GuitarTuner.online

12-String Guitar tuner – Drop C

C-C-G-G-C-C-F-F-A-A-D-D · Drop

–
Microphone off
··· Hz

Press “Start tuner” – the browser will ask for microphone access. Sound is analysed on this device and never uploaded.

This free online tuner listens through your microphone and shows how close each string of your 12-String Guitar is to Drop C tuning (C-C-G-G-C-C-F-F-A-A-D-D). Play a string, watch the needle, and turn the peg until the meter glows green. If you prefer tuning by ear, tap any string card to hear its reference tone.

About Drop C tuning

Compared with Standard, Drop C moves 12 strings. Every change is downward, the largest by 4 semitones, so the instrument sits at lower tension than in Standard.

How Drop C differs from Standard, string by string.
StringStandardDrop CChange
1E2C2down 4 semitones
2E3C3down 4 semitones
3A2G2down 2 semitones
4A3G3down 2 semitones
5D3C3down 2 semitones
6D4C4down 2 semitones
7G3F3down 2 semitones
8G4F4down 2 semitones
9B3A3down 2 semitones
10B3A3down 2 semitones
11E4D4down 2 semitones
12E4D4down 2 semitones

Played open, the strings sound C-C-G-G-C-C-F-F-A-A-D-D – from C2 at the bottom to F4 at the top, a span of 2 octaves and 5 semitones.

Drop C is re-entrant: the strings do not rise steadily in pitch, so the string nearest your thumb is not the lowest note available. That is deliberate, and it is a large part of why the instrument sounds the way it does.

Dropping 4 semitones takes the tension down noticeably. A heavier set – or at least a heavier bottom string – keeps the intonation honest and stops the low string buzzing.

History

Where the Drop C tuning comes from

Drop C on a twelve-string is a modern tuning, borrowed from the heavy music of the 1990s and 2000s and used for dark acoustic sounds; it requires careful choice of strings because of the octave pairs.

History of the instrument: 12-String Guitar →

Other 12-String Guitar tunings

Standard

Standard E-E-A-A-D-D-G-G-B-B-E-EHalf Step Down D#-D#-G#-G#-C#-C#-F#-F#-A#-A#-D#-D#Whole Step Down D-D-G-G-C-C-F-F-A-A-D-D

Drop

Drop D D-D-A-A-D-D-G-G-B-B-E-EDouble Drop D D-D-A-A-D-D-G-G-B-B-D-DDrop C C-C-G-G-C-C-F-F-A-A-D-DDrop C# C#-C#-G#-G#-C#-C#-F#-F#-A#-A#-D#-D#Drop B B-B-F#-F#-B-B-E-E-G#-G#-C#-C#Drop A A-A-E-E-A-A-D-D-F#-F#-B-B

Modal

D Modal D-D-A-A-D-D-G-G-A-A-D-D

Open

Open C C-C-G-G-C-C-G-G-C-C-E-EOpen D D-D-A-A-D-D-F#-F#-A-A-D-DOpen E E-E-B-B-E-E-G#-G#-B-B-E-EOpen G D-D-G-G-D-D-G-G-B-B-D-D

Chords for this tuning

CGDAEFAll 12-String Guitar chords →
How do I tune my 12-String Guitar to Drop C?

Allow microphone access, pluck a string, and the tuner will detect it automatically. The needle shows whether the string is flat or sharp – adjust until the reading is within ±5 cents (C-C-G-G-C-C-F-F-A-A-D-D).

Which notes are used in Drop C tuning?

Drop C tuning for 12-String Guitar uses the notes C-C-G-G-C-C-F-F-A-A-D-D, listed from the lowest string to the highest.

Can I tune without a microphone?

Yes. Every string card plays a reference tone – tap it and match your string to the sound by ear.