Press Play for the low C, then press each string below: C G C F A D.
Drop C Tuning: 65.41 Hz sawtooth tone
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Sawtooth wave · both channels
65.41Hz
Period 15.3 ms
Wavelength 5.24 m (17.2 ft)
The note C2
Ready. It starts quiet and fades in over half a second.
A steady tone can harm ears and speakers before it sounds loud. Hear nothing? Do not turn it up to find the tone: small speakers cannot play very low tones, and many adults cannot hear very high ones.
Percent of this tool's loudest. Your device volume does the rest.
6th string C2, the dropped string65.41 Hz. Four semitones under the low E of standard tuning (82.41 Hz), the longest drop of the six. Held at fret 7 it sounds the 5th string's G.
5th string G2, a whole step under A98 Hz, two semitones under the A it has in standard tuning (110 Hz). Held at fret 5 it sounds the 4th string's C.
4th string C3, an octave over the 6th130.81 Hz, two semitones under standard's D (146.83 Hz). Held at fret 5 it sounds the 3rd string's F. With the two strings under it, it makes the open power chord.
3rd string F3, a whole step under G174.61 Hz, two semitones under standard's G (196 Hz). The odd one out: fret 4, not fret 5, sounds the 2nd string's A.
2nd string A3, a whole step under B220 Hz, one octave under the 440 Hz tuning A and two semitones under standard's B. Held at fret 5 it sounds the 1st string's D.
1st string D4, a whole step under E293.66 Hz, the D above middle C, two semitones under standard's high E (329.63 Hz). It is two octaves and a whole step over the 6th string.
How it works
Drop C tuning is C G C F A D, low to high (CGCFAD). From standard tuning the sixth string comes down two whole steps, to C, and the other five come down one whole step each.
Read the full guide
How to tune a guitar to drop C
1. Press Play. The sixth string's C sounds. Slacken your thickest string until it matches: from E that is four frets' worth, so go slowly.
2. Press the next row. The tone changes to that string's note; tune the string down to it. Carry on up to the first string.
3. Go round the six rows a second time and correct any string that no longer matches.
4. Strum the three thickest strings open. C, G and C are a root, its fifth and its octave: a C power chord with no finger down.
To check without the tones, hold a string at the fret its row names: it should match the next string played open.
The tones are sawtooth waves, not sines: their overtones carry the low C on a small speaker that cannot produce 65.41 Hz itself.
Questions and answers
What is drop C tuning?
The guitar tuning C G C F A D, also written dropped C: D standard with the sixth string dropped one more whole step, or drop D moved down a whole step. Its heavier tone is most common in rock and heavy metal.
What tuning is CGCFAD?
Drop C: the letters are the open strings from thickest to thinnest. The same name is sometimes given to C A D G B E, standard tuning with only the sixth string lowered to C. This page plays C G C F A D.
Is drop C tuning the same on an electric guitar?
Yes. The six notes are the same on an electric and an acoustic guitar. Tunings this low generally benefit from heavier strings, which help prevent buzz.