in the tuner to hear its note, then turn the peg until your string sounds the same. Click it again to go back to following whichever string you play.
Tip: tune up to the note. If a string is sharp, take it below the note and bring it back up; it holds its pitch better that way.
Standard tuning: E A D G B E
Most songs and lessons use standard tuning. From the thickest string to the thinnest, the notes are E, A, D, G, B and E. These are the pitches the tuner aims for, with A4 at 440 Hz:
| String | Note | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| 6th (thickest) | E2 | 82.41 Hz |
| 5th | A2 | 110.00 Hz |
| 4th | D3 | 146.83 Hz |
| 3rd | G3 | 196.00 Hz |
| 2nd | B3 | 246.94 Hz |
| 1st (thinnest) | E4 | 329.63 Hz |
A way to remember them: Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie.
Alternate tunings
The tuner has seven more tunings. Notes are listed from the thickest string to the thinnest.
Half step down E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭
Every string a half step lower, also called E♭ tuning. The strings feel a little slacker and the sound a little darker. Plenty of rock and blues is played this way.
Whole step down D G C F A D
Every string a whole step lower, also called D standard. Your chord shapes stay the same; everything sounds a tone lower.
Drop C C G C F A D
Drop D taken down a whole step. Very low and heavy, with the same one-finger power chords on the bottom strings.
DADGAD D A D G A D
An open, ringing tuning heard a lot in folk and Celtic music. Strum the open strings and you get a Dsus4 chord.
Open G D G D G B D
Strum the open strings and you get a G major chord. Great for slide guitar and bluesy rhythm parts.
Open D D A D F♯ A D
Strum the open strings and you get a D major chord. Another favorite for slide and folk.
Questions
Is this guitar tuner free?
Yes. It’s free, it runs in your browser, and you don’t need an account.
Is my microphone recorded?
No. The sound is analyzed in your browser as you play. It isn’t recorded or sent anywhere, and the microphone is only on while the tuner is running.
Can I tune an electric guitar?
Yes. Play it unplugged, close to your computer’s microphone, or play through your amp.
What does A4 = 440 Hz mean?
It’s the reference pitch the tuner works from, and the standard almost everyone uses. To play along with a recording that’s slightly sharp or flat, set it anywhere from 420 to 460 Hz.
Why does the reading jump around?
Pick one string firmly, let it ring, and keep the other strings quiet. Other strings ringing and background noise confuse any tuner.
In tune? Time to practice
The tuner is also a button at the top of every practice page, so you can check your tuning without leaving what you’re working on.