Guitar tuning · C F B♭ E♭ G C

C Standard tuner.

C F B♭ E♭ G C: 2 whole 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 · −4 st

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Keys: Space start or stop · ← → half step · ↑ ↓ A (Shift: bigger steps) · 1–9 string · M mode · R hear · − + volume · L copy link · Esc done

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tab: E

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Strings · tap to hear

Guitar · Downtuned standard

About C Standard

Every string sits 2 whole 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 is two whole steps down. Stoner rock, doom and metal bands use it for a big, dark sound, and most players move to heavier strings for it.

Also written: 2 steps down · CFBbEbGC

How to get there from standard

  • String 6: lower 2 whole steps (E2 → C2)
  • String 5: lower 2 whole steps (A2 → F2)
  • String 4: lower 2 whole steps (D3 → B♭2)
  • String 3: lower 2 whole steps (G3 → E♭3)
  • String 2: lower 2 whole steps (B3 → G3)
  • String 1: lower 2 whole steps (E4 → C4)

Quicker from Drop C: lower String 5 a whole step (G2 → F2); lower String 4 a whole step (C3 → B♭2); lower String 3 a whole step (F3 → E♭3); lower String 2 a whole step (A3 → G3); lower String 1 a whole step (D4 → C4).

6 strings

Notes and frequencies

C Standard: notes and frequencies in Hz at three common A4 references
StringNoteA = 440A = 432A = 442
6C265.4164.2265.70
5F287.3185.7287.70
4B♭2116.54114.42117.07
3E♭3155.56152.74156.27
2G3196.00192.43196.89
1C4261.63256.87262.81

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 C2

C Standard goes down to C2 on String 6, 65.41 Hz. A phone mic hears C2 faintly: in our phone-mic model its fundamental arrives 8 dB quieter. Read from its overtones, C2 stayed within 1 ¢.

How the tuner listens →

String tension

Strings and tension

Strings 6–⁠1: about 37% less tension (approx., same strings, same scale length).

To keep the feel of a 10–⁠46 set at standard pitch, try about 13–⁠59 (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. D StandardAll strings 2 half steps lower
  2. C♯ StandardAll strings 3 half steps lower
  3. C StandardThis pageAll strings 4 half steps lower. Notes: C F B flat E flat G C
  4. B StandardAll strings 5 half steps lower
  5. B♭ StandardAll strings 6 half steps lower. Notes: B flat E flat A flat D flat F B flat

Questions

What are the notes of C Standard?

From String 6 to String 1: C2 F2 B♭2 E♭3 G3 C4. At A4 = 440 Hz the lowest string is 65.41 Hz and the highest is 261.63 Hz.

Is C Standard the same as tuning 2 steps down?

Yes. C Standard means every string is 2 whole steps lower than standard: C F B♭ E♭ G C. Tabs often call it "2 steps down". Chord shapes stay the same; only the sound moves down.

Do I need heavier strings for C Standard?

Strings 6–⁠1: about 37% less tension (approx.). To keep the feel of a 10–⁠46 set at standard pitch, try about 13–⁠59 (approx.: string makers' charts differ, and many players simply like it looser).