Guitar String Names: Standard Tuning for Beginners

The six guitar string names in standard tuning are E, A, D, G, B and E, from the thickest string to the thinnest. These are the notes each string should produce when you play it open, without pressing a fret.If you are learning to tune your guitar or follow a chord diagram, the chart below is a useful place to start.

Guitar string names and numbers

String numbers run in the opposite direction to the thickest-to-thinnest list: the thinnest string is string 1, and the thickest is string 6.

Standard six-string guitar tuning, thickest to thinnest

String	Open note	Name
6 — thickest	E	Low E
5	A	A string
4	D	D string
3	G	G string
2	B	B string
1 — thinnest	E	High E

This standard tuning applies to ordinary six-string acoustic, electric and classical guitars. Alternate tunings change some or all of the target notes.

An easy way to remember E A D G B E

Try this sentence, starting with the thickest string:

Every Afternoon, Dad Gets Bread Early.

The first letters give you E A D G B E. Say the sentence while gently plucking each string in order. Then repeat the exercise using only the note names.

When a lesson asks you to play the “first string,” remember that it means the thin high E string—not the thick low E where this memory sentence begins.

Why are there two E strings?

The thickest and thinnest strings share the note name E, but they have different pitches. In standard tuning, the high E sounds two octaves above the low E.

“Low” and “high” describe pitch, not the string’s position on the page. You may also see the thin string written as a lowercase e to distinguish it from the thick E.

How to tune your guitar with GuitarHub

Once you know the string names, use GuitarHub’s guitar tuner for Android to check your tuning:

1. Remove your capo if one is attached.
2. Open the tuner and select Standard tuning. Allow microphone access so the app can hear your instrument.
3. Pluck the thick low E string on its own. Let the other strings stay quiet and do not press a fret.
4. Check the tuner’s feedback. If the string is below its target pitch, carefully increase its tension. If it is above the target, reduce its tension. Make small adjustments and pluck again.
5. Repeat for A, D, G, B and high E. Trace each string to its tuning peg before turning it.
6. Check all six strings again. Adjusting one string can slightly affect the others.

If a string feels unusually tight or you are unsure which note you are approaching, stop tightening and check the target string. Do not keep tightening simply because the tuner shows an unexpected letter.

Why does the tuner show a different note?

A tuner reports the pitch it hears. If your A string is far out of tune, it may register as a different note. That does not change which string it is; it means the current pitch is away from the intended target.

First check that Standard tuning is selected, then pluck one open string at a time. Move away from background music and lightly mute the unused strings if the reading keeps jumping.

Quick questions

What are the guitar string names from thinnest to thickest?

They are E, B, G, D, A, E, corresponding to strings 1 through 6. Most standard-tuning lists show the reverse direction, so always check which end the list starts from.

Do left-handed guitars use different string names?

No. A standard-tuned left-handed six-string guitar uses the same notes and numbering: string 6 is low E and string 1 is high E.

Is Drop D the same as standard tuning?

No. Drop D lowers the thickest string from E to D, giving D A D G B E. The other five strings keep their standard notes. GuitarHub supports both Standard and Drop D tuning.

Make tuning part of your practice

Keep the string chart handy and check your tuning before you start playing. As you pluck each string, say its name aloud: low E, A, D, G, B, high E.

Get GuitarHub on Google Play to tune your guitar, look up chord shapes and practise your timing with the metronome.