Guitar · Posture & Setup
String Names and Tuning
E-A-D-G-B-E from low to high. Tune by ear with the widget.
Lesson
The six strings, low to high
Looking down at the guitar, the thickest string is closest to your face — that's the low E. From there, low to high: E – A – D – G – B – E.
Mnemonics if you need them: "Eddie Ate Dynamite — Good Bye Eddie" or "Every Adult Dog Growls, Barks, Eats."
Standard tuning
Each adjacent pair of strings is a fourth apart, except B–G which is a major third. That's why barre-chord shapes shift on the high strings — the tuning isn't perfectly uniform.
Tuning by ear from a reference
- Get a reference low E (the widget below plays one).
- Press the 5th fret of the low E — that's an A. Tune the open A string to match.
- 5th fret of A → D. Tune the D string to match.
- 5th fret of D → G. Tune the G string to match.
- 4th fret of G → B (this is the exception — it's a third, not a fourth).
- 5th fret of B → high E.
If you're brand new, just use a clip-on tuner. But knowing this method means you can tune anywhere.