Published by PitchChanger · Updated · How these guides are made
How to use this workflow
Read all six target notes
Write the arrangement’s tuning from lowest string to highest. Drop D is D2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4. D standard is D2 G2 C3 F3 A3 D4. Both start on D2, so checking only the lowest string cannot tell them apart. A riff fingering intended for one tuning may not produce the right intervals in the other.
Choose the supported target deliberately
For Drop D, select the tuner’s Drop D preset and check each string separately. The browser tuner does not have a D standard preset. For D standard use Auto with the written target notes and octaves, or another tuner that supplies that preset. Do not select Half Step Down and assume it means a full step.
Original six-string change map
The table shows theoretical equal-tempered target changes from standard tuning. It is a note map, not a measurement of a physical guitar. A change of −2 semitones has a frequency ratio of 2^(−2/12), approximately 0.890899. That ratio applies to only one string in Drop D and all six strings in D standard.
Because Drop D changes an interval between strings, shifting a whole backing recording down two semitones does not turn standard guitar fingering into Drop D. Uniform audio transposition changes every note together. Choose tuning from the actual arrangement rather than from the song title or the lowest detected note alone.
Swipe or scroll sideways to read all columns.
| String, low to high | Drop D | D standard |
|---|---|---|
| 6: E2 | D2 (−2 st) | D2 (−2 st) |
| 5: A2 | A2 (unchanged) | G2 (−2 st) |
| 4: D3 | D3 (unchanged) | C3 (−2 st) |
| 3: G3 | G3 (unchanged) | F3 (−2 st) |
| 2: B3 | B3 (unchanged) | A3 (−2 st) |
| 1: E4 | E4 (unchanged) | D4 (−2 st) |
Verify the entire arrangement setup
After tuning, recheck all strings and play a familiar shape at moderate volume. If a string feels unusually loose, buzzes badly or requires substantial setup changes, stop and consult instrument guidance rather than using this note table as a setup prescription.
Keep the tuning name with the practice file. The browser reference is A4 = 440 Hz; this comparison assumes that reference and does not establish intonation at every fret.
Common questions
Can the Drop D preset check D standard?
Only its low D target coincides with D standard. Its other five string targets are different. Use Auto with the complete target map or an appropriate external preset.