Guitar family tuning - a summary
| Instrument | Notes (bottom to top) | Compared to guitar |
|---|---|---|
| Soprano, octave, piccolo (E) | E A D G B E 165 - 659 Hz |
An octave up |
| Alto, quint (B) | B E A D F# B 123 - 494 Hz |
A fifth up |
| Treble, requinto, quart (A) | A D G C E A 110 - 440 Hz |
A fourth up |
| Terz (G) | G C F Bb D G 98 - 392 Hz |
A minor third up |
| Prime | E A D G B E 82 - 330 Hz |
(at pitch) |
| Bass, quart bass (B), baritone (*) | B E A D F# B 62 - 247 Hz |
A fourth down |
| Baritone (*), quint bass, guitarron in A | A D G C E A 55 - 220 Hz |
A fifth down |
| Contra, octave bass, guitarron in E | E A D G B E 41 - 163 Hz |
An octave down |
Pitch is based on Concert Pitch (A = 440 Hz)
Once tuned, the chords of C and E will indicate whether the guitar is in tune with itself or not, in the same way that they are an excellent check on a classical guitar.
Note that all these tunings are based on the same intervals as the classical guitar's E A D G B E
(*) The steel-strung baritone is usually in B, and the classical baritone is usually in A - read our baritone page
We recommend Intellitouch Tuners, which are fully chromatic.
Related :
Our FAQ about transposition
Links to each of the guitars - see the menu on the left