FretPitch

C G C G C E

Open C Tuning

–
Ready when you are

The tuner listens through your microphone.

    Choose a tuning

      A low, rich C major chord on the open strings — a deep, piano-like tuning for fingerstyle and ambient playing.

      Press Start tuning, pluck a string and turn its peg until the needle is centred and green. The tuner already knows the Open C notes, so it tells you which string you are tuning.

      Open C notes and frequencies

      From the thickest string to the thinnest, and how far each one moves from standard tuning:

      StringNoteFrequencyFrom standard
      6th (thickest)C265.41 HzDown 4 semitones (2 whole steps)
      5thG298.00 HzDown 2 semitones (a whole step)
      4thC3130.81 HzDown 2 semitones (a whole step)
      3rdG3196.00 HzNo change
      2ndC4261.63 HzUp 1 semitone (a half step)
      1st (thinnest)E4329.63 HzNo change

      About Open C

      Open C — C G C G C E — tunes the open strings to a C major chord with a very low root. From standard, the 6th string drops two whole steps (E → C), the 5th and 4th strings drop a whole step (A → G, D → C), the 3rd stays on G, the 2nd rises a half step (B → C) and the 1st stays on E.

      The wide spacing of the low notes gives a full, piano-like sound that fingerstyle and ambient players love.

      Tips

      • The 6th string drops four semitones — a heavier low string helps it ring clearly instead of buzzing.
      • Tune the 6th string last and double-check it: it takes the longest to settle.

      Other tunings

      See all tunings →