Online guitar tuner
This free guitar tuner listens through your phone or laptop microphone and shows which note you are playing and how far off it is. It works for acoustic, electric and classical guitar, in standard tuning and every tuning listed below. There is nothing to download and nothing to sign up for.
Standard guitar tuning
From the thickest string to the thinnest, standard tuning is E A D G B E. A common way to remember it is Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie.
| 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 |
Frequencies assume the standard reference pitch of A4 = 440 Hz.
How to tune your guitar
- Tap Use microphone and allow access when your browser asks.
- Play the thickest string, low E, and let it ring.
- If the tuner says Tune up, tighten the peg slowly. If it says Tune down, loosen it.
- Stop when the pointer settles in the green zone and the note turns green.
- Repeat for the other five strings, then check them all once more. Tightening one string pulls the neck slightly and can nudge the others.
Alternate guitar tunings
Pick any of these from the tuning menu above the meter, or open its own page for notes and a step-by-step guide. Notes run from the 6th string to the 1st.
| Tuning | Notes | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | E A D G B E | The default for almost everything. |
| Half step down | E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭ | Every string drops a semitone. |
| Whole step down | D G C F A D | Two semitones lower than standard. |
| C standard | C F B♭ E♭ G C | Every string two whole steps below standard. |
| B standard | B E A D F♯ B | Two and a half steps below standard, so the guitar sits close to a baritone. |
| Drop D | D A D G B E | Only the low E string changes. |
| Drop C♯ | D♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭ | Drop D taken down another semitone, so every string is a half step below Drop D. |
| Drop C | C G C F A D | Drop D taken down a whole step. |
| Drop B | B F♯ B E G♯ C♯ | C♯ standard with the low string dropped to B. |
| Open G | D G D G B D | Strumming the open strings plays a G major chord, so a single finger across the neck gives you any major chord. |
| Open D | D A D F♯ A D | The open strings ring out a D major chord. |
| Open E | E B E G♯ B E | The open strings form an E major chord. |
| Open C | C G C G C E | A very low, wide C major chord across the open strings. |
| Open A | E A E A C♯ E | The open strings ring an A major chord. |
| DADGAD | D A D G A D | Neither major nor minor, so open strings drone underneath melodies. |
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Guitar tuner questions
Is this guitar tuner free?
Yes. It is completely free, with no sign-up and nothing to download. It runs in your web browser on phones, tablets and computers.
How accurate is an online guitar tuner?
With a clear signal it reads to within about one cent, a hundredth of a semitone, which is tighter than most people can hear. A quiet room and a single ringing string make the biggest difference.
Which way do I turn the tuning peg?
Follow the word under the note. Tune up means tighten the string to raise the pitch; tune down means loosen it. Approach the note from below so the string holds its pitch.
How do I read the meter?
The big letter is the note the string should be, and the word underneath tells you which way to turn the peg. When the pointer sits in the centre and the note turns green, that string is in tune. Switch to Advanced for a strobe band, the exact pitch in cents and hertz, and a reference pitch other than 440 Hz.
Does it work on my phone?
Yes. It works in Safari on iPhone and Chrome on Android, as well as desktop browsers. Hold the phone close to the instrument and allow microphone access when asked.
Why can't the tuner hear me?
Usually the browser hasn't been given access to the microphone, or it is listening to a different input. The tuner will tell you which, and how to fix it. Play one string at a time, close to the device.
Is my audio recorded?
No. The sound is analysed on your own device in real time. Nothing is recorded, stored or uploaded.