12-String Guitar tuner – Drop D
D-D-A-A-D-D-G-G-B-B-E-E · Drop
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 D tuning (D-D-A-A-D-D-G-G-B-B-E-E). 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 D tuning
Compared with Standard, Drop D moves 2 strings. Every change is downward, the largest by 2 semitones, so the instrument sits at lower tension than in Standard.10 strings stay exactly where they were.
| String | Standard | Drop D | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E2 | D2 | down 2 semitones |
| 2 | E3 | D3 | down 2 semitones |
Played open, the strings sound D-D-A-A-D-D-G-G-B-B-E-E – from D2 at the bottom to G4 at the top, a span of 2 octaves and 5 semitones.
Drop D 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.
Drop D on a 12-string lowers the lowest course a whole tone, keeping the octave pairing intact. The result is a one-finger power chord with the 12-string's built-in octave doubling on top of it.
Because the tuning already pulls hard, dropping the bottom course also takes some load off the neck, which is a small bonus on an older instrument.
The drop is small enough that a standard set handles it. If the lowest string starts to rattle against the frets, one step up in gauge fixes it.
History
Where the Drop D tuning comes from
Drop D on the twelve-string lowers both strings of the sixth course. Its history follows that of Drop D on the six-string – from classical and folk music to 1990s rock – with the extra shimmer of the octave strings; it is common in acoustic folk and singer-songwriter music.
Other 12-String Guitar tunings
Standard
Drop
Chords for this tuning
How do I tune my 12-String Guitar to Drop D?
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 (D-D-A-A-D-D-G-G-B-B-E-E).
Which notes are used in Drop D tuning?
Drop D tuning for 12-String Guitar uses the notes D-D-A-A-D-D-G-G-B-B-E-E, 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.