THE TUNEGUITAR GUIDE
Understand Baritone A standard
A standard and Drop A have different upper strings
This baritone layout is A D G C E A. Six-string Drop A is A E A D F sharp B. Sharing A1 as a lowest note does not make them interchangeable. Check string 5: D belongs to A standard, E to the dropped layout. The ordinary chord-shape relationships survive only in the uniform standard transposition.
A fifth below familiar fingerings
Every string is seven semitones below regular standard, so an E shape sounds A and an A shape sounds D. This makes the guitar sit in a much lower register without changing relative fingerings. Write sounding chord names when sharing a part with a keyboard player rather than relying on the names of your shapes.
Low-frequency measurement takes care
The lowest A is 55 Hz. Give it a clear isolated signal and let the initial attack settle. A2 at 110 Hz is the next octave, not evidence that you should halve the string's tension again. Use the selected-string target and a suitable baritone setup. The numerical target cannot determine whether a particular scale length and string gauge will feel stable.
Your string-by-string route from standard
This is a comparison of target pitches, not a recommendation to use every tuning on every guitar. Start from the tuning your instrument actually has. Use the directions and the octave labels together.
| String | Start | Target | Adjustment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | E2 | A1 | Lower 7 semitones |
| 5 | A2 | D2 | Lower 7 semitones |
| 4 | D3 | G2 | Lower 7 semitones |
| 3 | G3 | C3 | Lower 7 semitones |
| 2 | B3 | E3 | Lower 7 semitones |
| 1 | E4 | A3 | Lower 7 semitones |
Nearby tunings, compared by their actual notes
These are the three closest six-string presets by total semitone movement from this setup. The ranking describes target changes, not playing difficulty or physical suitability. A familiar name can hide a different middle-string layout.
| Next tuning | All target notes | Strings that change |
|---|---|---|
| Drop A | A1 · E2 · A2 · D3 · F♯3 · B3 | 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 |
| Baritone B standard | B1 · E2 · A2 · D3 · F♯3 · B3 | 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 |
| C standard | C2 · F2 · A♯2 · D♯3 · G3 · C4 | 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 |