Nashville Tuning Tuner
Tune a high-strung guitar to Nashville tuning (E3 A3 D4 G4 B3 E4) using your microphone. The tuner below listens for the octave strings — press Start Recording and pluck a string.
Auto-select string
Switches to string automatically
Target 164.81 Hz
Action Required
Start tuner and pluck highlighted note.
Peg Rotation & Offset
Standby
Headstock Alignment
Tap a peg to tune that string specifically.
Instrument
Tuning Preset
Reference Pitch
Concert pitch for A4. 440 is the standard; many orchestras use 442.
Quick Tuning Guidelines
- 1.Tap the Start Recording button at the top to initialize your microphone.
- 2.Pluck one string cleanly at a time. Let it vibrate naturally to get a continuous frequency reading.
- 3.Adjust your tuning pegs until the dial centers in the green zone (around 0 cents).
- 4.Watch indicators: amber is the currently selected note, green is the automatically detected audio feed.
String-by-String Frequency Chart
These are the exact target frequencies this tuner listens for, at A4 = 440 Hz equal temperament. Strings 6 to 3 sit an octave above standard, so string 3 (G4) is the highest note and string 2 (B3) is lower than it.
| String | Note | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | E3 | 164.81 Hz |
| 5 | A3 | 220.00 Hz |
| 4 | D4 | 293.66 Hz |
| 3 | G4 | 392.00 Hz |
| 2 | B3 | 246.94 Hz |
| 1 | E4 | 329.63 Hz |
How to Use This Nashville Tuner
- Fit a Nashville or high-strung set first. Do not try to tune ordinary strings up to these pitches.
- Press Start Recording on the tuner above and allow microphone access. The Nashville preset is already selected.
- Tune each string to the octave in the chart: E3, A3, D4, G4, B3, E4. The G string is now the highest note on the guitar.
- Bring the thin strings up slowly. A .009 tuned to G4 is near its limit, and overshooting is how it breaks.
What is Nashville Tuning?
A 12-string guitar is six pairs of strings. On the bottom four pairs, one string is the normal one and the other is a thin string tuned an octave higher; on the top two, both strings are the same note. Take a 12-string set, keep only the octave strings for the bottom four and one of each pair for the top two, put them on a six-string — that is Nashville tuning, also called high-strung tuning.
The result keeps every note name of standard tuning and moves the bottom four strings up an octave. There is no low end at all, and the G string becomes the highest pitch on the guitar. The voicing of every chord changes, with the "bass" notes now in the middle, which gives open chords a bright, chiming, almost harp-like sound.
Why Studios Use It
The name comes from the Nashville session scene, where players doubled acoustic parts with a high-strung guitar to thicken a track. Recorded together, the normal guitar and the Nashville guitar sound like a 12-string, but each part can be played cleanly, panned separately and mixed to taste. It became a staple of country, folk and pop records, and plenty of rock ones: David Gilmour's acoustic part on Pink Floyd's "Hey You" is usually transcribed in a variant of it.
Because the octave strings are so light, it is also an easy way to make an inexpensive spare acoustic sound special, and many players keep one guitar permanently strung this way.
Tips for a Nashville-Strung Guitar
- Check the nut slots. The thin strings can sit loosely in slots cut for heavy ones and buzz. A tiny shim or a spare nut cut for the set fixes it.
- Expect a lighter feel. Total tension is far lower than a normal set, so the neck may need a small truss rod adjustment to keep the right relief.
- Recheck intonation. Thin plain strings intonate differently from wound ones in the same slot. Use the intonation checker on each string.
- Use a capo for variety. A capo on a Nashville guitar with a normal guitar playing open chords is a classic two-guitar arrangement. The capo calculator finds shapes that match.
Related: 12-string guitar tuner, standard guitar tuner, and the full tunings chart.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Nashville tuning?
A six-string guitar strung with the thin octave strings from a 12-string set. The note names are standard — E A D G B E — but strings 6, 5, 4 and 3 sound an octave higher than usual: E3, A3, D4 and G4. Strings 2 and 1 stay at B3 and E4.
Can I use a normal set of strings?
No. Tuning a normal low E string up an octave would snap it. You need light strings for the bottom four — either a set sold as Nashville or high-strung, or the octave strings taken from a 12-string set. A typical set runs roughly .010 .014 .009 .012 .018 .027 from string 1 to 6.
Why does a normal tuner say my strings are in tune when they are not?
Most chromatic tuners only read the note name, not the octave, so a low E string tuned to E2 and a Nashville string tuned to E3 both show as E. This page listens for E3, A3, D4 and G4 specifically, so the chart and the targets are right for a high-strung guitar.
What is Nashville tuning used for?
Mostly recording. Doubling a normal guitar part with a Nashville-tuned guitar gives the shimmer of a 12-string without its playing difficulty, and it lets you pan the two parts left and right. It is also lovely on its own for arpeggiated chords that ring like a harp.
Do the chord shapes change?
No. Every note name is the same as standard, so every chord shape and tab works unchanged. Only the voicing changes: the bass notes now sit in the middle of the chord.