Guitar · B E A D F# B

B standard tuning

B standard tuning lowers all six strings by five semitones, a perfect fourth: B E A D F# B from low to high. Tap a string to hear its target note, tune with your microphone, then check what your chord shapes now sound like. Also called B tuning. A4 = 440 Hz.

Tap a string to hear it · Hz

Listening

String 6 to string 1, low to high

From standard: every string down 5 semitones, a perfect fourth (E→B, A→E, D→A, G→D, B→F#, E→B).
Also written: B E A D F# B, or B tuning.
Drop B is different: it is B F# B E G# C#, and only string 6 matches.

Notes below E2 are the E2 recording pitched down.

Mic stays on your device. On only after you press the button; nothing is recorded or uploaded.

Chord shapes

What your chord shapes sound like

Keep your usual fingering. With every string five semitones lower, each shape sounds a perfect fourth below its name: an E shape sounds B, an A shape sounds E, a D shape sounds A.

B standard chord shapes

E shape → B 0 2 2 1 0 0

B standard · B1 E2 A2 D3 F#3 B3

Shape you play Quality

Finger row: suggested finger — 1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 pinky; – not fretted.

Sounding notes, string six to string one
String	Fret	Standard	B standard
6	0	E2	B1
5	2	B2	F#2
4	2	E3	B2
3	1	Ab3	Eb3
2	0	B3	F#3
1	0	E4	B3

What is checked: each fret is applied to B1–E2–A2–D3–F#3–B3 and the pitches must match the sounding chord. Notes are written with flats except F#, so Ab is the same pitch as G#. The shape is the first voicing the main chord finder suggests in standard tuning.

Common open shapes, renamed

Fret code (6→1)	Chord you hear	Notes now
X 3 2 0 1 0	G	G2 B2 D3 G3 B3
X X 0 2 3 2	A	A2 E3 A3 Db4
0 2 2 1 0 0	B	B1 F#2 B2 Eb3 F#3 B3
1 3 3 2 1 1	C	C2 G2 C3 E3 G3 C4
3 2 0 0 0 3	D	D2 F#2 A2 D3 F#3 D4
X 0 2 2 2 0	E	E2 B2 E3 Ab3 B3
X 0 2 2 1 0	Em	E2 B2 E3 G3 B3
X X 0 2 3 1	Am	A2 E3 A3 C4
0 2 2 0 0 0	Bm	B1 F#2 B2 D3 F#3 B3
X 3 2 3 1 0	G7	G2 B2 F3 G3 B3
X X 0 2 1 2	A7	A2 E3 G3 Db4
0 2 0 1 0 0	B7	B1 F#2 A2 Eb3 F#3 B3
3 2 0 0 0 1	D7	D2 F#2 A2 D3 F#3 C4
X 0 2 0 2 0	E7	E2 B2 D3 Ab3 B3

All twelve names

Name on the chart	Sounds as	Name on the chart	Sounds as
C	G	F#	Db
Db	Ab	G	D
D	A	Ab	Eb
Eb	Bb	A	E
E	B	Bb	F
F	C	B	F#

Tuning

Tune a guitar to B standard

Lower each string by five semitones until the tuner shows the target note. This is a big drop, so go a step at a time and check the whole set again after a few minutes. Standard strings can feel loose at this pitch; many players move to heavier strings and have the guitar set up again.

String	Standard	B standard	Move
6	E2	B1	down 5
5	A2	E2	down 5
4	D3	A2	down 5
3	G3	D3	down 5
2	B3	F#3	down 5
1	E4	B3	down 5

Tuner shows flats? Gb is the same pitch as F#, so a tuner that only shows flats reads F#3 as Gb3.

Don't mix them up

B standard vs Drop B vs Drop A vs C standard

B standard and B E A D F# B are one tuning. It keeps the interval pattern of standard tuning, so every shape you know moves with it. Drop B shares only string 6 with it; Drop A shares strings 5 to 1.

Tuning	6	5	4	3	2	1	In short
Standard	E2	A2	D3	G3	B3	E4	the starting point
C standard	C2	F2	Bb2	Eb3	G3	C4	every string down 4 from standard
B standard	B1	E2	A2	D3	F#3	B3	this page: every string down 5 from standard
Drop B	B1	F#2	B2	E3	Ab3	Db4	string 6 down 5, strings 5 to 1 down 3
Drop A	A1	E2	A2	D3	F#3	B3	string 6 down 7, strings 5 to 1 down 5

B standard tuning questions

Is B standard the same as B tuning?

Yes. B tuning and B standard are one tuning: B1 E2 A2 D3 F#3 B3 from string 6 to string 1.

Do I need new chord shapes?

No. Keep your usual fingering; every chord sounds five semitones lower than its name, so an E shape sounds B and an A shape sounds E. If a chart names the chords you should hear, such as B, play the E shape.

Is B standard the same as Drop B?

No. Drop B (B F# B E G# C#) shares only string 6 with B standard. B standard keeps the standard tuning pattern, so every shape moves with it; Drop B is built for one-finger power chords. See Drop B tuning chords.

What is the difference between B standard and Drop A?

Drop A (A E A D F# B) is B standard with string 6 lowered one more whole step, so strings 5 to 1 are the same notes. See Drop A tuning.

How do I play along with a song in standard tuning?

Put a capo on fret 5. Every string then sounds its standard pitch, E A D G B E, so standard chord names and shapes line up again. The capo transpose chart shows the same idea for other frets.

Is B standard a baritone tuning?

A baritone guitar is often tuned this way. A seven-string guitar also has B1 as its lowest string, but its upper strings are different, so it is not the same tuning.

More tunings: Drop B tuning chords, Drop A tuning, C standard tuning and D standard tuning.