Guitar tuning · C G C G C E
Open C tuner.
C G C G C E: an open C major chord. 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 G C G C E
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.
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Strings · tap to hear
Instrument
Try uke, bari, 5 string, cello…
Tuning
Open C
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.
Guitar · Open tuning
About Open C
Strum the open strings and you hear a C major chord: C G C G C E. Open tunings are made for slide guitar and for big ringing chords with few fingers.
Open C is deep and resonant, with a low C on String 6. It suits fingerstyle and drone-heavy music.
Also written: CGCGCE
How to get there from standard
- String 6: lower 2 whole steps (E2 → C2)
- String 5: lower a whole step (A2 → G2)
- String 4: lower a whole step (D3 → C3)
- String 3: no change (G3)
- String 2: raise a half step (B3 → C4)
- String 1: no change (E4)
Quicker from Drop C: raise String 3 a whole step (F3 → G3); raise String 2 1½ steps (A3 → C4); raise String 1 a whole step (D4 → E4).
6 strings
Notes and frequencies
| String | Note | A = 440 | A = 432 | A = 442 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | C2 | 65.41 | 64.22 | 65.70 |
| 5 | G2 | 98.00 | 96.22 | 98.44 |
| 4 | C3 | 130.81 | 128.43 | 131.41 |
| 3 | G3 | 196.00 | 192.43 | 196.89 |
| 2 | C4 | 261.63 | 256.87 | 262.81 |
| 1 | E4 | 329.63 | 323.63 | 331.13 |
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
Open C 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 ¢.
String tension
Strings and tension
String 6: about 37% less tension. Strings 5 and 4: about 21% less tension. String 2: about 12% more tension (approx., same strings, same scale length).
Raising a string adds tension: a half step up is about +12% on that string (approx.). Tune up slowly and stop at the note.
To keep the feel of a 10–46 set at standard pitch, try about 10–59 (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 Open C by a half step; in the tuner, the ◂ ▸ arrows on the tuning chip do the same.
- Open DOpen strings ring a D chord. Notes: D A D A D F sharp
- Open D♭Open strings ring a D♭ chord. Notes: D flat A flat D flat A flat D flat F
- Open CThis pageOpen strings ring a C chord. Notes: C G C G C E
- Open BOpen strings ring a B chord. Notes: B F sharp B F sharp B D sharp
- Open B♭Open strings ring a B♭ chord. Notes: B flat F B flat F B flat D
Questions
What are the notes of Open C?
From String 6 to String 1: C2 G2 C3 G3 C4 E4. At A4 = 440 Hz the lowest string is 65.41 Hz and the highest is 329.63 Hz.
What chord do the open strings of Open C make?
A C major chord: C G C G C E. With a slide or one finger across all strings, fret 5 gives F major and fret 7 gives G major.
Do I need heavier strings for Open C?
String 6: about 37% less tension. Strings 5 and 4: about 21% less tension. String 2: about 12% more tension (approx.). To keep the feel of a 10–46 set at standard pitch, try about 10–59 (approx.: string makers' charts differ, and many players simply like it looser).