Tenor guitar tuner online
Standard tenor guitar tuning is C3 G3 D4 A4, from the fourth string to the first. This tuner also offers Irish G2 D3 A3 E4 and Chicago D3 G3 B3 E4, so check the tuning printed on your string packet before you begin.
Open-string notes and frequencies
Tenor guitar tuner: sounding open-string targets, lowest to highest. A4=440 Hz.
| String / course | Note | Frequency (Hz) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | C3 | 130.81 |
| 3 | G3 | 196.00 |
| 2 | D4 | 293.66 |
| 1 | A4 | 440.00 |
How to use it
- Select CGDA, Irish GDAE or Chicago to match your strings and arrangement.
- Allow the microphone and pick the fourth string with the fretting hand clear.
- Watch the note and octave, then make a small peg adjustment.
- Work toward the first string, silencing each previous note.
- Recheck the four strings before playing a chord or melody.
Help and explanations
CGDA and GDAE use fifths; Chicago has the intervals of the four highest strings on a six-string guitar. The same four-string instrument can support different approaches, but the required string gauges change. A tenor ukulele uses a different tuning despite sharing the word tenor.
Pick the tuning before learning the chord shape
In CGDA, each neighbouring open string is seven semitones higher. Irish GDAE keeps that pattern but moves every string down a fourth. A fingering pattern transfers between them, while the chord name changes. Chicago breaks the all-fifths pattern: D to G is a fourth, G to B a major third, and B to E another fourth. Use a chord chart written for that layout.
Changing the menu supplies targets; it does not make your existing strings suitable for a new register. A light CGDA set lowered to GDAE can become loose. Raising an Irish set to CGDA adds tension. Fit the set your maker recommends for the scale length and intended tuning. For an electric tenor, use a clean sound while measuring: distortion and ringing chords make it harder to isolate an open string.
Tips
- Keep track of the high A4 in CGDA; A3 is an octave too low.
- Read DGBE from fourth to first, just as you would the top four guitar strings.
- Mute unused strings when a pickup or hollow body adds sympathetic ringing.
Frequently asked questions
What is standard tenor guitar tuning?
CGDA: C3 G3 D4 A4, ordered fourth string to first. It has the same open pitches as a standard tenor banjo.
How do I tune a tenor guitar to GDAE?
Choose Irish GDAE and match G2 D3 A3 E4. Use strings intended for this lower tuning rather than assuming your CGDA set will feel right.
What is Chicago tuning on a tenor guitar?
D3 G3 B3 E4, matching the highest four strings of a standard guitar. Four-string versions of familiar guitar shapes can be used.
Is a tenor guitar tuned like a tenor ukulele?
The usual tunings differ. A tenor guitar commonly uses CGDA or GDAE, while a tenor ukulele uses GCEA.
Can I tune a tenor guitar with my phone?
Yes. Allow this page to use the microphone, pick one open string and read its pitch. No separate app is required.
Do I need different strings for a different tenor tuning?
Often, yes. Check the maker’s gauge recommendation, because CGDA, GDAE and DGBE ask for different pitches and tensions.