7-string guitar Tuning Chart
2 tunings for the 7-string guitar, all measured against standard BEADGBE, with the target note and the exact frequency in hertz for every string.
| Tuning | Notation | Category | Notes | Frequencies (Hz) | Strings changed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | BEADGBE | standard | B1 E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4 | 61.74 · 82.41 · 110.00 · 146.83 · 196.00 · 246.94 · 329.63 | reference |
| Drop A | AEADGBE | drop | A1 E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4 | 55.00 · 82.41 · 110.00 · 146.83 · 196.00 · 246.94 · 329.63 | 1 of 7 |
The last column is the number of strings that move relative to standard tuning, which is the fastest way to judge how disruptive a tuning is to reach and to undo.
What each 7-string guitar tuning is for
Standard (BEADGBE)
The reference tuning for a 7-string: a standard 6-string with one extra string a perfect fourth below the low E. Adding the low B extends the range downward by five semitones without changing a single familiar shape on the top six strings, which is exactly why the seventh string caught on where alternate tunings did not.
Common in metal, progressive rock, jazz. Tune to Standard
Drop A (AEADGBE)
Lower the 7th string one whole step, from B1 to A1. The other six keep 7-string standard tuning. It is the 7-string equivalent of Drop D: the bottom three strings become root, fifth and octave, so a power chord is one flat finger, and the lowest note drops to A1 while every shape on strings one to six is untouched.
Common in metal, djent, progressive metal. Tune to Drop A
Use the data
These tunings are part of the open TuneStand dataset: /api/tunings.json, CC BY 4.0, no key required. See the dataset page for the schema and licence terms.
More tuning references
Frequencies on this page are computed at build time from twelve tone equal temperament with A4 = 440 Hz, using the twelfth root of two (about 1.059463) per semitone. Nothing is typed in by hand. See the full method and sources. Maintained by FusionStudios. Last reviewed: .