Stringed Instrument Tunings - G

G

Instrument Strings & Courses Tuning(s) Alternative Names Origin Notes Picture
Gabusi 6 strings

4 courses

 D g bb dd Gaboussi Comoros Islands
Gadulka 3 strings

3 courses

 A3 E3 A4 The Balkans 3 playing strings, with up to 10 sympathetic strings.
Gehu 4 strings

4 courses

 C2 G2 D3 A3 Erhu-cello, China Same tunings as cello
Gekkin 4 strings

4 courses

 A3 D4 D4 D5 Japanese Yueqin Japan
Geyerleier 8 strings

4 courses

 Standard/Common:

E3 E2•B3 B2•E3 E3•B3 B3

Alternate:

  • D3 D2•A3 A2•D3 D3•A3 A3
 Hamburg, Germany
Grajappi 4 strings

2 courses

 F2 F2 • B2 B2 Krachappi, Krachap pi Thailand
Guitalele 6 strings

6 courses

 Standard/Common:

A2 D3 G3 C4 E4 A4

Alternate:

  • B2 E3 A3 D4 F#4 B4
 US, Japan Tuned a 4th or a 5th higher than the standard guitar.
Guitar 6 strings

6 courses

 Standard:

E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4

Common Alternates:

  • Drop D: D2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4
  • Open D: D2 A2 D3 F#3 A3 D4
  • Open G: D2 G2 D2 G2 B3 D4
  • Open A: E2 A2 E3 A3 C#4 E4
  • Lute: E2 A2 D3 F#3 B3 E4
  • Irish: D2 A2 D3 G3 A3 D4
 Axe,

Classical Guitar, Flamenco guitar, Guit-box, Guit-fiddle, Nylon string Guitar, 6-string Guitar, Steel-string guitar

 Spain "6-string" / "steel" = guitar with metal strings;

"classical" / "nylon" = guitar with nylon or other synthetic strings;

"flamenco" may have gut or nylon strings.

Open G AKA "bottleneck," "taro patch";

Open A AKA "Spanish";

"Lute tuing" is usually capoed on 3rd fret to give G2 C3 F3 A3 D4 G4, and E2 is often dropped to D2 (F2 with capo).

There are hundreds of alternate guitar tunings; whole books have been written on the subject.
Guitar, Alto 11 strings

11 courses

 Bb1 C2 D2 Eb2 F2 G2 C3 F3 Bb3 D4 G4 Archguitar, altgitarren, Bolin guitar Sweden
Guitar, Alto 13 strings

13 courses

 A1 Bb1 C2 D2 E2 F2 G2 A2 D3 F3 A3 D4 F4 Archguitar, altgitarren, Bolin guitar Sweden This instrument is very rare.
Guitar, Alto (Niibori) 6 strings

6 courses

 Standard/Common:

B2 E3 A3 D4 F#4 B4

 G Guitar Japan Transposing guitar in the key of G, developed for the Niibori Guitar Orchestra
Guitar, 7 string 7 strings

7 courses

 Standard/Common:

B1 E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4

Alternate:

  • Van Eps: A1 E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4
 US 6-string alternates may be adapted for the 7-string
Guitar, 8 string (low/high) 8 strings

8 courses

 B1 E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4 A4 8 string classical guitar Spain AKA "Galbraith tuning"
Guitar, 8 string (added basses) 8 strings

8 courses

 E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4 8 string classical guitar Spain Tuning of two lowest strings varies with player and music
Guitar, 9 string 9 strings

6 courses

 E3 E2•A3 A2•D4 D3•G3 B3 E4 US 12-string guitar variant with doubled bases
Guitar, 9 string 9 strings

6 courses

 E2• A2• D3• G4 G3•B3 B3•E4 E4 US 12-string guitar variant with doubled trebles
Guitar, 10 string 10 strings

10 courses

 F#1 G#1 A#1 C2 E3 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4 10 String classical guitar Spain Standard tuning
Guitar, 12 string 12 strings

6 courses

 Standard/Common:

E3 E2•A3 A2•D4 D3•G4 G3•B3 B3•E4 E4

Alternates:

  • Variant: E4 E2•A3 A2•D4 D3•G4 G3•B3 B3•E4 E4

All 6-string alternates may be adapted to 12-string.

 Twelve-stringed Guitar US? Some players tune the third course to unison G3's to minimize breakage of the high G string.
Guitar, baritone 6 strings

6 courses

 Common tunings:
  • 4th lower: B1 E2 A2 D3 F#3 B3
  • 5th lower: A1 D2 G2 C3 E3 A3
  • Octave lower: E1 A1 D2 G2 B2 E3
 US There really is no "standard" tuning for baritone guitar; choice of tuning depends on instrument, stringing, and player's preferences.
Guitar, bass 4 strings

4 courses

 E1 A1 D2 G2 Bass, electric bass, 4-string bass
Guitar, bass (5-string) 5 strings

5 courses

 Standard/Common:
  • B0 E1 A1 D2 G2
  • E1 A1 D2 G2 C3
 Bass, electric bass, 5-string bass Essentially a 4-string bass with one added high or low string. Choice of tuning depends whether the added string is low or high.
Guitar, bass (6-string) 6 strings

6 courses

 B0 E1 A1 D2 G2 C3

E1 A1 D2 G2 B2 E3

 Bass, electric bass, 6-string bass, Contrabass Guitar Essentially a 4-string bass with with either added high and low strings.
Guitar, octave 6 strings

6 courses

 E3•A3•D4•G4•B4•E5 Piccolo Guitar, Soprano Guitar Germany One octave higher than the standard guitar.
Guitarra De Golpe 5 strings

5 courses

 Standard/Common:

D3•G3•C4•E3•A3

Alternates:

  • Tecalitan: D3•G3•B4•E3•A3
  • Urbana: G3•C4•E4•A3•D4
  • Urbana alt.: G3•C4•E3•A3•D4
 Guitarra Colorada, Quinta De Golpe, Mariachera Mexico
Guitarrenlaute 6 strings

6 courses

 Standard/Common:

E2•A2•D3•G3•B3•E4

Alternates are the same as the Guitar

 Guitarren laute, Guitar-lute, Lute-guitar Germany Basically this is a lute-shaped guitar; a guitar neck on a lute body.
Guitarro 6 strings

6 courses

 B4 F#4 D5 A5 E5 Guitarrico, Spanish Tiple Spain
Guitarrón 6 strings

6 courses

 A1 D2 G2 C3 E3 A2 Guitarrón de Toloche Mexico
Guitarron Argentino 6 strings

6courses

 B1 E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 Argentina A 6-string scoustic bass guitar.
Guitarrón Chileno 24 or 25 strings total

5 courses + 4 resonating strings

 D4 D4 D3 D3 D2•G4 G4 G4 G3 G3•

(C4) C4 C4 C3 C2•E4 E4 E4•A4 A4 A4

res. strings: F#5 A4 G4 B4

 Chile Resonating strings are known as diablos (devils).
Guitar, tenor 4 strings

4 courses

 C3 • G3 • D4 • A4 US Same tuning as tenor banjo, mandola.
Guqin 7 strings

7 courses

 sol la do re mi sol la China Guqin music uses no absolute pitch so tuning varies.

The common Zheng Diao tuning set "do" to approx. "F3" and tunes other strings relative to that to give C3 D3 F3 G3 A3 C4 D4
Gusli 9 strings

9 courses

 Standard/Common:

E3 A3 B3 C4 D4 E4 F4 G4 A4

 Крыловидные гусли Russia Tuning varies; this is a common traditional tuning

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