12-String Guitar Tuning
12-string guitar tuning uses six pairs of strings tuned to E – A – D – G – B – E, like a 6-string guitar. On the lower four pairs (E, A, D, G) one string of each pair is tuned one octave higher; the B and high E pairs are tuned in unison. Pick each string in the tuner below.
Your browser will ask to use the microphone. Choose Allow.
✓ All strings in tune
Tap a string to hear it and tune only that string. Audio is analysed on this device and never uploaded. How it works →
- What it does
- Preset to 12-String Guitar: hears each string, shows which one and how far to turn it
- What it does not do
- Record or upload audio · detect chords
- Reference pitch
- A4 = 440 Hz, adjustable 415–466 Hz
- Tested with
- 58 studio recordings of 11 instruments (right note on about 95% of frames at normal volume) and test tones from B0 to C6
- Made by
- The Appcellent team
- Updated
- November 2026
Tuner not hearing you?
- Allow the microphone. If you blocked it: in Chrome or Edge, click the icon left of the address bar → Microphone → Allow, then reload. In Safari on iPhone, tap aA → Website Settings → Microphone → Allow. In Firefox, click the crossed-out microphone in the address bar. On a Mac, also check System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone for your browser.
- Open the page in Safari or Chrome. In-app browsers (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok) often block the microphone.
- Play one note at a time, louder. Hold your phone or laptop close to the instrument and let the string ring. A quiet room helps.
- Wrong octave or jumping notes? Let the attack fade for a moment — the reading settles once the note is steady.
- No microphone at all? Tap a string button to hear its note and tune by ear.
12-String Guitar notes and frequencies
| String | Note | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| 6 oct | E3 | 164.81 Hz |
| 6 | E2 | 82.41 Hz |
| 5 oct | A3 | 220.00 Hz |
| 5 | A2 | 110.00 Hz |
| 4 oct | D4 | 293.66 Hz |
| 4 | D3 | 146.83 Hz |
| 3 oct | G4 | 392.00 Hz |
| 3 | G3 | 196.00 Hz |
| 2 | B3 | 246.94 Hz |
| 2 | B3 | 246.94 Hz |
| 1 | E4 | 329.63 Hz |
| 1 | E4 | 329.63 Hz |
About 12-String Guitar tuning
On most 12-string guitars the thin octave string sits on top of each lower pair, so it is the one your pick hits first on a downstroke. That is where the shimmering, chorus-like sound comes from.
Tune one string at a time and mute the other string in the pair while you do it. Many players tune a 12-string a half step or whole step down to reduce the extra tension on the neck.
How to tune to 12-String Guitar
- Press Start tuner above and allow the microphone. The tuner is already set to 12-String Guitar.
- Play one string at a time. The tuner shows which string it hears and whether to tune up or down.
- Turn the peg until the needle is centered and the note turns green. Tap a string button to hear its target note.
- After all strings are done, check them again — changing tension on one string pulls the others slightly.