Guitar tuning · C♯ F♯ B E G♯ C♯

C♯ Standard tuner.

C♯ F♯ B E G♯ C♯: 1½ steps down from standard. Tune with your mic or by ear, at A4 = 440 or any pitch you need.

Tuner · Any tuning

Tune your guitar.

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…

C♯ F♯ B E G♯ C♯ · E Standard shape · −3 st

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

tab: E

Tap Start, then pluck any string.

Your browser asks once · nothing is recorded

Strings · tap to hear

Guitar · Downtuned standard

About C♯ Standard

Every string sits 1½ steps below E Standard: C♯ F♯ B E G♯ C♯. Downtuned standard tunings keep every chord shape you know; songs simply sound lower and the strings feel a bit looser.

C♯ Standard sits between D and C Standard. Heavy rock and metal bands use it for a lower sound without a big jump in string gauge.

Also written: C#F#BEG#C#

How to get there from standard

  • String 6: lower 1½ steps (E2 → C♯2)
  • String 5: lower 1½ steps (A2 → F♯2)
  • String 4: lower 1½ steps (D3 → B2)
  • String 3: lower 1½ steps (G3 → E3)
  • String 2: lower 1½ steps (B3 → G♯3)
  • String 1: lower 1½ steps (E4 → C♯4)

Quicker from Drop B: raise String 6 a whole step (B1 → C♯2).

6 strings

Notes and frequencies

C♯ Standard: notes and frequencies in Hz at three common A4 references
StringNoteA = 440A = 432A = 442
6C♯269.3068.0469.61
5F♯292.5090.8292.92
4B2123.47121.23124.03
3E3164.81161.82165.56
2G♯3207.65203.88208.60
1C♯4277.18272.14278.44

The tuner on this page works at any A4 from 300 to 600 Hz, and can shift the whole tuning by half steps or fine cents.

Measured

How the tuner hears C♯2

C♯ Standard goes down to C♯2 on String 6, 69.30 Hz. A phone mic hears C♯2 faintly: in our phone-mic model its fundamental arrives 7 dB quieter. Read from its overtones, C♯2 stayed within 1 ¢.

How the tuner listens →

String tension

Strings and tension

Strings 6–⁠1: about 29% less tension (approx., same strings, same scale length).

To keep the feel of a 10–⁠46 set at standard pitch, try about 12–⁠54 (approx.: string makers' charts differ, and many players simply like it looser).

A longer neck helps too. Compared with a 25.5″ guitar, a 27″ scale gives back about a half step of tension and 28.6″ about a whole step (approx.).

Check string tension → String by string, with your own set and scale length.

Neighboring tunings

Higher tunings first. Each rung moves every string of C♯ Standard by a half step; in the tuner, the ◂ ▸ arrows on the tuning chip do the same.

  1. E♭ StandardAll strings 1 half step lower
  2. D StandardAll strings 2 half steps lower
  3. C♯ StandardThis pageAll strings 3 half steps lower. Notes: C sharp F sharp B E G sharp C sharp
  4. C StandardAll strings 4 half steps lower
  5. B StandardAll strings 5 half steps lower

Questions

What are the notes of C♯ Standard?

From String 6 to String 1: C♯2 F♯2 B2 E3 G♯3 C♯4. At A4 = 440 Hz the lowest string is 69.30 Hz and the highest is 277.18 Hz.

Why is it called C♯ Standard?

Standard tunings are named after the lowest string. All strings move 1½ steps down from E Standard, so String 6 becomes C♯2 and every chord shape stays the same.

Do I need heavier strings for C♯ Standard?

Strings 6–⁠1: about 29% less tension (approx.). To keep the feel of a 10–⁠46 set at standard pitch, try about 12–⁠54 (approx.: string makers' charts differ, and many players simply like it looser).