12 strings in 6 pairs · E Standard
12-string guitar tuner.
Tune a 12-string guitar pair by pair: E A D G B E with octave strings, half step down, Drop D, DADGAD, Open G or any shift, at any A4.
Tuner · Any tuning
Tune your 12-string.
Pluck a string and the meter shows how far off it is. Tap any string to hear it at its true pitch and tune by ear.
- Pick any instrument and tuning
- Shift it down or up by half steps
- Set A to anything: 440, 432, 442…
E A D G B E · pairs
Check string tension →The sound never leaves your device.
Keys: Space start or stop · ← → half step · ↑ ↓ A (Shift: bigger steps) · 1–9 string · M mode · R hear · − + volume · L copy link · Esc done
Ready
Strings 1 → 6
3 times each
Tap Start, then pluck any string.
Your browser asks once · nothing is recorded
Strings · tap to hear
Instrument
Try uke, bari, 5 string, cello…
Tuning
E Standard
Shape
Shift
Standard pitch
Higher or lower
Fine-tune
Moves every string a little, for example to match a recording.
Custom tuning
Any strings, any notes
One row for each string. The top row is the top string, usually the thickest.
Start from
Strings
+ adds a lower string at the top. − takes the top string away.
Notes from C0 to C8. Type a note like D2, F♯3 or B♭1, or use − and +.
Save and use keeps it on this device (up to 8 tunings). Use without saving tunes with it for now.
Reference A
Slider 380–500 Hz. Type any value from 300 to 600 Hz.
More pitches
Sound
Violin, viola, cello and double bass start with Bowed, the rest with Acoustic.
Note length
Match a recording Beta
Find the A a song was recorded at, then tune to it and play along.
…listening
Play the song, loud and clear.
Result
This recording sits on A 440
The tuner already matches it: nothing to change.
A recording is only known within a half step: if the song is a half step down, also change the tuning.
Beta: tested on real records and synthetic songs. Check the result by ear.
Nothing is uploaded: the sound is measured on this device.
Settings
Mode
Guided: one string at a time, from the thickest.
Meter
Bar: a slider with a mint in-tune zone.
Note length
How long a tapped string and Hear sound. Repeat plays the string again every few seconds, Continuous holds it: tap it again to stop.
Reference sound
Violin, viola, cello and double bass start with Bowed, the rest with Acoustic. A sound you pick stays.
Volume
Phone speakers play very low notes an octave up.
Note names
Sharps and flats
Octave numbers (E2, E4)
Tells the two E strings apart: E2 is the low one, E4 the high one.
Frequencies (Hz)
Each string's pitch in hertz, such as 82.4 Hz.
In tune within
Precise is not used with harmonics: Normal ±3 applies.
Harmonic mode
For one low string: play its 12th-fret harmonic (×2) or its 5th-fret one (×4).
Pro view
The pitch heard in Hz, tenths of a cent and the input picker. Turns on octave numbers and frequencies.
Device names appear after you allow the microphone.
Input channel
Auto picks the channel with sound. Interfaces: choose the input your instrument is plugged into.
Background
Night ocean, cosmos, forest and more.
The sound never leaves your device. No account, no cookies.
Standard tuning
12-string guitar tuning
A 12-string guitar has six pairs of strings. In the four low pairs the second string sounds an octave higher (E2 + E3, A2 + A3, D3 + D4, G3 + G4). The two high pairs are unisons (B3 + B3, E4 + E4).
The thin octave G4 string carries a lot of tension, so many players keep the whole guitar a half step or a whole step down. Use the ◂ arrow on the tuning chip to do that.
Tip. Tune the thick string of each pair first, then its partner. Pluck the partner on its own: if both ring together the tuner hears a mix.
E A D G B E
Standard tuning: notes and frequencies
| String | Note | A = 440 | A = 432 | A = 442 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | E2 | 82.41 | 80.91 | 82.78 |
| 6 octave | E3 | 164.81 | 161.82 | 165.56 |
| 5 | A2 | 110.00 | 108.00 | 110.50 |
| 5 octave | A3 | 220.00 | 216.00 | 221.00 |
| 4 | D3 | 146.83 | 144.16 | 147.50 |
| 4 octave | D4 | 293.66 | 288.33 | 295.00 |
| 3 | G3 | 196.00 | 192.43 | 196.89 |
| 3 octave | G4 | 392.00 | 384.87 | 393.78 |
| 2 | B3 | 246.94 | 242.45 | 248.06 |
| 2 unison | B3 | 246.94 | 242.45 | 248.06 |
| 1 | E4 | 329.63 | 323.63 | 331.13 |
| 1 unison | E4 | 329.63 | 323.63 | 331.13 |
Measured
How the tuner hears a 12-string guitar
Every 12-string guitar string, E2 (82.41 Hz) to G4 (392.00 Hz), sits above the range where phone mics fade. In our phone-mic test the 12-string guitar range read within about 1 ¢, and clean test tones within 0.2 ¢.
String tension
String tension
A typical 10–47 set on a 25.5″ scale pulls about 251 lb (114 kg) in E Standard, or 20.9 lb per string on average. That is about 1.6 times the pull of a 6-string acoustic with a 12–53 set, which is why many players keep a 12-string a half step or a whole step down: D Standard brings it to about 199 lb.
Check string tension → String by string, with your own set and scale length.
- String by stringPounds, kilograms or newtons for each string, so you see which one goes slack first.
- Your set, your scalePick a common set or type your own gauges, on any scale length.
- Any tuning, any A4Drop, standard and open tunings, shifted by half steps, at the A you use.
Other 12-string guitar tunings
Shift the whole tuning
The tuner can move all six pairs of strings together, from an octave down to an octave up, and add fine cents on top. Each step keeps every chord shape the same.
- F♯ StandardAll pairs 2 half steps higher. Notes: F sharp B E A C sharp F sharp
- F StandardAll pairs 1 half step higher. Notes: F B flat E flat A flat C F
- E StandardThis pageThe usual 12-string tuning. Notes: E A D G B E
- E♭ StandardAll pairs 1 half step lower
- D StandardAll pairs 2 half steps lower
Questions
What are the standard 12-string guitar notes?
Pair by pair, from String 6 to String 1: E2·E3 A2·A3 D3·D4 G3·G4 B3·B3 E4·E4 (E Standard). At A4 = 440 Hz they are 82.41, 164.81, 110.00, 220.00, 146.83, 293.66, 196.00, 392.00, 246.94, 246.94, 329.63, 329.63 Hz.
Why does the tuner show two notes for each pair?
Because the pair really has two strings. In the low four pairs the partner is an octave higher; in the top two pairs both strings are the same note. Tune each string on its own.
Can I tune my 12-string guitar lower or higher?
Yes. Use the ◂ ▸ arrows on the tuning chip to move every string by a half step. One half step down takes about 11% of the tension off; one half step up adds about 12% (approx.).