Updated October 5, 2026
The six strings at a glance
Strings are numbered from the thinnest to the thickest. String 1 is the thin high E nearest the floor when you hold the guitar. String 6 is the thick low E nearest your face.
- String 6 – low E (E2): 82.41 Hz
- String 5 – A (A2): 110.00 Hz
- String 4 – D (D3): 146.83 Hz
- String 3 – G (G3): 196.00 Hz
- String 2 – B (B3): 246.94 Hz
- String 1 – high E (E4): 329.63 Hz
The two E strings have the same note name but are two octaves apart, so the high E vibrates exactly four times as fast as the low E.
How to remember E A D G B E
Pick a sentence that goes from the lowest string to the highest:
- Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie
- Every Amateur Does Get Better Eventually
- Elephants And Donkeys Grow Big Ears
Why the guitar is tuned this way
Most neighbouring strings are a perfect fourth (five frets) apart. This keeps scales and chords within reach of one hand. Between G and B the gap is a major third (four frets). This small change lets you play common chord shapes, such as E, A and G, with one hand.
“Top” and “bottom” strings
Guitarists call the low E the top string because it is on top when you play, even though it sounds the lowest. To avoid confusion, use string numbers or say “low E” and “high E”.
Notes on the frets
Each fret raises the pitch of a string by one semitone (half a step). The 12th fret is an octave above the open string, so the notes repeat from there. The 5th fret of each string matches the next open string (the 4th fret on the G string). This is the idea behind tuning by ear.
See the exact frequencies for every other tuning in the guitar string frequency chart, or check your strings with the guitar tuner.