Published by PitchChanger · Updated · How these guides are made
Hear the difference
Compare E2 with twice its frequency.
Pause your workspace preview before comparing these clips.
Pure synthesized tones, not a real guitar or microphone-accuracy test.
How to use this workflow
Stop a large adjustment
If an otherwise familiar string suddenly reads an octave away, stop and confirm which physical string and peg you are using.
Isolate one open string
Mute neighboring strings, remove accidental fret contact and pluck again. Compare the settled reading rather than just the initial attack.
Compare frequency and target
Check the preset’s octave, lock the intended target when useful, and cross-check with a trusted reference before making a substantial change.
An octave error can preserve the letter name
Using A4 = 440 Hz equal temperament, low E2 is about 82.4069 Hz and E3 is about 164.8138 Hz. The second harmonic is at twice the fundamental frequency, so it has the same pitch-class letter one octave up. A display showing only “E” would conceal that difference.
The interval calculation is 1200 × log2(164.8138 ÷ 82.4069) ≈ 1200 cents, or 12 semitones. This is a reference calculation, not a claim that your string is physically an octave sharp. A detection error and a wrongly tuned string can require very different responses.
Swipe or scroll sideways to read all columns.
| Reference | Frequency | Difference from E2 |
|---|---|---|
| E2 fundamental | 82.4069 Hz | 0 cents |
| E3 / second harmonic | 164.8138 Hz | +1200 cents |
| E4 high open string | 329.6276 Hz | +2400 cents |
Hear the frequency relationship without pretending it is a guitar test
The first teaching sample is a pure 82.406889 Hz sine. The second is a pure 164.813778 Hz sine. Each lasts three seconds with short edge fades. They illustrate the fundamental/second-harmonic frequency relationship; neither is a microphone recording or a modeled guitar body.
Because the upper example removes the fundamental entirely, it does not prove that this tuner will misidentify a real plucked string. Actual detection depends on the microphone, spectrum, noise and performance. Use the samples to understand the ratio, then diagnose your own input separately.
Change one condition and observe whether the reading settles
First mute all other strings and pluck the intended open string normally. Then change microphone position or reduce competing sound while keeping the same string. Compare a stable frequency after the attack. Avoid relying on a single rapidly changing frame.
A lightly touched string can produce a natural harmonic; release unintended contact and try again. Standard mode and a locked target keep the reference fixed, but do not force the detector to recover a weak fundamental. If the frequency still alternates by about 2:1, cross-check with a separate trusted tuner.
Check the physical instrument as well as the display
Do not tighten a low string toward the high E frequency just because the letter matches. Confirm the octave, the string and the intended tuning. If the instrument feels wrong or the peg response is unclear, stop and seek an experienced physical check.
The site detects one note at a time between 55 and 1760 Hz and uses fixed A4 = 440 Hz. It has no polyphonic tuning or custom calibration. Reference calculations are useful guardrails; they are not a substitute for identifying the string in front of you.
Common questions
Does locking E2 guarantee correct detection?
No. It fixes the target reference, not the input spectrum or the detector’s choice.
Can the tuner be correct when it shows E3?
Yes, if E3 is the dominant actual input. Compare the physical string and fundamental rather than assuming every octave change is an error.