Guitar · C F Bb Eb G C

C standard tuning

C standard tuning lowers all six strings by two whole steps: C F Bb Eb G C 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 written C F A# D# G C, or called C 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 4 semitones, two whole steps (E→C, A→F, D→Bb, G→Eb, B→G, E→C).
Also written: C F A# D# G C, or C tuning.
Drop C is different: it is C G C F A D, and only string 6 matches.

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 four semitones lower, each shape sounds a major third below its name: an E shape sounds C, an A shape sounds F, a D shape sounds Bb.

C standard chord shapes

E shape → C 0 2 2 1 0 0

C standard · C2 F2 Bb2 Eb3 G3 C4

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	C standard
6	0	E2	C2
5	2	B2	G2
4	2	E3	C3
3	1	Ab3	E3
2	0	B3	G3
1	0	E4	C4

What is checked: each fret is applied to C2–F2–Bb2–Eb3–G3–C4 and the pitches must match the sounding chord. Notes are written with flats, so Ab is the same pitch as G# and Bb is the same as A#. 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	Ab	Ab2 C3 Eb3 Ab3 C4
X X 0 2 3 2	Bb	Bb2 F3 Bb3 D4
0 2 2 1 0 0	C	C2 G2 C3 E3 G3 C4
1 3 3 2 1 1	Db	Db2 Ab2 Db3 F3 Ab3 Db4
3 2 0 0 0 3	Eb	Eb2 G2 Bb2 Eb3 G3 Eb4
X 0 2 2 2 0	F	F2 C3 F3 A3 C4
X 0 2 2 1 0	Fm	F2 C3 F3 Ab3 C4
X X 0 2 3 1	Bbm	Bb2 F3 Bb3 Db4
0 2 2 0 0 0	Cm	C2 G2 C3 Eb3 G3 C4
X 3 2 3 1 0	Ab7	Ab2 C3 Gb3 Ab3 C4
X X 0 2 1 2	Bb7	Bb2 F3 Ab3 D4
0 2 0 1 0 0	C7	C2 G2 Bb2 E3 G3 C4
3 2 0 0 0 1	Eb7	Eb2 G2 Bb2 Eb3 G3 Db4
X 0 2 0 2 0	F7	F2 C3 Eb3 A3 C4

All twelve names

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

Tuning

Tune a guitar to C standard

Lower each string by four semitones, two whole steps, until the tuner shows the target note. Go a step at a time and check the whole set again after a few minutes: a drop this big lets the neck relax, so the strings settle.

String	Standard	C standard	Move
6	E2	C2	down 4
5	A2	F2	down 4
4	D3	Bb2	down 4
3	G3	Eb3	down 4
2	B3	G3	down 4
1	E4	C4	down 4

Tuner shows sharps? Bb is the same pitch as A# and Eb is the same as D#, so a tuner that only shows sharps reads C F A# D# G C for this tuning.

Don't mix them up

C standard vs Drop C vs Open C

C standard, C tuning and C F A# D# G C are one tuning. It keeps the interval pattern of standard tuning, so every shape you know moves with it. Drop C and Open C are different tunings with similar names.

Tuning	6	5	4	3	2	1	In short
Standard	E2	A2	D3	G3	B3	E4	the starting point
Half step down (Eb standard)	Eb2	Ab2	Db3	Gb3	Bb3	Eb4	every string down 1 from standard
C standard	C2	F2	Bb2	Eb3	G3	C4	this page: every string down 4 from standard
Drop C	C2	G2	C3	F3	A3	D4	string 6 down 4, strings 5 to 1 down 2
Open C	C2	G2	C3	G3	C4	E4	strings rearranged so the open strings make a C chord

C standard tuning questions

Is C standard the same as C tuning?

Yes. C tuning and C standard are the same tuning: C2 F2 Bb2 Eb3 G3 C4 from string 6 to string 1, also written C F A# D# G C.

Do I need new chord shapes?

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

What is the difference between C standard and Drop C?

Drop C (C G C F A D) is D standard with string 6 lowered one more whole step. Only string 6 matches C standard; the other five strings are different notes. See Drop C tuning.

Is C standard the same as Open C?

No. Open C is C G C G C E, tuned so the open strings sound a C chord (see Open C tuning chords). C standard keeps the standard tuning pattern, so only the pitch changes.

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

Put a capo on fret 4. 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.

Why do guitarists tune to C standard?

A lower, heavier sound, and a melody can sit lower in a singer's range. Each string keeps about 63% of its standard tension, roughly 37% less, so many players move to heavier strings and have the guitar set up again.

More tunings: Drop C tuning, half step down tuning, Drop C# tuning, D standard tuning, B standard tuning, Nashville tuning and Open C tuning chords.