8-String Guitar tuner – Half Step Down
F-A#-D#-G#-C#-F#-A#-D# · Standard
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 8-String Guitar is to Half Step Down tuning (F-A#-D#-G#-C#-F#-A#-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 Half Step Down tuning
Compared with Standard F#, Half Step Down moves 8 strings. Every change is downward, the largest by 1 semitone, so the instrument sits at lower tension than in Standard F#.
| String | Standard F# | Half Step Down | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F#1 | F1 | down 1 semitone |
| 2 | B1 | A#1 | down 1 semitone |
| 3 | E2 | D#2 | down 1 semitone |
| 4 | A2 | G#2 | down 1 semitone |
| 5 | D3 | C#3 | down 1 semitone |
| 6 | G3 | F#3 | down 1 semitone |
| 7 | B3 | A#3 | down 1 semitone |
| 8 | E4 | D#4 | down 1 semitone |
Played open, the strings sound F-A#-D#-G#-C#-F#-A#-D# – from F1 at the bottom to D#4 at the top, a span of 2 octaves and 10 semitones. Step by step across the neck the intervals are a fourth, a fourth, a fourth, a fourth, a fourth, a major third, a fourth, and that is what decides how chord shapes fall under the hand.
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 Half Step Down tuning comes from
Tuning the eight-string down a half step to F is closely linked to Meshuggah, who adopted custom eight-strings in the mid-2000s and tuned them to F, a semitone below what later became the factory standard. Many djent and progressive metal players followed.
Other 8-String Guitar tunings
Chords for this tuning
How do I tune my 8-String Guitar to Half Step Down?
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 (F-A#-D#-G#-C#-F#-A#-D#).
Which notes are used in Half Step Down tuning?
Half Step Down tuning for 8-String Guitar uses the notes F-A#-D#-G#-C#-F#-A#-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.